Infant relinquishment through adoption.

The confidential nature of adoption and the stigma associated with out-of-wedlock pregnancies have limited the number of studies of infant relinquishment. Birthmothers' feelings of loss and grief have not been widely acknowledged. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of 12 women who had relinquished their infants for adoption. Data were collected using open-ended questions to describe the experiences. Type of adoption influenced the experience of infant relinquishment. Four themes represented the process of relinquishment.