What does a birthmother really hope to accomplish by searching?
Searching, for the greatest majority of birth mothers, is primarily about wanting to give her child the missing information about his/her first families’ background including genetic and medical information that non-adopteds take for granted. It’s about knowing a child lost to adoption is alive and well, or deceased – and hopefully having at least a photograph. It’s about reassuring the adoptee that he/she was never forgotten, and that the bond in gestation fostered an enduring love. It’s about closure for the most traumatic loss experience in her life – and adoptees should know that 99.1% of birth mothers were coerced into relinquishment by parents, preachers, lawyers or an adoption agency. A majority of birthmothers crave hearing their child’s voice, and hope that long-awaited hug happens. They may hope for a face-to-face reunion and a relationship, but IF that happens it’s a bonus. Only 1.5% of birthmothers will provide background information and, for whatever their reasons, choose
