A newborn baby’s tiny foot

Should a Birth Mother Bond With a Baby She is Going to Place for Adoption?

Written by Wendy Knowles, Front-line Birth Mother Support

Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU
Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU
Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU

Dalia and Her Baby Are Bonded

Dalia is tiny, very young, and amazingly strong.

Her baby is tiny, born prematurely, and amazingly strong.

Dalia and her baby are bonded.

Bonded genetically.

Bonded by seven months of pregnancy.

Bonded by two months of hospital visits.

Adoption will never break that bond.

Two Months of Visits in the NICU

After bravely delivering the child two months early, Dalia was released from the hospital. She returned and quietly slipped into the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). While there, the nurses tenderly placed the 3-pound 15-ounce baby into the teenager’s arms. The birth mother bonded as she gently rocked the tiny child, memorizing the petite face.

“Yes. We should,” said Kathy from Heart to Heart Adoptions about a birth mother bonding.

Kathy also encouraged Dalia to meet with a social worker. The social worker explained where Dalia could go to get support to raise the baby. Dalia and her mother, the baby’s grandmother, listened carefully.

Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU
Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU
Birth mother bonding with her baby in the NICU
Birth mother holding her baby before placement

Placing Her Baby With the Family She Chose

The child had been conceived in a traumatic and stressful situation. This reality didn’t change the certainty that Dalia wanted to remain a part of the little girl’s life.

When the infant finally gained enough weight to be released from the hospital, Dalia was there. Dalia’s mother also held the tiny infant. Then they placed the baby into the arms of the family who will raise her.

For several hours, the two families talked. They discussed how Dalia wanted her child raised. They discussed what part Dalia would play in the child’s future.

Dalia will always be bonded, and she will see her child regularly.

Dalia Is Small, Very Young, and Incredibly Brave

Just like she slipped into the NICU and watched her child grow, she will slip into her child’s life and watch her grow. For Dalia, the best parenting plan was to place the child with a family she chose.

Dalia is small, very young, and incredibly brave.

(Name changed.)

Click here to read about open adoption

Click here to contact someone about placing a child.

A newborn baby sleeping peacefully

Reviewed By

[Name]

Last reviewed: April 24, 2026

Written by

Wendy Knowles

Front-line birth mother support

Last Reviewed by: September 28, 2026

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