How To Make a Scrapbook for Your Birth Daughter by Terri Rimmer - originally published by Associated Content

Back in 2000 when I was living in a maternity home I decided to make a scrapbook for my unborn birth daughter who was due in August.

I wanted it to be filled with pictures, articles she could read when she was older, inspirations, mementos, sentimental items, cards, and anything else I could think of that would show her how much she was loved even though I was placing her for adoption.

It took me four months to make it but only because I worked on it slow and steady, doing a page a day and I had plenty of time. Plus, I'm obsessive-compulsive so I went a little crazy filling it up.

When I was done you could barely close it but I proudly gave it to the adoptive parents shortly after meeting them for the first time and explained to them what it was and why I made it.

Here then are some tips on how to make such a scrapbook which is unlike any record of your life you will ever make for an unborn child:

1. Choose a big, sturdy, colorful scrapbook that will hold a lot, preferably one with pockets, places for inserts, and strong backing.

2. Decorate the outside, front and back covers with décor such as shells, ribbons, colorful string, pictures, colored tissue paper. Let your imagination go wild.

3. Page 1 should be an introduction to who you are - your name, likes, dislikes, pet peeves, job, education, favorites, pictures, pets, hobbies; etc.

4. On the next page offer advice on things such as dating, money, education, jobs, relationships, pursuing your passion; etc.

5. Next include a family history, but all good stuff along with photos, ancestry, memories that invoke happy responses, heritage-pertinent objects.

6. Include items you may have received while pregnant or after giving birth that your birth daughter might be interested in like cards, pictures, encouraging letters.

7. Insert a letter to your birth daughter explaining how you came to make the adoption decision and about your hopes for her future.

8. Give her a list of resources she might need one day such as adoption websites, support groups, birth parent finder services, and things like that.

9. If you still have trinkets from your childhood such as high school writings, excerpts from diaries, journal entries, charms, put those in the pockets of the scrapbook.

10. Include an original poem from you or one you might find in a book with the author's name that says something you want to communicate to your birth daughter.

11. Make sure you use plenty of aesthetically pleasing materials such as cotton, soft products, confetti, beads, buttons, snaps, fun objects that are also colorful to the eye.

12. If you have already met her adoptive parents when you start making the scrapbook or during the process, write about that first meeting in the book, telling your birth daughter all about it.

13. Include sonogram pictures in the scrapbook and write the dates underneath along with how many weeks along you were at the time.