Would Economics Influence Your Decision to Raise Baby?

May 19, 2009

One loving mother of three did something she never imagined — she put her fourth baby up for adoption. Struggling to make ends meet raising her teenagers as a single parent, Renee Siegfort, 36, did what she believed was in all of her children's best interest when she found herself unexpectedly pregnant again — she found a family to raise her infant, Joie. While the decision was heart wrenching, a recent report said that it is not uncommon as many moms are considering adoption due to the economy and the fact that raising children is so expensive. Some placement agencies are seeing anywhere from a 10 to 30 percent increase in inquiries. In the same article, a rep for the National Abortion Federation said their phones were ringing off the hook. Would finances influence your baby-raising decision?

32 Comments

2 years

By the way,in reference to an earlier post, I absolutely would advocate abortion over adoption if that's what the woman wants--it's her body and the state has no right over it unless she commits a crime. Abortion is not a crime--it's a medical procedure, and it's legal, for better or for worse. I'm no one's moral judge; therefore, if a woman needs an abortion rather than an adoption, she has that right, still.

2 years

You need to offer "reasonably diligent or even militant attempts to use contraception"--and, failing that, abortion--as third and fourth choices. We aren't limited to two choices only, praise God.

4 years

You make it sound as if she supports the other 3 kids~ She is only a weekend mom who has never paid regular child support. Lots left out of the story, of couse she only told what bits and pieces she thought would sound good. What a shame the USA printed this and without even consulting the residental parent of the teenagers. This was not in their best interest. We should feel sorry for them, not her.

runningesq 4 years

<I>Abandoning your child to strangers (or even those known to you) is no guarantee they will be taken care of, loved, given ponies and pools or any other material item. Adoptive parents are fallible humans just like natural parents. Their wealth, marital or mental status is not guaranteed for life. Adoption is a long term solution to what is often a temporary situation. The greatest gift a child can recieve is their family of origin, medical history and identity in tact - not splintered. </i>I disagree.I think the greatest gift a child can recieve is A FAMILY THAT LOVES THEM UNCONDITIONALLY. I think adoption is beautiful.

runningesq 4 years

Abandoning your child to strangers (or even those known to you) is no guarantee they will be taken care of, loved, given ponies and pools or any other material item. Adoptive parents are fallible humans just like natural parents. Their wealth, marital or mental status is not guaranteed for life. Adoption is a long term solution to what is often a temporary situation. The greatest gift a child can recieve is their family of origin, medical history and identity in tact - not splintered. I disagree. I think the greatest gift a child can recieve is A FAMILY THAT LOVES THEM UNCONDITIONALLY. I think adoption is beautiful.

4 years

How shameful that one of the richest countries in the world does not have adequate social programs to allow mothers to keep and raise their children. Separating mother and child causes a lifelong wound to all involved and has far reaching effects on the entire family system. Abandoning your child to strangers (or even those known to you) is no guarantee they will be taken care of, loved, given ponies and pools or any other material item. Adoptive parents are fallible humans just like natural parents. Their wealth, marital or mental status is not guaranteed for life. Adoption is a long term solution to what is often a temporary situation. The greatest gift a child can recieve is their family of origin, medical history and identity in tact - not splintered.

CoralAmber 4 years

Oh and this happens all the time, except people usually give the baby to better off relatives to raise. She probably doesn't have any one else to get support from.

CoralAmber 4 years

Thank you Blue Puppy!!! My mom was using birth control when she got pregnant with me. Sometimes you take all the precaution you can and it still doesn't work.

Triste3030 4 years

What a selfless thing this woman, Renee Siegfort, did. But maybe she should have prevented getting pregnant in the first place. There's condoms, birth control pills, Plan B, and abortion. These things are provided free of charge at Planned Parenthood. But I still respect Ms. Siegfort for choosing to give her child up for adoption, it's not an easy thing to do at all.

4 years

i think that as well diamond. sometimes people think that birth control is foolproof. look at society nothing is perfect, especially this situation and this woman looked for a way to make this situation a posotive one.

bluepuppybites 4 years

Sometimes birth control backfires...people too often forget about that

Chouette4u 4 years

Yeah, I don't like the anonymous comment system either. It's like giving people a license to troll.

PinkUnicorn 4 years

While I will agree that she did a selfless thing by giving her baby to a family that I'm sure will love and cherish it, she could have been EVEN MORE selfless by taking the precautions to ensure that she didn't get pregnant in the first place! And "anonymous"? Why don't you register and get an actual screen name and stand behind your beliefs. That way, at least we'll all be able to say "oh that's just (whoever), and those are her actual beliefs" instead of feeling like you are some lurking troll who is just trying to get a rise out of people.

jessie 4 years

hmmm...this is a tough one to comment on. part of me says....well...if you knew it was so bad..why did't you take better precautions?! birth control!! then the other part says...yea it its tough..at least she is being honest..making sure the child has a better future then what she could offer him/her. i really don't know.....this article really has me surprised...

BMLbuzz 4 years

I think this is a really tough call all around. On the one hand, what if you are barely making ends meet? We all know how stressed out some parents can get, and in turn, stressed out adults don't exactly make for the most loving parents, nor households for that matter. It can often turn on the children, or baby, in this case. That would be most unfortunate. Then what of the basic needs being fulfilled - food, clothing, shelter - in the US raising a child has only become more and more expensive on all levels. Then you take a look at third world countries, where people raise their children in more rural areas, farms, in the countryside, mountains, beach - on very very little and often seem to have larger families and loving households. Then, we have the flip side, is the baby better off going to a family that can provide for it? Is that all there is to life - the material comforts? Personally, I was raised in a very small family, my parents divorced when I was 4 years old and my mother raised me alone. Often, we had no heat in the house and sometimes lost our phone connection. But, every night we would sit in the living room by the record player and my mother would sing to me. Every day my mom would bring so much laughter into our homes - despite the many worries I am sure she had. So, I suppose it all depends on what you value in life. Or what you think your children should value? What do you think that baby will want to know when they get old enough to ask?

kmckay 4 years

ever since sugar staring allowing 'anonymous' postings, comments have gotten more ridiculous. it's like some people post just to make waves or offend people. it's been really annoying. chouette- i'm with you. who ever argues for abortion over adoption?!!

kmckay 4 years

Chouette4u 4 years

"I think the women that plan to just give their child up the second it is born should get and abortion."Wow that's the first time I have ever heard anyone argue that having an abortion is preferable to adoption. Thankfully, the woman in this story valued the life of her child (even when she was unborn).

Chouette4u 4 years

"I think the women that plan to just give their child up the second it is born should get and abortion." Wow that's the first time I have ever heard anyone argue that having an abortion is preferable to adoption. Thankfully, the woman in this story valued the life of her child (even when she was unborn).

4 years

I wouldn't put my kid up for adoption. I would either have an abortion or stop the kid's life from ever beginning. I think the women that plan to just give their child up the second it is born should get and abortion. the couple that adopted could have gotten a baby elsewhere. it is better for the world to get an abortion early on and help kids that already exist.

bluepuppybites 4 years

I agree with the last 2 comments. Pretty selfless if you ask me. A friend of mine had 2 kids back to back with her husband then he left her while she had another on the way. She didn't get any support from her family and felt her only choice was to give up the baby. She didn't want to but felt it was best for her family. Everyone's situation is different.

lickety split 4 years

i think this is a woman who has been absolutely worn out by life. 36 is really young to have 3 teenage daughters, and they look like they are in their late teens to me. this looks to me like someone that can't do it again, and yet she has faith that someone else can.

kmckay 4 years

although the comments make sense, i think it would be better to look at the bigger picture- this woman did a very selfless thing! she didn't get an abortion or raise a kid she didn't want & couldn't afford. she provided a couple with the greatest gift! i'm sure the couples of adopted kids are extremely grateful.

kmckay 4 years

goldiecar 4 years

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but a box of condoms or an IUD would have been a much better choice.

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32 Comments