Birth Mother Crochets for Herself, Her Baby, and Etsy
Hollie* has learned to surround herself with soft yarn.
Weaving a blanket out of chunky cotton thread for her son soothed this birth mother and helped her overcome a near-debilitating episode of postpartum.
A few months into her pregnancy, Hollie admitted she was extremely disappointed in herself.
As a child, Hollie had watched her mother party.
After caring for her younger siblings, often for several days at a time, Hollie would watch her mother stumble into their apartment, usually influenced by a cocktail of alcohol and drugs.
“I was never going to do that,” Hollie said. “Never.”
One night, in a moment of weakness, the young girl got “crossfaded” – an urban term that refers to being drunk and high on marijuana at the same time. The rest of the party is hazy.
When she found out she was pregnant, she had no idea what to do. How would another child fit in the tiny apartment?
“I would have my baby and my siblings to care for,” Hollie said. “I didn’t want that for any of us.” birth mother
For a time, Hollie felt she might take the infant and live with her grandmother a few hours away.
“She is my rock,” Hollie explained. “I loved my nana and can count on her. She taught me to cook and to crochet. Two things I love to do.”
Towards the very end of her pregnancy, Hollie decided to place her little boy. Michelle from Heart to Heart provided Salina with profiles from potential families. And she accepted the idea of being a birth mother.
Immediately, Hollie was drawn to a particular family. Within a few days, two weeks before her due date, she went into labor.
The potential adoptive family came. Hollie held and hugged her little boy and wondered when she would ever see him again.
The answer was, “soon.” for this birth mother.
“Out of all this big world,” Hollie smiled. “I chose a family and then found out that they live close to my grandmother. I have the two things I love the best close to each other. And they get to see each other—my son and my grandmother. I’m so happy about that.”
Even feeling comforted with the “rightness” of her decision, Hollie struggled with depression.
“She started crocheting,” Michell explained. “We encouraged her to crochet and got her yarn.”
The young mother crocheted a soft white afghan for her little child. The adoptive family visited Hollie and her grandmother. The baby seemed to understand the love incorporated in the blanket.
With the agency’s help, Hollie set up an Etsy account and made more blankets for newborns.
The adoptive family has supported her in this and encourages her every time they meet.
*name changed
