Finding my birth mother?

PhilM

Heather (the Adoption category's top answerer) is from the UK and can probably give you more specifics when she sees this question.

My understanding is that records are open in the UK, so you should be able to request and get a copy of your original birth certificate. From there, you should have your first mother's name. Once you have that, there are a number of ways to go about trying to locate someone.

Your first step is getting her name, which you should be able to get from your records.

Good luck!

(And, if you are looking for other adoptees to talk to, this is a good support forum:

http://www.adultadoptees.org/forum/index.php

ETA: Or Laurie could come along with all the specifics that I was too lazy to look up. Thanks, Laurie!!! :)

Heather B

Lucky you! You weren't born in the USA where our records are a State Secret for some ridiculous reason! Hurray, you are free to find the truth of your origins

Everything you need to know about getting your birth and adoption records is here:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/adoptions/

These organizations are also very helpful in adoption searching:
http://www.norcap.org.uk/

http://www.postadoptioncentre.org.uk/

Also the Salvation Army are helpful

I hope you find the answers you are looking for and good luck!

LaurieDB

Firstly, what information do you already have in the way of names, locations, et cetera?

Have you applied for your original (pre-adoption) birth certificate? If not, you'll need to do so.

Here's some information about that from http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/family/birth_certificates.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Certificates after adoption

If you are aged 18 or over and have been adopted in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you can apply for a copy of your original birth certificate.

If all the birth details are known you should apply to the Superintendent Registrar in the district where your birth was registered. There is a fee for this.

If adopted before 12 November 1975, you will have to see an experienced counsellor before you can get information from the original birth certificate.

If adopted on or after 12 November 1975, you can choose whether or not you would like to see a counsellor before getting information about your birth certificate.

You can also obtain a copy of the adoption certificate issued after the adoption order was granted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This will at least give you your first mother's and possibly first father's names, where they were living at the time and where, specifically, you were born.

I was born and adopted in California, USA. Here, we aren't treated equally under the law to non-adopted citizens, so we cannot obtain our original birth certificates.

However, I did locate my first family (who was also searching for me) almost 7 years ago and now have a great reunion.

There are a number of participants here who have reunited and will, I'm sure, be able to share with you their experience in how they did so.

triphazard99

Were you adopted pre 1974? If so, you will need legally to have counselling before seeking a birth parent, or any information pre-adoption. That changed in 1974, so if you were adopted after that, you can go ahead and request your original birth certificate. Your first port of call should be the Government Records Office (used to be Somerset House in London, I'm not sure if it still is), and get hold of your birth certificate, and adoption certificate. From there you can try to track down your birth parents using their surnames and where you were born - electoral rolls are probably your best bet for this.

I only know up to this point, I was adopted pre 1974, but don't really want my adoptive parents to know, so haven't quite got the courage up to go for the compulsory counselling yet.... I went as far as getting the forms emailed to me but then chickened out! Good luck.

mary b

If you knew which town or district you were adopted from you can get in touch with the social services and they would point you in the right direction or try adoptions on missing people site.your mother might be looking for you

Kels07

I was put up for adoption at 3 months & found my Mother on the internet. I was given a summary on my blood parents by my Mother - everyone is given one. My Mum also gave me my Mums surname.From that I did an internet search & found her. Luckily she had been looking for me & I found her email address. From there we have been in contact & get on famously, if you would like help, advice mail me x

natalie :)

I highly doubt you'll fine your answer here.
might as well find a detective of some sort to help you out.

good luckk.

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