Hello, student midwives!

My name is Mari Gallion, and I am the owner of singlepregnancy.com, a help site for single pregnant women who are continuing their pregnancies to be parents, as opposed ot arranging for adoption, which is considered the "prefered" choice in America. I am also the author of a book called The Single Woman's Guide to a Happy Pregnancy, which is available on Amazon in your country as well as mine.

I encourage all of you to learn about the sociological challenges of the single women who will require your help in the future, and to be a supportive and empowering advocate for them. I understand that you all come from varying political climates, but her n the US, single pregnant women are put under extreme pressure, through fear and coercion, to arrange for adoption due to the absence of a father or "father figure" for their unborn children. It is touted that even a child's infancy without the participation of a male role model is a recipe for disaster, although the statistics say otherwise. As the "still single" parent of a wonderful nine year-old boy, I find this extremely disturbing: it is an attack against independent women, many of whom are finding the strength to leave dangerous and otherwise abusive situations in order to protect their children, only for society to question their judgment in making the potentially difficult decision to strike out on their own. As midwives, you'll be the first contact of many such women, and how you respond to them can make the difference between "I can handle the challenges that some with single parenting" and "I give up."

To the adoption industry in my country, the simple cry out for support and empowerment during a broken heart, financial crisis, or some other challenge can be viewed as a wave of the white flag for adoption professionals to descend upon this woman's unbron child, convincing her that giving her child up will be fun, easy, and that she will be allowed contact with her child throughout his or her life. It is for that reason that we need to lend our support to single pregnant women who wish to continue their pregnancies to become parents, and exhibit our confidence that with the right attitude, they are indeed every bit as capable of effective parenting as most any partnered woman. True, adoption may be the best choice for certain situations, but you must be able to hone your wisdom and discern whether or not a woman's situation calls for such action. You must learn to give your support for her decision, honoring her own free will in the matter, while giving her the best birth experience that she can have. You can certainly do that, but it takes a deep spiritual commitment on your behalf.

Thanks for all the good work you do, and feel free to contact me in the event that you have questions about the sociology of single pregnant women, although the validity of the information I provide may vary depending in which country you live.

All the best,
Mari