• About Us
  • Locations
    • California
      • Southern California
    • Denver, CO
    • Florida
      • Broward County, FL
      • Jacksonville, FL
      • Miami, FL
      • Naples, FL
      • Orlando, FL
      • Palm Beach County, FL
      • Tallahassee, FL
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta, GA
    • New Jersey
      • South Jersey
    • North Carolina
      • Charlotte, NC
    • Ohio
      • Northwest Ohio
      • Southern Ohio
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, SC
    • Tennessee
      • Nashville, TN
    • Texas
      • Dallas, TX
      • Austin, TX
  • Publishing
    • Content Guidelines for Publishing
    • General Article Submission Guidelines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Friday, April 8, 2022
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
Nashville Christian Voice
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Government
    • Nashville
    • National
    • Politics
    • Tennessee
    • World
    Thousands Join Pro-life March in Peru

    Thousands Join Pro-life March in Peru

    New Program Helps Churches Provide Mental Health Support in UK

    New Program Helps Churches Provide Mental Health Support in UK

    Ukrainian Children Hopeful in Palm Beach County

    Ukrainian Children Hopeful in Palm Beach County

    Pro-life Groups Demand Justice After Exposé at University

    Pro-life Groups Demand Justice After Exposé at University

    Private Spiritual Life Counters Christians’ Role as Disciples—Barna

    Private Spiritual Life Counters Christians’ Role as Disciples—Barna

    Christian Rivals Unite to Restore Holiest Jerusalem Church

    Christian Rivals Unite to Restore Holiest Jerusalem Church

    Survey: 84% Americans Revere Jesus

    Survey: 84% Americans Revere Jesus

    Christian Charities Unite for Ukraine

    Christian Charities Unite for Ukraine

    Ad Shows New Jesus to Skeptics

    Ad Shows New Jesus to Skeptics

    Trending Tags

    • Lifestyle
      • All
      • Books
      • Education
      • Entertainment
      • family
      • Food
      • Health
      • Humor
      • Relationships
      • Travel
      Jeremy Camp doesn’t write songs for radio: I want to ‘connect with the heart’

      Jeremy Camp doesn’t write songs for radio: I want to ‘connect with the heart’

      Minno is the new streaming platform for Christian kids — and it’s excellent

      Minno is the new streaming platform for Christian kids — and it’s excellent

      Newsboys say they will tour until they are 80: We are just getting started!

      Newsboys say they will tour until they are 80: We are just getting started!

      Netflix’s ‘A Week Away’ is a must-watch faith-based musical

      Netflix’s ‘A Week Away’ is a must-watch faith-based musical

      Netflix’s ‘Penguin Bloom’ has lessons about family, life and death

      Netflix’s ‘Penguin Bloom’ has lessons about family, life and death

      There’s a new streaming platform — and it’s a great option for families

      There’s a new streaming platform — and it’s a great option for families

      Pixar’s ‘Soul’ has multiple great messages about life

      Pixar’s ‘Soul’ has multiple great messages about life

      Actress Miya Horcher Leads With Love

      Actress Miya Horcher Leads With Love

      ‘Jingle Jangle’ is Netflix’s best family-friendly movie yet

      ‘Jingle Jangle’ is Netflix’s best family-friendly movie yet

    • Church
      • All
      • Missions
      • Pastors
      • Worship
      Extollo International: Raising and Lifting up the People of Haiti

      Extollo International: Raising and Lifting up the People of Haiti

      Patrick and the History of St. Patrick’s Day

      Patrick and the History of St. Patrick’s Day

      A Candid Interview with Steve Austin, Author of ‘From Pastor to Psych Ward’

      A Candid Interview with Steve Austin, Author of ‘From Pastor to Psych Ward’

      The English School in Marietta Georgia is Touching Lives and Sharing the Gospel

      The English School in Marietta Georgia is Touching Lives and Sharing the Gospel

      Reaching the Nepali Bhutanese in Harrisburg, PA

      Reaching the Nepali Bhutanese in Harrisburg, PA

      A Blueprint for Prayer: Three Personal Petitions

      A Blueprint for Prayer: Three Personal Petitions

      Why a House Church?

      Why a House Church?

      App Sees Increase in Bible Engagement with 1 Million New Subscribers in 24 Hours

      App Sees Increase in Bible Engagement with 1 Million New Subscribers in 24 Hours

      Weighing In On Death of John Allen Chau

      Weighing In On Death of John Allen Chau

    • Sports
      Bitterness Strikes Out

      Bitterness Strikes Out

      Kia’s Amazing Journey

      Kia’s Amazing Journey

      Bengals Chaplain Kicks COVID-19

      Bengals Chaplain Kicks COVID-19

      NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown opens up about faith

      NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown opens up about faith

      Taking the Next Step: An Interview with Noah Turner

      Taking the Next Step: An Interview with Noah Turner

      To Empower and Encourage

      To Empower and Encourage

      Are You Passionate?

      Are You Passionate?

      There is Another Way

      There is Another Way

      Did God See That Coming?

      Did God See That Coming?

    • Home
    • News
      • All
      • Government
      • Nashville
      • National
      • Politics
      • Tennessee
      • World
      Thousands Join Pro-life March in Peru

      Thousands Join Pro-life March in Peru

      New Program Helps Churches Provide Mental Health Support in UK

      New Program Helps Churches Provide Mental Health Support in UK

      Ukrainian Children Hopeful in Palm Beach County

      Ukrainian Children Hopeful in Palm Beach County

      Pro-life Groups Demand Justice After Exposé at University

      Pro-life Groups Demand Justice After Exposé at University

      Private Spiritual Life Counters Christians’ Role as Disciples—Barna

      Private Spiritual Life Counters Christians’ Role as Disciples—Barna

      Christian Rivals Unite to Restore Holiest Jerusalem Church

      Christian Rivals Unite to Restore Holiest Jerusalem Church

      Survey: 84% Americans Revere Jesus

      Survey: 84% Americans Revere Jesus

      Christian Charities Unite for Ukraine

      Christian Charities Unite for Ukraine

      Ad Shows New Jesus to Skeptics

      Ad Shows New Jesus to Skeptics

      Trending Tags

      • Lifestyle
        • All
        • Books
        • Education
        • Entertainment
        • family
        • Food
        • Health
        • Humor
        • Relationships
        • Travel
        Jeremy Camp doesn’t write songs for radio: I want to ‘connect with the heart’

        Jeremy Camp doesn’t write songs for radio: I want to ‘connect with the heart’

        Minno is the new streaming platform for Christian kids — and it’s excellent

        Minno is the new streaming platform for Christian kids — and it’s excellent

        Newsboys say they will tour until they are 80: We are just getting started!

        Newsboys say they will tour until they are 80: We are just getting started!

        Netflix’s ‘A Week Away’ is a must-watch faith-based musical

        Netflix’s ‘A Week Away’ is a must-watch faith-based musical

        Netflix’s ‘Penguin Bloom’ has lessons about family, life and death

        Netflix’s ‘Penguin Bloom’ has lessons about family, life and death

        There’s a new streaming platform — and it’s a great option for families

        There’s a new streaming platform — and it’s a great option for families

        Pixar’s ‘Soul’ has multiple great messages about life

        Pixar’s ‘Soul’ has multiple great messages about life

        Actress Miya Horcher Leads With Love

        Actress Miya Horcher Leads With Love

        ‘Jingle Jangle’ is Netflix’s best family-friendly movie yet

        ‘Jingle Jangle’ is Netflix’s best family-friendly movie yet

      • Church
        • All
        • Missions
        • Pastors
        • Worship
        Extollo International: Raising and Lifting up the People of Haiti

        Extollo International: Raising and Lifting up the People of Haiti

        Patrick and the History of St. Patrick’s Day

        Patrick and the History of St. Patrick’s Day

        A Candid Interview with Steve Austin, Author of ‘From Pastor to Psych Ward’

        A Candid Interview with Steve Austin, Author of ‘From Pastor to Psych Ward’

        The English School in Marietta Georgia is Touching Lives and Sharing the Gospel

        The English School in Marietta Georgia is Touching Lives and Sharing the Gospel

        Reaching the Nepali Bhutanese in Harrisburg, PA

        Reaching the Nepali Bhutanese in Harrisburg, PA

        A Blueprint for Prayer: Three Personal Petitions

        A Blueprint for Prayer: Three Personal Petitions

        Why a House Church?

        Why a House Church?

        App Sees Increase in Bible Engagement with 1 Million New Subscribers in 24 Hours

        App Sees Increase in Bible Engagement with 1 Million New Subscribers in 24 Hours

        Weighing In On Death of John Allen Chau

        Weighing In On Death of John Allen Chau

      • Sports
        Bitterness Strikes Out

        Bitterness Strikes Out

        Kia’s Amazing Journey

        Kia’s Amazing Journey

        Bengals Chaplain Kicks COVID-19

        Bengals Chaplain Kicks COVID-19

        NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown opens up about faith

        NFL Hall of Famer Tim Brown opens up about faith

        Taking the Next Step: An Interview with Noah Turner

        Taking the Next Step: An Interview with Noah Turner

        To Empower and Encourage

        To Empower and Encourage

        Are You Passionate?

        Are You Passionate?

        There is Another Way

        There is Another Way

        Did God See That Coming?

        Did God See That Coming?

      No Result
      View All Result
      Nashville Christian Voice
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home Lifestyle family

      Happy Mother’s Day, Tummy Mommy

      by Alice Murray
      May 13, 2018
      in family, Featured
      0
      Happy Mother’s Day, Tummy Mommy
      0
      SHARES
      186
      VIEWS
      Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

      There’s a forgotten mother on Mother’s Day.  This statement may be hard to believe given the commercialization of a holiday meant to honor motherhood.  More phone calls are placed on Mother’s Day than on any other day of the year.  Who could or would forget her mother?

      Actually, this mother is not forgotten per se; she is simply not recognized or publicly hailed.  And that omission is truly sad because this mother is one of the bravest women out there.  In fact, this type of mother is my heroine both personally and professionally.

      The Tummy Mommy places her child for adoption not because she does not love him but because she loves him so much.

      Who is this unheralded mother?  She’s a Tummy Mommy.  In case you are unfamiliar with this term, it is a description of a birth mother, a brave woman who has carried a child for months, endured the pain of delivering that child and then has her heart broken because she will not be raising that child.  The “tummy mommy” gives a child life biologically and then gives her child a good life by placing him for adoption.

      Some claim that a Tummy Mommy is simply “giving away” her child.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A woman who places her child for adoption is exhibiting the purest form of motherhood–putting her child before herself.  She makes a choice that is excruciatingly painful so that her child can have what he needs: a stable home, two parents, necessities, and maybe even something for his or her future, like a college education–things she is not in a position to provide.  The Tummy Mommy places her child for adoption not because she does not love him but because she loves him so much.

      That a negative stereotype of birth mothers persists is something I cannot grasp.  When a woman makes a loving choice to provide for her child through adoption, she should be applauded, assisted and admired.  Instead, many look down their noses at her because she has gotten herself in this position because of some poor choices or poor planning.

      Tummy Mommies are much more common than you might think.  According to Adoptive Families magazine, approximately 18,000 American families adopt newborns in the U.S. each year.

      Guess what?  A “tummy mommy” is a human being who, yes, just like all the rest of us has made mistakes.  But since no do over button is available, she makes the best of a difficult situation so that everyone comes out ahead.  She places her child for adoption to give her child the life he deserves and gets peace of mind that he will be cared for.  The child is provided for and gets a wonderful life.  The adoptive parents experience a miracle and achieve their parenting dreams.  This result is a win-win-win situation.

      That is not to say that everyone lives happily ever after.  An adoption may be finalized and parental ties legally severed, but a Tummy Mommy will always be a mommy even if she is not raising a child.  A sense of loss and grief is normal for any caring person.  And a Tummy Mommy does care.  If she didn’t, she could easily have taken care of her “problem” by having an abortion.  But instead, she signed up for months of physical discomfort, a hospital stay and emotional trauma.  This is one brave woman regardless of how she found herself in the family way.

      Tummy Mommies are much more common than you might think.  According to Adoptive Families magazine, approximately 18,000 American families adopt newborns in the U.S. each year.  And those bundles of joy don’t come from the stork; they come from living, breathing and likely crying Tummy Mommies.

      What makes me an expert on Tummy Mommies?  No, I am not one, but I deal with them daily as an adoption attorney.  In my almost thirty years of practice, I have dealt with hundreds of Tummy Mommies.  And, personally, I am the aunt of a precious niece and nephew who have brought joy to my family because of the unselfish decision of two birth mothers in vastly different situations.  These women are of different races, live in different countries and speak different languages.  But both of them are women with huge hearts.  Each put her love in action by formulating a plan to make sure that her child would be well cared for when she could not do so.

      Tummy Mommies make life-altering decisions because their children are their first priority.  Sadly, some mothers choose to parent and then ruin their children’s life through abuse or neglect.  Just because a woman “keeps” her child and parents does not, ipso facto, mean that she is deserving of kudos.  Conversely, just because a woman elects to place her child for adoption does not mean she is automatically deserving of scorn.

      Perhaps it is just as well that Tummy Mommies are overlooked on Mother’s Day.  Yes, they deserve recognition, but one mere day when material things are given to show appreciation to a mother comes nowhere close to heralding a woman who has given her very heart to make sure her child is provided for when she cannot.  There are not enough cards, roses and chocolate to express adequate appreciation for the brave and unselfish choice a “tummy mommy” has made. Tummy Mommies everywhere, I salute you–not just on Mother’s Day, but on every day.

      Facebook Comments
      Tags: adoptionMother's DayTummy Mommy
      Alice Murray

      Alice Murray

      Alice H. Murray, a Florida adoption attorney with over 25 years of experience, writes non-fiction. She has penned articles for legal professional magazines, her local paper, and a mission magazine. Alice also won an American Bar Association haiku contest. A non-fiction piece of hers was published in Short And Sweet, and a fiction piece was published in Short And Sweet Too. A third piece has been selected for inclusion in another in the Short And Sweet series due out in July 2018. Alice has a manuscript, “Ho Ho Holy Humor—Devotions For A Cheerful Reader,” completed and ready for publication. She blogs regularly at aliceinwonderingland.wordpress.com and tweets as @dawgatty.

      Next Post
      Depression: Curing Stigma within the Church

      Depression: Curing Stigma within the Church

      Recommended

      Key to Progress is in the Church—Nigerian VP

      4 years ago
      Most US Churches Open About Racial Issues

      Most US Churches Open About Racial Issues

      2 years ago

      Popular News

        Connect with us

        About Us

        Nashville Christian Voice is part of One Christian Voice, a growing Christian news network in the United States. We share world news, national news, stories to inspire you and information on activities and events in and around Nashville, TN.

        Locations

        California
        Colorado
        Florida
        Georgia
        New Jersey
        North Carolina
        Ohio
        Pennsylvania
        South Carolina
        Tennessee
        Texas

        Connect with us

        • About Us
        • Advertise
        • Contact

        © 2018 Nashville Christian Voice - Member, Evangelical Press Association.

        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
        • Lifestyle
        • Church
        • Sports

        © 2018 Nashville Christian Voice - Member, Evangelical Press Association.

        Welcome Back!

        Login to your account below

        Forgotten Password?

        Retrieve your password

        Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

        Log In