I cringe at this because I've been guilty of referring to expectant mothers as "birthmothers." I think our beloved Abrazo Chicks have done well in keeping us informed on appropriate language in the adoption community and this is no exception. I am confident that these terms are used to distinguish between the relationships to the child and not to insult or minimize. I prefer to use birth mother or biological mother to first mother, natural mother or *GASP* real mother. When needed, I don't mind being called adoptive mother. Afterall, in our house, I'm MAMA.