Crazy Craigslist Woman Wants to Snatch My Baby

For the past few weeks I have been advertising on Craigslist for a roommate. It would be nice to have someone around, and in addition I thought I could offer reduced rent in exchange for occasional transportation to the grocery store. I am not driving right now due to a REM sleep problem that affects my ability to focus during the day, and carrying groceries home on the bus is a real pain. I listed “reduced rent in exchange for minor transportation” in the ad, saying that if I could find the right person it I thought it could be a good situation for both of us. I also mentioned I was pregnant, since this is information a person has a right to have before they consider moving in with me.

I haven't gotten many quality responses to this ad. Most who answered either do not have cars, can't move in for 3 months, or want to bring their girlfriends, current roommates, or ten ferrets along. It's actually been rather silly.

But the response I got yesterday beat everything. It was from a woman who called herself “Imamommi,” which she evidently believes to be a clever play on words. Here it is:

Hi, I am not sure if you have concerns about your situation or have made plans for after your baby comes, but I wanted to reach out to you. We are a family approved to adopt, we had an adoption fall through recently and have a great attorney. Please consider this as an option and let us know.

Our family is ready! We are homestudy approved and have everything ready for a precious angel to join our family. We want to help an expectant mom through a hard time in her life, share her journey, and show her all the love and respect she deserves. If you or someone you know might want to get to know us, please let us know. We look forward to getting to know you!

Thanks and best wishes finding a perfect roommate!

Janice

Well, I was pretty angry. The nerve of this woman! Nowhere in my ad did I say anything about struggling with this pregnancy, financial worries, being single, having no family, or anything of the sort. And even if I had, you don't just grab at people's unborn children! Adoption is a valid choice for many women and I have no problem with it, but it is a personal decision that women have a right to come to on their own. You don't go around pushing it on random pregnant women just because you want a baby. So I sent this reply:

Janice,

I have only one question for you. How dare you? I post an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate and you send me an email proposing that you take my child? Not being a mother yourself you may not understand this, but we do not appreciate perfect strangers who know nothing about us suggesting we cannot take care of our children.

There are many legitimate ways of obtaining a baby if that is what you want, but sending unsolicited offers of adoption to every pregnant woman you come across is not one of them. Not every baby in the world is yours for the asking. You have no right.

I advise you to reconsider what you are doing before it gets back to your social worker. It is wrong in ways that you in your shortsighted desire for a child have obviously not even imagined.

Do not contact me again.

A bit later I got a response saying both her social worker and her lawyer already knew what she was doing and thought it was “wonderful.” She apologized for “the upset” and urged me to contact her if I should “change my mind.” I considered writing back to tell her that what she was doing was not in the least wonderful--that it was insulting, beyond presumptuous, and that it made her look like an overzealous baby-monger whom I would steer clear of even if I did want to adopt, but I restrained myself. There would be no point.

Anyway, now I'm wondering whether I might not have been a bit angrier than the situation warranted. Seriously, I was fuming. I mean, I know the woman is a nut . . . but did I overreact?