One of the greatest gifts you will ever receive is the precious gift of a child to love. When a birth mom chooses you to parent her child, she puts her faith and trust into strangers. Her sacrifice is done out of love and what she believes to be in her baby's best interests. For adoptive parents, there is no way to ever express the deep and profound gratitude we feel towards our child's birth mom. After all, how can you ever repay the person who made it possible for you to be a parent? No words, no actions, no gifts will ever be enough. However, many of us want to do something nice or special for her. Here are some gift ideas for your child's birth mom – for holidays, special occasions or just because.

1) Pamper her. We all love and deserve to be pampered! Some suggestions are: bath products, shower gels, nail polish, scented candles, aromatherapy products or gift certificates for a manicure or massage. You can even make up a nice basket and include a few of these items. At the hospital, we gave our daughter’s birth mom a gift basket with bath products and nail polish. She really appreciated it.

2) A keepsake. Adoption is a significant life event for everyone involved. Show your child’s birth mom how special she is to your family with a charm bracelet, a locket with the child’s photo or a special plaque. After our daughter was born, we gave her birth mom a sterling silver locket with a baby photo in it.

3) Photo album or memory book. Photos help to reassure birth parents that their child is happy and doing well. Create a special photo album, collage, scrapbook or memory book with pictures of milestones, events and significant moments in the child’s life. You can easily do this at photo web sites such as Shutterfly (www.shutterfly.com) or Snapfish (www.snapfish.com).

4) Treat her to an evening out. Give her a gift card to her favorite restaurant or movie theatre.

5) Personal creations. Another nice idea is framed artwork or poetry created by your child. You could do an art project that incorporates a handprint or have your son or daughter draw, color or paint a special picture just for his or her birth parent.

Remember the best gifts are the ones that don’t come from a store, but from your heart. Let your child’s birth mom know that she is appreciated and respected. Show her that you are doing your very best to love and care for the precious baby she entrusted you with. And, never forget that each day and each person who is placed in your life is a gift in itself!