Did you know the day before Mother’s Day is known as Birthmother’s Day? It’s not a holiday marked on calendars or recognized by society in general. At Catholic Charities, we encourage adoptive families to honor their children’s birth mother on this day. Although each relationship looks different from family to family, this is a great opportunity to honor the woman who carried and gave birth to your son or daughter, and in many cases made the very difficult decision to place their child for adoption. It’s also a wonderful way for children who are adopted to see that it is OK for them to have a place in their heart for their birth mother.

Maybe it is simply picking out some flowers for the table in the birth mothers honor that day. Maybe it is making a handmade card or sending photos and updates. Maybe it is sharing their special weekend with her in some way. However it may be, we encourage all families to acknowledge Birthmother’s Day this year on Saturday, May 10th!

Rhea Newman
Adoption & Pregnancy Support Social Worker