I know that Dr and Martha Sears have been asked to testify in custody
battles.
One of my moms settled for a compromise, she would stay during the visitation
just to BF the baby. There were difficulties but it worked out for over 2
years.
As for the adoption issue:
Being adopted myself I grew up with the threat that if I didn't behave my
parent's were going to send me back (talk about making a kid insecure). Years
later I learned that my birth mother didn't want to give me up but her new
mother-in law feared my presense would interfere with the newlyweds. When my
birth mother had another child she gave the new baby the same name she had
given me. My birth mother used to go to the orphanage every year on my
birthday to find out how I was. My mom kept in touch with the director (until
frau Pickle died a few years ago). I'd like to meet my birth mother and half
sister some day soon but a trans-atlantic search isn't easy.
Anyway, so many girls are keeping their babies today vrs 40 years ago that I
think they are pressured to get the baby back by some outside influence. I
have also heard that many of the moms regret the decision to keep the baby at
about age 2.
Where the dad is involved, such as your 17 yr old, who is pushing him on the
custody? Othertimes it's a power play using the baby to somehow get back at
the ex-whatever. It is a sad state of affairs.
These are ongoing issues in our society and will become more complicated as
we see battles over frozen embros and the like.