Book or ideas for support to birth mom?

I love the idea of a Bible inscribed with Baby's name. I think some sort of gift is an awesome idea...and I admire you for thinking about your son's birth mom for this special occasion. One other gift suggestion that I'm thinking might be nice is one of those heart bracelets where she has one side of the heart and you have the other side. But I think I like your idea better. One of the most meaningful things I ever discovered was when my son's amom told me that she had prayed for me every night while DS was growing up. The thing about parents who lose their children to CPS because of drug addiction or mental illness is that they still do love them, even if physical abuse was involved. My mom was very abusive to me, although I was never removed from her care (pre-CPS era). The thing I've come to realize over the years, however, is that she does love me very much--she was just very messed up in her own life and took it out on me.

Raven, I liked your heart bracelet idea so much and went looking online for them. While I was looking, I also discovered lockets that, for an extra fee, they will put the photo inside and it will be waterproof! Yes, i'm sure she loves him even if she wasn't able to care for him properly. I'm sad for her and yet so much in love with this baby and so very happy we get the honor of raising him. <3

Personally, no, I wouldn't give a gift to a mother who lost custody or had to relinquish to avoid TPR to "celebrate" the adoption. Based on the families I've been around, the adoption of the child wasn't exactly seen as a day to celebrate, but a reminder of the system that "took" their child.....especially when the adoption is very closed to the termination or reliquishment. In domestic infant adoption where the birth parent proactively made a choice that their child be adopted I could see an adoption gift (a token of the plan coming to fruition) but not so much in a foster to adopt situation. Some of the families I've encountered would have seen it more as the "victors" in the battle rubbing their nose in the loss.

LadyJubilee, I see your point. I didn't intend for the gift to be a rub-it-in-your-face thing, but I could see how it could be interpreted that way. This mom actually wants us to take her child (the baby's grandma has been saying for months that she wants us to adopt him) and the mom chose to relinquish willingly when she realized that he wasn't going to move anywhere--- that we'd keep him. I see what you're saying about the differences in domestic adoption vs. foster-adopt, though. Anyone else with an opinion either way? I'd like to hear, if you do! :-)