If you’re thinking about adoption, you might wonder, “Will the adoptive couple love my baby as much as a biological child?”
This is a question we are asked a lot by expectant birth mothers like you. However, in our experience of completing adoptions over the years, we’ve found that genetics are not the only indicator of love. The strongest sign of an adoptive parent’s love for a baby is the desire to have a child and be a parent, no matter how that child was brought into the family.
To understand that the adoptive couple will love your child like any other child related to them, you need to understand the difficult journey they go through. So, when they do become parents, the opportunity to love a child means so much to them. Learn why adoptive parents love their children more than they could have ever imagined!
Why Do They Want to Adopt?
Many adoptive couples come to Lifetime after years of trying to get pregnant through medications, shots, and other costly and painful fertility treatments. In many cases, their journey to parenthood has been filled with sadness and grief as they realize that having a biological child will not be possible.
However, just because they spent so much time trying to have a child biologically doesn’t mean they would only love a biological child. Many couples going through the infertility process realize that what’s really important to them is being parents, not becoming pregnant, or having biological children.
No matter how they become parents, their goal is to have a child to raise and parent for the rest of their lives, regardless of whether the child is related to them. Once hopeful parents realize this, they start looking into adoption to grow their family. For them, adoption is the light at the end of an emotionally and physically challenging process of infertility.
The Process to Adopt a Child
The adoption process requires a lot of work. Hopeful parents save and budget so they can afford adoption fees. They also get ready to be chosen by a prospective birth mother like you.
Deciding to start the adoption process isn’t a decision they take likely. Hopeful adoptive parents commit money, time, and effort to add a child to their lives. They already love this child enough to do so, even though they haven’t yet met.
So, when they adopt and finally become parents, the joy they feel is indescribable. The moment they get to hold their new baby for the first time is one that they thought wouldn’t happen because of infertility. Now they know what it’s like to have a child to call their own.
Why Will the Adoptive Couple Love My Baby as Much as a Biological Child?
When hopeful parents meet their baby for the first time, it’s a dream come true. They’ve been waiting for years to become parents. So, even though they’re not genetically related to their child, adoptive couples can still experience all the joys of the parenting they’ve wanted for so long.
Finally, they’re parents to their own child, which they thought they’d never experience because of infertility. While the adoptive couple has been waiting to become parents, they’ve prepared their lives so they can give their child all the love and opportunities they can provide. They don’t take it for granted when a baby is finally placed with them after so many years of disappointment. Adoptive parents embrace every aspect of parenthood and work hard to be the best parents possible.
Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into the adoptive couple’s journey, you can see how much are they’re going to love your child. For years, they’ve been reserving a special place in their hearts and homes for a baby. They’re ready in every way to become a mom and dad. So they don’t take it for granted when they’re finally given the opportunity to become parents.
What if They Have Kids Already?
For adoptive couples who have other children and adopt a child, the same is true. They cherish and love all of their children the same. Many adoptive parents have even told us that they don’t think about one of their children being adopted.
Especially for children, love is universal. The experiences and memories adoptive parents share with their children are what their love is based on, not whether or not they share the same genetics.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 26, 2018, and has since been updated.
As the Vice President (VP) of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.