Now, what is a Lifemother?
Lifemother is another name for birthmother. Some prefer firstmother, many are fine with birthmother, some go by natural mother, but I am quite comfy with Lifemother. In my everyday lingo--as well as in my writing--I stick to birthmother so I don't cause confusion. I suppose this is my place to let my hair down! You're more than welcome to let yours down too! :o)
You see, I believe that God is the creator of all life, but somehow, the term birthmother did not feel right to me.
I believe I did more than give birth to my daughter ... So why be stuck with a title that only accredits me to giving birth?
Note: The definition of 'Lifemother' is my own creation (Skye Hardwick) and therefore, copyrighted by me. It has come to my attention that a few are taking the definition of Lifemother and using it without my permission and without giving proper credit. Please note that copyright violations can be pursued and held up in court! Ignorance of the law does not excuse! Here are is the Lifemother's copyright disclaimer.
Many women give birth ... but is it the act of giving birth that makes us mothers? On the other side of the triad ... is it the act of signing an adoption decree that makes us mothers? No, it is the *love* we have for our children that makes us mothers. That's why mothers come in many different forms!
'Life' in Lifemother represents the choice we made to carry our pregnancies to term, and taking care of our expecting bodies'Life' represents the choice we made to hopefully give our children a better life, by placing them into the arms and hearts of a new family
'Life' represents the continous role we have in our children's lives - even if our adoptions are closed, we will always pray for, and think about our beloved children.
'Life' represents the life after the placement or our children that we as Birthmom strive to have; a promising future, and a life of success, healing and joy.
'Life' represents the fact that even though we are not parents to our children, we will always be one of their mothers
Life Mothers ::: Mothers for Life
I chose life for my child, not only when I continued the pregnancy, but also when I chose adoption. Her and I will always have a connection; not only because she came from my body, but because of the love bond we formed throughout the journey of my pregnancy. My daughter's adoptive mom is her mommy, and I will forever be her Lifemother.
I don't complicate my daughter's life ...I compliment it!
So, who are you?
My name is Skye Hardwick. I am the Lifemother to lil' fireball Emily.
She was born in November, 1998, and placed into the arms and hearts of her new family three days later. I've had a very open adoption, with visitation, with Emily and her family since her birth. I am also Mommy to lil' cuddlebug Isaiah. He was born in October, 2000, and I am raising him. I've been on both sides of the fence, as a birthmom and as a mom. Although my views are continously changing on the topic of adoption, I do not regret either choice.
Your name sounds familiar. Why?
In life, I wear many hats. Besides being a Lifemom and a Mommy, I also am a writer.
I was a columnist for Adoption TODAY Magazine for the past two years. It was an honor to be able to share with the Adoption TODAY readers the heart & perspective of a birthmother.
Anything else?
As a matter of fact, yes, glad you asked! :o)
I am also the founder/manager for an online support community called, Two Different Kinds of Love.
This is a christian community for birthmoms & adoptive moms. Please note: We are not a community who "matches" pre-adoptive families with potential birthmothers.
I believe that we can help others on a similar path, and, perhaps most importantly, to realize that adoption doesn't have to isolate one woman from another, but can offer a powerful opportunity for women to dialogue and begin to bridge the gap perpetuated by fear.
You sure write about God a lot.
Yes, I am glad you noticed! I am a Christian, and since God is the one who has blessed me with my gift of writing and expression, as well as every other good thing in my life, you will continue to find Him interwoven in my work.
Here's my favorite scripture: "...To comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to give them beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair." Isaiah 61:1-4
What an uplifting verse!
What's the purpose of this site?
The purpose of Lifemothers is to celebrate Birthmoms ..yes, for what they have given, their children, but also to celebrate who they are as women. We as Lifemoms have so much more to give than what society gives us credit for. We can offer our stories, our perspectives, our sorrows, our lessons ..the list goes on. Lifting up one another with validation and hope, celebrating with one another the precious gift that each of us possesses ...ourselves.
When I first placed my daughter, I searched for hours on end for birthmom-related information, writings, and support. To my dismay, I found the information I longed for was either non-exsistant or scattered all over the internet. On this website, I've gathered all of my favorite links (adoption, expecting & christian links) in one spot ...just to make things easier on you! Plus, other pages make things interesting too - like: Your Stories; Your Poetry; Lifemom of the Month; Contests; Birth Day; and much more!
Plus, I'd like to keep those who are interested in my writing informed of my new work, where my work can be found, and info on my first book. Don't forget to read my copyright/printing disclaimer!
Remember, Lifemothers is nothing without you ..so keep sending in your stories, comments, poetry and writings!
Are you an adopting/adoptive parent? Here is a special message just for you!!!
Here's my lil' disclaimer: Keep in mind, that I am not a professional, nor do I claim to be. If you disagree with my views, simply click the small "X" on the top right-hand side of your browser window. Also, I hold all the rights to decide what goes on my site - this includes poems, stories, lifemom of the month, etc. I do hope you stay!
