A Special Place in Hell
Why Don’t You Just Adopt?
Oct 30, 2023
Sarah and Meghan discuss the ethics of adoption, surrogacy, and reproductive technology. They explore the dark history of the Baby Scoop era and the traumatic experiences of unwed mothers. The discussion touches on the portrayal in popular culture and the lasting impact on birth mothers. They also reflect on their own experiences in foster care and primal motherhood instincts.
01:09:15
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- During the Baby Scoop Era, unwed mothers were pressured and coerced into giving up their babies for adoption, leading to long-lasting trauma and pain for the majority of these women.
- Mothers who gave birth during the Baby Scoop Era often experienced a primal attachment to their newborns and suffered heartbreaking coercion from various parties to give up their babies, further exacerbating their pain and trauma.
Deep dives
The Baby Scoop Era and Coerced Adoptions
The podcast episode explores the Baby Scoop Era, which occurred from 1945 to 1973. During this time, unwed mothers were strongly encouraged, and often coerced, to give up their babies for adoption. Adoption became more normalized, but many women who surrendered their babies felt that their children were taken from them rather than given up willingly. Historians and researchers found that the majority of these women were haunted by the decision and suffered the trauma of separation. They had no one to talk to about it and were expected to pretend it never happened, further exacerbating their pain.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
