Why Adopt? – The Reasons
Adoption – that wonderful act of taking on another’s child as your own – is no doubt a noble act of love. While infertility is the most common reason why people adopt, there are many others who adopt just to give a child in need a better life. And, there are couples who have children of their own but want to extend their family and choose to do so through adoption.
Read: Adoption Agencies in India
Here are the most common (and not so common) reasons why most people adopt today:
Adopting For Love
Interestingly, not all couples who adopt today are infertile. Some of them do it simply because they love children, or because they want a companion for their natural children. And there are many couples out there whose love for children is so compelling that they adopt, irrespective of whether they have a natural heir or not.
Read: Busting Adoption Myths in India
To Have Children Of A Particular Sex
Sometimes, when a couple already has two boys, they may crave for a girl child or vice versa. Many find it much safer to go ahead and adopt a child of the opposite sex instead of trying again and again. Some couples adopt children out of their specific choice of sex/ gender of the child. They may even adopt two children of both the sexes and complete the family thus.
A Companion For An ‘Only’ Child
Sometimes the ‘only’ child could be a very lonely child. And when the couple may not have the energy to or be medically unable to go through the entire process of pregnancy and childbirth to have another baby, it may seem much simpler to adopt a second child and complete the family.
Single Parenthood
A recent trend, that’s fast catching up in India too – celebrity adoptions have made this very popular. There is provision in the Indian law too, for single men and women to adopt a child of their choice, to experience the joys of parenthood.
Read: Adoption - The Best Decision Ever!
Population Control
Believe it or not – there are people who feel that the world does not need any more children – especially when there are so many orphans who do not have a home. Therefore, they decide to adopt children an unfortunate child – which is, in fact one of the most touching ways of serving a social cause.
Genetic / Medical Reasons
It is not uncommon to find couples suffering from thallasaemia or any other high-risk genetic problems or incurable diseases deciding to adopt a child than try for one. It is a safer way of attaining parenthood, instead of risking having a baby with a debilitating disease.
Read: Who Can Adopt?
For The Sake Of Career
Sometimes, people in intensive, high profile careers – like Space Science, Exploration etc. – may not have the time, energy or the inclination to go through the process of childbirth. Adoption may be a more comfortable option. In some cases, the biological clock of career-oriented women may run out, and they may be compelled to adopt.
Adopting Relatives
A common phenomenon in India, a childless couple may adopt a relatives’ child just to keep it within the family, or to help a relative who cannot afford the expenses.
Parenting An Older Child
Some couples may prefer adopting an older child, for various reasons.
Tips & Tricks
Dieting during pregnancy can cause abnormalities and a low birth weight in your baby; therefore your ideal weight should be reached before pregnancy.
Taking folic acid in its natural form before pregnancy can prevent serious birth defects. You can find them in fruits and vegetables, fortified cereals, and enriched bread products. If you’re planning to conceive, you should consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid a day.
If you are on contraceptive pills, it could take a few months before your periods are regular and you begin ovulating again. It usually is best to stop the pills at the end of a cycle to avoid mid-cycle bleeding.
Before buying a home pregnancy test kit, be sure to check the expiry date. For accurate results, take the test after one week after the missed period; testing very early, can give you negative results.
Green tea and orange pekoe (popularly known as 'regular') are considered to be excellent fertility enhancers. Research has shown that women who regularly drink tea, increase their chance of conception.
