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The holiday season is upon us. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, there are many special, family-centered holidays that bring people together. While those gatherings may look a bit different in 2020, there are certainly other ways to celebrate the season. If you are an adoptive parent – or in the process of adopting a baby – you may be thinking about sending a special gift to your child’s birth mother.
As you may know, the global pandemic has been causing delays with package deliveries. Considering these delays, we wanted to share with you an early “birth mother gift guide” to get you inspired. With these suggestions, you may be able to get a jump start on your holiday shopping while showing appreciation to the person who brought incredible joy to your family, and to this world. This gift guide is also relevant to those adoptive families who are meeting their child’s birth mother for the first time.
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Personalized Presents
Whether you are just getting to know your child’s birth mother, or you have a longstanding and close relationship with her, you cannot go wrong with a personalized gift that celebrates her status as “birth mom.” Jewelry with baby’s birth date or birth stone, can be incredibly meaningful. There are plenty of options on Etsy, such as this “We found each other” bracelet or this “Love is brave” necklace. You may also consider buying matching jewelry for yourself or your child, to celebrate your life-long bond.
2. A Meaningful Memento
There are few things that are as meaningful to a birth mother as a gift that comes straight from the baby. If your child’s birth mother did not take a lot of items home from the hospital, now may be the time to surprise her with something special. Make a copy of baby’s first footprints or place your baby’s first photo (or a professional newborn photo) in a beautiful frame. You may even find a personalized frame, engraved with a special date or message.
3. Homemade with Heart
Gifts that are homemade are always special. If your child is old enough, he/she can participate in this gift, as well. Have your child make a special holiday card or letter, and then get to crafting. Place hand/foot print art on a canvas or inside a special frame. Get in the kitchen and whip up a batch of cookies or brownies, and then personalize a plate to put them on, signed by your child, so that it is truly “baked with love.”
You can also put your own talents to work here. If you have a way with words, you could write her a letter or a poem to show her how much you care. Do you knit or crochet? Consider making her a scarf and hat that will keep her warm this winter. A homemade gift brings so much meaning to an already special time of year.
4. A Christmas Keepsake
Whether your birth mother celebrates Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, there are many ways to honor this special woman in your life while capturing the reason for the reason.
A birth mother who observes Christmas will appreciate a special birth mom ornament. The holidays can be a complicated time for birth mothers, bringing up many different emotions. For many birth mothers, they can end up feeling isolated and the holiday can be a reminder that they do not have their child with them to celebrate. It can almost feel as if the pregnancy never happened. With a small item for the tree that includes baby’s birth date and name or initials, she can acknowledge her feelings while also feeling seen. Or you can send an ornament that is not specific to the child’s birth, but she will know it is for her from you. Another idea is a snow globe! You can even start a collection for her.
For those birth mothers celebrating Hanukkah, you may consider a personalized menorah with your child’s name on it. Every time your birth mother lights a candle on the menorah, she will be reminded of her incredibly brave and loving decision to place her child for adoption. Much like the oil that fueled the miracle for eight days, she can reflect on her own personal miracle.
5. Pamper Her Like a Princess
You may not be feeling crafty or creative this holiday season. That is okay. The year has been full of curveballs, and the holiday season can be stressful – especially as a parent. If you need a gift that is quick but quality, you cannot go wrong with a gift card. Millennials today say they prefer experiences instead of material items. Here are our experience gift ideas:
- R & R. Splurge on the woman who brought your child into your life and offer her the chance to go to a spa. The gift of relaxation is much needed this year, and will be even more as she copes with the upcoming holidays. See that she indulges in a massage, a facial, a mani/pedi, or all of the above.
6. Fashion for Her Future
If you have just adopted your baby this past year, or you are about to adopt, you may want to consider a gift that will prove useful. Once the pregnancy is over, birth mothers often need to refresh their wardrobe. Why not celebrate the start of the next chapter in her life by gifting her with some new threads? She may be looking to return to school or start a new job. Whatever her circumstance after the adoption, she may appreciate a gift card to her favorite shop.
7. Cozy Quilt – Full of Love
Winter is coming, and nothing says hygge like a cozy blanket to curl up with at night. This homemade quilt was made for a birthmother. There is no need to worry if you are not a quilter. You can have a special quilt made for you with any design of your choice. For extra meaning, you could use:
- Baby blankets
- Pregnancy/newborn photos printed on fabric
Connecting with Your Child’s Birth Mother
This year has been quite different for…well, everything. Adoption is no exception. If you would like help reconnecting with your child’s birth mother, or you are a hopeful adoptive parent who would like to match with a birth mother and adopt, please reach out to Adoptions With Love. We would love to help you make this incredible connection this holiday season. Call us any time at 800-722-7731, text us at 617-777-0072, or click here to contact us online.