If you’re in this boat, rereading that first sentence with a sense of longing, adoption may be the solution you’re looking for. This is a big step, though, and not one to take lightly, so before you move forward, you should examine some potential reasons to consider adopting.
1. You Want to Overcome Infertility
If you’ve had difficulty getting or staying pregnant over the past year or more, you certainly aren’t alone — 1 in 5 heterosexual women between ages 15 and 49 with no previous births aren’t able to get pregnant after one year. You may even have tried more extensive measures like medication, hormone injections or in vitro fertilization (IVF). At this point, some women give up and accept not having children. However, many turn to adoption as a way to expand their family.
2. You Want to Prevent Passing On Genetic Conditions
Some couples or singles choose not to have biological children because they risk passing genetic conditions to their kids. If you have a family history of a genetic disorder or have it yourself, you may fear having your own children. Deciding to avoid the risk shouldn’t keep you from enjoying parenthood if you want to be one.
3. You Need to Protect Your Health
Some women have a health condition that would make it unsafe to get pregnant, carry to term or give birth. Still others may have conditions that increase the likelihood of pregnancy complications like miscarriage, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. You can safely avoid these unfortunate outcomes by choosing to expand your family by a different method.
4. You’re Single or in a Same-Sex Relationship
Plenty of people who are single or in same-sex relationships long to be parents. If you’re in this boat, you’ll quickly find your possibilities for expanding your family are limited. However, adoption is an option for many hopeful adults. You’ll need to check with an attorney to explain your state’s requirements. Your marital status and residency are just two factors that could affect your ability to adopt.
5. You Want to Help a Birth Mom
One common misconception is birth moms don’t care for their babies and just choose to give them away. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Birth moms love their kids and want what’s best for them, even if that isn’t staying with them. By choosing adoption, you can help a birth mom give their child a promising future and stable home.
6. You Aren’t Interested in Babies
Many people think of infants when they consider adopting, but the truth is many children and teens also need loving homes. If you have a passion for helping older kids, this may be the ideal route for you. When you adopt kids and teens, you can skip over diapers and head straight into the school years. These kids desperately need homes and are often overlooked by parents who only want a baby. Every year approximately 20,000 teens age out of foster care without a family to support them.
7. You Feel Led to Adopt
Do you feel like adopting is part of your calling in this world? Were you adopted, wish you had been or know someone who was? You don’t even need a particular reason to adopt other than just wanting to. Adoption is a really exciting way to expand your family, so if you’re ready for this commitment, go for it.
Is Adoption the Way Forward for You?
There’s no one right way to make a family. You can have biological children, undergo fertility treatments, use a surrogate, foster, adopt or any combination of these options. For the most part, the choice is yours. You get to decide what feels right for your family’s needs.
Adopting a child, like other family-building methods, comes with its own unique set of challenges and rewards — you need to know you’re ready for this. If adoption seems like the perfect fit, go for it, and if not, that’s okay too.
*Collaborative post
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