March 04, 2013

My Baby Not My Child

All the time we hear stories from adoptive parents about the miracle of adoption. What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to bring a child into your home, love them as your own, and raise them to grow, thrive and be successful. But the perspective we hear less often is that of the woman who chooses to give her child to another couple so that they may do everything she wants to do for her child, but cannot. One brave young woman, Callie Mitchell, a 25 year old photojournalism student attending the University of Iowa, documented her pregnancy, adoption process and birth through a series of photos, videos and text entitled My Baby Not My Child that showcases the ups and downs, the emotional trauma, the hurt, the confusion and the not-so-straightforward process of what it is to become unexpectedly pregnant and to decide that adoption is the right choice for your child.

Callie’s does not represent every birth mother’s story, but her emotions are very raw and there is no question that birth mothers out there can relate. This is a special insight into the world of a birth mother that is not often shared. For adoptive parents and birth parents alike, this is a must-read.

Here’s one of the short videos that Callie shot which includes a bit about going through adoptive parent profiles and choosing the family she wants to raise her child: