Did you know from the very beginning that you would be placing your baby for adoption? If so, that must have brought with it tremendous emotions. On one hand, maybe you were grateful that your baby would be raised by both a father and a mother. On the other hand, knowing that you would not raise the child you had within your body must have torn at your heartstrings. Upon further study and research, maybe you decided that you would place your baby with parents who would agree that you could be a part of the baby's life. 

No matter the situation, perhaps you are still going through serious withdrawal not having the baby with you. From requesting certain things that might help you to feel close to the baby to arranging for birth parent counseling services, here are some ideas that might help you.

Make Specific Requests - From the very beginning of the open adoption plan, perhaps you had a mediator that helped you and the new adoptive parents to establish things like visiting times. However, it's probably not too late to make additional requests. Those requests might even help the new parents to feel that they are getting to know you better.

For example, if you would like to write to the baby periodically, find out if that is fine with the adoptive parents. Perhaps you'd love to have pictures of the baby each week, or at least each month. Maybe the new parents would even be happy to let you listen to the new sounds the baby makes as he or she matures.

Birth Parent Counseling - It probably came as no surprise to you that you would be extremely sad after you parted from the baby. However, maybe your sadness is closer to depression now. Part of that depression might come from guilt. Perhaps you are second guessing your decision to place the baby in an adoption situation.

Consider arranging for counseling from a professional who focuses on birth parent issues. He or she will have the training and the experience to help you to face your feelings. Don't hold back anything that is on your mind. The counselor will probably have had similar cases and he or she will draw from the times he or she counseled other birth parents.

Your ecclesiastic leader or your OB-GYN doctor will more than likely have names of birth parent counselors. The counseling will probably be worth every penny you spend on it.