Life is a journey, one that has ups and downs like a roller coaster and it may be wished that steady and straight would be a more secure ride through life. An unplanned pregnancy can absolutely throw anyone for a loop, regardless of what your life was like five minutes before the “positive” showed up on your pregnancy test. Believe that there will come a time again, where your life will seem steadier and you won’t be bracing yourself for the next loop in this roller coaster called “Life.” While you are on the ride, make sure your journal everything because this is an important part of your life, your baby’s life and the life adoptive family you choose. If you’ve made the decision about giving up a baby for adoption, you might even consider that the journal will be something that someday will help your child understand, and come to treasure your journal as part of his/her own journey.

You may be thinking, “Why would I want to journal this is a very difficult time in my life?  “I don’t know if I am going to even want to remember it???”  At the beginning of a journey you don’t always know the paths your journey will take you. Having a journal to share your thoughts and feelings with, and the ability to reread it later may help you understand some emotions and feels you may be having. Even titling your journal such as: “Making An Adoption Choice – Giving Up a Baby for Adoption”, “Teen Pregnancy”, “Adoption For My Baby”, or even “I’m Pregnant, Thinking About Adoption” may be a good starting place.

Here are some good reasons to write in your journal daily. Journaling may help you:

• Improve your mood.
• Make better decisions for you and your baby, instead of reacting to emotions.
• Reduce depression around adoption mile markers: each trimester, choosing a family, creating a hospital plan, etc.
• Improve your memory, allowing you to remember each event clearly and understand your emotions.
• Let go of negative thoughts.
• Understand how adoption can be a good choice and how important your involvement in the process is.
• Recover from daily stress.
• Increases your overall sense of gratitude and help you to be more positive.
• Leave a written record of your adoption journey for your child.

Writing in a journal can also help you process your feelings about decisions or events in your adoption journey like choosing open adoption, post adoption communication, or even creating your hospital plan.

If you are giving up a baby for adoption in Arizona, the adoption specialists at Building Arizona Families can help if you need assistance in acquiring a journal. This could be an important part of your Arizona adoption plan. This journal will be special for you to read again in the future.

If you are considering giving up a baby for adoption, we can help in many practical ways.  Go HERE to see what we can help with.  Also, we have resources to help you make positive choices for your future after the baby is born. We want to help. Call or text today at (623) 695-4112, we are here for you.