A 22-year-old woman, who has been documenting the process of giving her baby up for adoption and navigating an open adoption with the baby’s new parents, has posted a series of images of one of the biggest decisions of her life.
Olivia started the journey two weeks ago, with a simple picture and caption reading:
“Today was a good day.”
Three days later, Olivia shared the next step with her birth-daughter, explaining:
“Today, I relinquished my rights and gave this little one up for adoption. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but I know she’ll be going to an amazing family. I’ve been crying since I left the hospital.”
Olivia continues to explain that the shot was taken by the new adoptive mother.
Olivia outlined the reasoning behind giving her child up for adoption, noting to imgur users that it was devastating but she felt she was making the right choice for her daughter:
“I make an okay amount but not enough to provide the comfortable life she deserves. Also the dad bailed and I wanted her to feel whole. His mom died earlier that year so when we found out I was pregnant a few weeks later, it really took it’s toll. I don’t blame him actually.
The baby’s father, she wrote, wanted her to have an abortion:
“I couldn’t bring myself to do it… I wanted her to have the best shot at life that I could give. I don’t have a good enough job or home to support her.”
A few days following on from this post, Olivia posted the next image – a really adorable snap of her baby girl, writing:
“The couple I adopted to have been waiting 10+ years for a kid. They weren’t able to conceive. It is an open adoption. I so far have seen her every week. I have been pumping for her because we have decided to take advantage of the benefits of breast milk. It also gives me a great excuse to see her and the parents. Although it was the hardest choice I’ve ever made, I do not regret it. The parents are totally in love with her and she’s the happiest kid ever.”
Olivia hopes by sharing her story she may encourage more women to consider adoption as an option and to give adoptive parents the chance to see the benefits of an open-adoption arrangement.
She wrote that she hopes her story inspires others to make the difficult decision to choose adoption:
“I’ve made someone who couldn’t have kids the happiest person alive. I think that’s worth it.”
