Episode Description:

Following our raw and powerful conversation last week with birth mother advocate Ashley Mitchell, we are broadening the circle of our conversation. Today, we sit down with adoptive mother Kirsten Johanson for a deeply honest, warm, and eye-opening conversation about what it truly looks like to walk the path of adoption.

Kirsten shares her beautiful journey of adopting her son at 9 months old through an open adoption. She gently pulls back the curtain on the "unseen labor" of adoption—the profound emotional, mental, and physical preparation that prospective parents navigate before they ever hold their baby in their arms. Together, we explore the beautiful concept of the "adoption constellation"—the understanding that adoption isn’t just a transaction, but a lifelong, interconnected journey that deeply touches the birth family, the adoptive family, and, most importantly, the adoptees themselves.

If you have ever wanted to understand the realities of open adoption, or if you simply want to grow in empathy for the different ways we build our families, this episode is full of heart and wisdom.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

• The Unseen Labor: Shifting our understanding of adoption from an "easy route" to honoring the unique, heavy, and beautiful preparation adoptive mothers go through.
• The Adoption Constellation: Looking beyond the traditional "adoption triangle" to see how everyone involved—including extended families and future generations—is uniquely impacted.
• Honoring the Adoptee’s Voice: Understanding how the narratives we use about adoption must serve and protect the child, who didn't get a choice in the process.
• The Reality of Openness: How Kirsten navigates a healthy, respectful open adoption with her son's birth family.

🔗 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Connect with Kirsten’s work: Visit website: Known Together
• Learn more about the community: Discover THE Adoption Conference
• Join our Tribe: Learn more and join American Mothers
• Celebrate a Mom: Do you know an incredible mom who deserves recognition? Nominate a Mother of the Year today!
• Join the Conversation: We want to hear your thoughts on this episode! Head over to the American Mothers Community Facebook Page to share your heart with us.

A Note from Deanne: Remember, you don't have to be perfect to be a great mother. Give yourself grace along your journey. We love you!

Adoption is often spoken about as a beautiful fairy tale, but the reality is a deeply complex landscape where profound grief and immense love walk hand-in-hand.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Ashley Mitchell—a birth mother in an open adoption, co-founder of Adoption Rights, and a trusted, influential voice in the adoption space for nearly two decades. Ashley strips away the sugarcoating to talk about the raw emotional journey of a birth mother’s post-placement grief. We also dive into the anxieties and self-imposed expectations that adoptive parents face, how to build a healthy relationship between all sides of the adoption triad, and why continuous support groups are a lifeline for everyone involved.

• Ashley’s Story: How her personal journey as a birth mother fueled a 20-year mission to advocate for ethics and transparency in adoption.
• The Hidden Grief: Honoring the intense, lifelong emotions of birth mothers and breaking the myth that they just "move on."
• Bridging the Gap: Navigating the unique, evolving relationship between birth mothers and adoptive parents.
• The Adoptive Parent Pressure: Unpacking the self-imposed expectations and anxieties that adoptive families carry, and how to find peace in the messy reality.
• Finding Your Village: The crucial role of specialized support groups for both birth mothers and adoptive families.

• Connect with Ashley & find birth mother support: Big Tough Girl
• Support Group Curriculums & Resources for Birth Mothers: Knee to Knee
• American Mothers, Inc.(R) - Learn more, join, or nominate an outstanding mom for Mother of the Year(R)

As America celebrates its historic 250th anniversary this Fourth of July, how do we teach our children to love their country without getting caught up in the noise of modern politics?

In this special holiday episode, we sit down with Elizabeth Peace—an Air Force veteran, active-duty Marine wife, public affairs strategist, and 2026 South Carolina Mother of the Year(R). Elizabeth shares her unique "dual perspective" of military life and offers refreshing, practical advice for everyday families. From the character-building power of youth leadership programs to unlocking your own family’s American origin story, Elizabeth reminds us that "patriotism isn't about politics—it's about gratitude and responsibility."

• The View from Both Sides: Why Elizabeth joined the Air Force, and how transitioning into life as a Marine spouse has impacted her children.
• (8:10) Building Future Leaders: How youth organizations like the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and JROTC provide invaluable skills, confidence, and external mentors for today's kids.
• (15:20) Reframing Patriotism: How to shift the conversation toward individual growth, community, responsibility, and gratitude.
• (20:11) Sharing Your Family Legacy: A simple, beautiful way to connect kids to history by exploring how your own ancestors arrived in America and helped build the nation.

• Learn more about the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Youth Programs
• Explore Junior ROTC (JROTC) Programs
• American Mothers, Inc. Mother of the Year(R) Information and Nominations