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There are
many reasons you may be considering adoption, but the greatest reason
of all is because you want to be a parent. This single wish joins
together a vast group of individuals approaching adoption for many
additional reasons, including: |
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- The inability
to conceive or carry a child to term.
- A philosophy
which regards overpopulation as a problem that can be alleviated by
uniting a child in need of a family with an adult desiring to parent.
- Age - Some
people feel they may be at an age that makes pregnancy risky or impossible,
or may make it more appealing to raise an older child.
- Genetics
- The fear of passing on certain genetic illnesses may make adoption
feel safer.
- Gender -
A family may already have a boy and would like a little girl, or vice
versa.
The decision to
adopt a child may be easy for some, and difficult for others. Common fears
surrounding adoption include risks of unknown medical history, losing a
child placement, emotional and financial risks, reactions of family and
friends, and a fear that you may not be able to bond with your adopted child,
or that your child may not bond with you. These fears are common and natural.
Fortunately, most can be overcome. It is important for married couples,
or partners, to agree on the decision of when and how to build a family.
Adopting a child should never feel "second best" to giving birth. The rewards
are tremendous.
The more information
you know about adoption, the more comfortable you can become if you decide
that adoption is not the right decision for you. There may be an alternative,
such as surrogacy or fertility treatments.
How would
you feel if...
- Your child
does not look like you.
- Your child
does not have the same talents, interests or intellectual capacity as
you.
- Your child
has an emotional connection to someone outside of your family.
- Your child
has an unknown genetic map and may be at risk of developing a medical
condition you may not be expecting.
- Developing
a bond with your child takes longer than expected.
- People know
that your child is adopted.
- A stranger
has to give you written permission to parent a child.
- Your privacy
is "invaded" in order to assess your ability to parent a child.
- Your extended
family does not accept an adopted child.
- Your child
does not share your family bloodline.
If you feel a
sense of comfort with these issues, adoption can be a wonderful way to build
your family.
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