“Some days it’s like she has died.” A qualitative exploration of first mothers’ utilisation of artefacts associated with now-adopted children in coping with grief and loss

In this article, I take a critical approach to the marginalisation of grief experienced by first mothers who have non-consensual adoption child in England, context within which welfare benefits and services intended support most disadvantaged families been dramatically curtailed. With reference concepts disenfranchised ambiguous loss, light some identified parallels between death loss adoption, draw upon literature from field bereavement studies presenting findings arising semi-structured interviews 17 sorted through artefacts such as toys, clothing blankets associated with their now-adopted children reflected meanings that keepsakes had taken on lives after loss. Respondents’ accounts revealed were invested high value, could operate vehicles for memories time spent caring children. It was found interacting bring comfort, evoking sensory smell feel child. Interactions hold capacity affirm respondents’ maternal status, well symbolising oppression injustice, sometimes strong feelings anger directed towards professionals involved children’s adoption.