Birth Mother Matters in Adoption Podcast Season 2; Ep. 140: Sharing Fatherhood “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.”– Johann Friedrich von Schiller Birth fathers may be an important part of the adoption; whether they are directly or indirectly involved is their choice.  Birth fathers have their own feelings, thoughts and emotions regarding the adoption of their baby.  There are both similarities and differences in sharing fatherhood between the birth father and the adoptive father. The open adoption relationship between the birth father and adoptive father may be influenced by external and internal factors.  "Dad and I had the closest, most intimate relationship. We acted alike. We had the same interests ... he had so much love for me." – The late president Gerald Ford describing his relationship with ...