A woman sparked a massive debate after admitting that adopting her daughter was a "massive mistake."
Taking to an adoption thread on Reddit, this one anonymous mother opened up about her regrets when it came to adopting her daughter which was heightened by the birth of her biological daughter.
"So years ago before the birth of my first son, I was told it would be hard for me and my husband to conceive," she wrote from a 'throwaway' account - which is basically an account that serves a single purpose and conceals one's identity. "We went through IVF and eventually I gave birth to my son."
She then went on to state that the couple wanted another child, but did not want to go through the lengthy procedure of IVF again like they did with their son, so instead, they decided to adopt.
"We adopted this beautiful baby girl whose parents were too young to raise her themselves," she continued. "I loved her so much and treated her no different but I've never had the feeling she's my own.
"I often feel like I'm babysitting someone else's child. I feel terrible but I can't help it. I've tried forcing myself to feel it but I just don't. She's 15 now and I've never felt a connection with her," she added.
While the mom-of-one was battling all these emotions, she was shocked to find that she got pregnant naturally just a few years later and by some miracle, it was a baby girl.
"During the pregnancy my hormones were all over the place and I started hating my adopted daughter because I felt if I had just waited then I wouldn't have to have had her," the Reddit user admitted. "When my daughter was born everything just felt right. I felt a proper connection like with my son and I bonded straight away."
She then went on to admit that she had made a "massive mistake" adopting her first daughter, even going as far as to state that she wishes she could "go back in time."
"I love her to pieces but unfortunately not as much as my biological children," she said before concluding: "I hate myself for it since I promised her parents I'd love her no different and I feel like I've let everyone down."
Of course, people were brutally honest with their reactions to the confession.
One user went in-depth with their response, stating that she should put more effort into bonding with her child rather than her anger towards the situation.
"I really really hope your adoptive daughter doesn’t know how you feel. Have you looked into professional help for yourself to dissect what’s going on and why you haven’t allowed yourself to bond?" they asked. "...You can work to repair and create that bond rather than dwelling on the past and your own anger and regret. I hope you haven’t damaged her through any perceptible emotional distance on your part.
"How dreadfully sad that you still feel you are babysitting someone else child after all these years. Please stop dwelling on what might have been and step up to being the best parent you can be to her by seeking help if need be," they added.
Another also agreed that professional help could provide some answers.
"Therapy for you. Under no circumstances tell your daughter that you don't love her as much as your bio kids, though that's something that's not hard to miss. Reach out to her birth family, if they're decent people and you haven't maintained contact, and see if they'd be interested in spending more time with her. This girl deserves to be enthusiastically cared for and loved by the people in her life."
A third was more harsh with it, telling the poster: "I hope she never finds this, and you do not deserve to be a parent... Frame of reference: an adoptive mom of two teens who cannot imagine my life without them, even when they drive me bonkers!"
When also questioned as to whether her husband feels the same way, the anonymous user responded that he didn't.
"I've spoken to my husband about it. He doesn't feel the same way as me and sees them all the same," she wrote in a follow-up comment. "He has a much stronger relationship with her and she has said when she was little that she prefers her dad over me. It still hurt but I understand why."
What do you think about the whole situation?
