Why Gladney?

By day, I'm a mommy. A nose-wipping, booboo-kissing, hand-face-and-body-washing, 

"I've cleaned this room 15 times today," mommy (and I LOVE it).

By night (at least it seems like it's always at night), I'm a labor doula. 

I walk with mommies and daddies through their pregnancy. Make sure they are educated and have all the resources and support they need; help them create a "birth plan," etc. Then, on the big day, I have the honor of being an extra set of hands to squeeze momma's hips during contractions, an added voice of encouragement to the hardest working woman on the planet, the one who assures daddy it's okay to go get water because I'll be there. 

Long or short labors, natural or medicated, home or hospital; each and every birth is a holy and indescribably sacred experience. 

I've studied enough about the moments and days after birth to know about the power of the connection between momma and baby.

As Ray and I began to walk toward the process of adoption, I noticed myself hesitating. Strange, for a woman who has felt drawn to the plight of the orphaned her entire life to hesitate. Upon greater inspection of this hesitation I discovered the fear: "How I can play a roll in separating a baby from his/her mother?" He'll know her voice and her smell. He'll need her colostrum and her breast milk (a living organism!) could change it's antibodies in order to care for his exact needs. 

Honestly, I found myself a bit nauseated and terrified this situation would cause so much pain. 

In my confusion, The Spirit gently asked, "what's the alternative?" 

Abortion? No. 

What these mother's do is out of deep love and courage. 

The chance to give their baby a life they are unable to give;

Many times to people who are unable to create families biologically.

This gift - the gift of a child - it's holy and indescribably scared. 

So what about the mothers? 

The strong, courageous, deeply loving mothers, 

who pass their children into the hands of other mothers and fathers. 

Who cares for them? 

Gladney does.

Gladney cares for their birth mothers in powerfully important ways. 

Medical care, nutritional guidance, a safe place to stay, a helping hand educationally and on the job-front. Most importantly, they begin grief counseling prior to birth and continue after. The mothers are offered free counseling for life as they grapple with the hardest and most loving decision they will ever make. Gladney is honest with these women about the road they are traveling and pledges to stand by them as the community of Christ, forever. 

Maybe not so surprisingly, it seems that many mothers can get lost in the shuffle of adoption.

At Gladney, they don't. 

So, why Gladney? 

For me, it was the mothers. 

-Sarah