Melissa Gilbert Shares Baby Pics as She Credits Mom Barbara for Raising Her with Confidence.

In honor of International Women's Day, Melissa Gilbert celebrated the woman who had impacted her the most— her mother. Although the two actresses are not blood-related, they share a close relationship. And after becoming a mother herself, Melissa was inspired to find her biological family.

On March 8, 2023, Melissa took to Instagram to pay tribute to her "talented, funny, whimsical, kind, loyal, whip-smart, gutsy" mother. Although she a list of extraordinary women in her life, Melissa shared that mother greatly impacted her life and who she was as a person.

In the post, which received over nine thousand likes at the time of writing, Melissa shared a collection of pictures of her mother over the years.

"Because of her, my sister and I have always had the confidence to have absolute agency over our own lives and decisions," Melissa captioned the post in part. When Melissa came into Barbara's life, her mother and stepfather were not even looking to adopt.

It was news to Melissa when her mother expressed how shocked she was the day she received a call from a hospital informing her there was a baby there if she wanted it. After calling her husband, he said, "Yes, that's the one. Go get it." In the Instagram post, Melissa continued to write:

"She's something, my mom. Always has been. She also happens to have the most beautiful hands I've ever seen on a human being. So happy international women's day to all of you and the women you love. Love you, mom!"

Touched by her daughter's gesture, Barbara took to her daughter's comments section and wrote, "I had miraculous baby women to work with. Blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I love you beyond, beyond."

Melissa Gilbert Waited Until She Gave Birth to Her Son Before Looking for Her Birth Parents

After welcoming her son, Melissa recalled looking at him and realizing he was the only family member she was biologically related to. "There has got to be more out there. I've got to find it," she said.

Melissa discovered her birth parents with the help of an organization based in Florida called International Locater. The organization created kids that helped people find their biological families, and after receiving a fax from them, Melissa Gilbert learned that her birth mother had died.

Her biological father was still alive; however, they kept in touch "from a distance." "My birth father is alive, and we spoke, and we met," Melissa revealed.