Why American Parents are Choosing to Adopt

There has been an incredible rise in the number of caregivers and parents looking to adopt. Couples struggling with fertility issues or looking to open their hearts to giving a child a loving home seek adoption and some of these are not as obvious as you may have previously thought. If the idea of adopting a baby or child has crossed your mind, we offer a breakdown of the many reasons more families are adopting.

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Many women who wish to have children naturally and cannot move forward with a pregnancy are not able to carry a baby to full term. The ability to adopt offers the chance to have your very own child but without being pregnant. For families starting a career or having experienced previous trauma may not wish to experience pregnancy and birth but desire to have a child then adoption is considered.

The option to adopt a child can provide incredible love and a sense of hope. The ability to open your heart and your home to a child that does not have a family is an incredible personal experience. Adopting has been described by many as a fulfilling experience that has changed the lives of the adoptive family and that of their adopted child for the better.

Costs associated with pregnancy from chronic care to the hospital stay will quickly accumulate. The costs of the adoption process are less. For those who wish to start a family but simply do not wish to cover the increased clinical costs, adopting a child is considered a better choice.

Although the adoption process can be complex and long, for many new parents, the thought of having their very own child is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Considering the different reasons for adopting may help shed some light on your personal circumstances and future decisions.

There are many reasons why people choose to adopt a child. Although the most basic reason is a desire to build or expand a family, the specific reasons that motivate each adoption vary.

Some adoptive parents choose to adopt a child because they are infertile (medically unable to bear children). One or both partners in an adoptive family may be infertile. The most common reason a female may be infertile is her age. Unlike male fertility, which tends to stay viable into old age, female fertility begins to decline sharply at or around a woman’s 35th birthday, and by age 45 or so, it may be more or less impossible for a woman to conceive naturally. Given the large number of women who have chosen to put off having a family until they have established careers, this problem has become unfortunately and increasingly common.

Infertile couples that seek to adopt may have no children or they may have existing children they conceived when they were younger. In the former case, the adoptive parents may have attempted for years to conceive a birth, but ultimately be forced to the conclusion that they cannot have their own child due to infertility. They still desire to raise children, and make a choice to adopt. In the latter case, the adoptive parents may wish to have a larger family than they currently do and be unable to accomplish this naturally due to infertility. In addition, the adoptive parents may specifically wish to add a girl or a boy to their family.

Infertility is not the only motivation for adoption. Some adoptive parents may have learned that while they can have a natural child, they are at risk for passing on serious genetic or medical conditions and so choose not to attempt a natural pregnancy. Alternatively, a potential birth mother may not be able to risk a natural pregnancy due to her own health complications and choose adoption over the risk of pregnancy.

Some families choose to adopt because they believe they will be saving a child who otherwise would not grow up with the benefits of a loving and supportive family. Such a belief in the goodness of saving a child through adoption often has its genesis in adoptive parent’s religious, ethical, and/or emotional feelings and their desire to make the world a better place, even if only for a single child or a few children. In this case, adoption is a means of saving the world, one child at a time.

Still other adoptive parents choose adoption because they lack an appropriate partner. It takes genetic material from both a man and a woman in order to produce a viable baby. Single people and established homosexual couples may choose to adopt a child rather than use a sperm donor or surrogate mother to produce a natural child.

Finally, a very common form of adoption in the United States and other Western Countries is stepparent adoption. In this case, one or more partners from a couple that have married and combined children from prior relationships into one household choose to adopt the birth child or children of their partner.