[carriewoman]

Hi,

As a general rule of thumb I never offer money to anyone and expect something out of it. So, if you did give any one any kind of financial support, remember you are taking a chance, don't assume that means you will end up with a baby. My husband and I talked to our lawyer about this and she said usually they recommend opening a trust account and every financial expence for the birthmom should come from that through the lawyers. If it is not a general pregnancy expence it should be approved through a judge. (at least in the state of WA) She also said if you did want to buy the birth mom a gift (such as a maternity outfit) that you should actually buy the outfit, or as in the last comment, get a specific gift certificate. And also as the last post stated, if things like rent are in the agreement (and you should have an agreement made with your lawyers approval) it should be paid directly to the place it is owed.... not to the birthmom. I wouldn't suggest paying anything without consulting a lawyer first because there is nothing legally you can do to get that money back. Also in some states there are laws about what is legal to pay for a birthmother. You don't want a good deed to end up getting you in trouble.
That was long, lol. Anyway good luck everyone and good idea on this post!!
Carrie