Dear Reader, 

The journey through infertility can be a long one, with a lifelong impact, no matter the outcome. Unfortunately, if you’ve shared your infertility journey with another person, hoping for support and an empathic ear, you might have been met with “Why don’t you just adopt?” These five simple words are often said with genuine curiosity and, sometimes, a shade of judgment. Along with the phrase is a lot of misconceptions about what adoption actually looks like for all involved.  There are many ways to respond and redirect this conversation. Infertility hurts, and the assumption that adoption (or any other pathway to parenthood) is an easy or straightforward route to a child is misguided.

While nothing is easy once infertility is involved, every path to parenthood is valid. There is more than one way for a child to join a family, and there is more than one way to become a parent. Adoption is one of the ways a family can grow – and it may be how your family will grow.

You may find yourself exploring adoption after an infertility diagnosis and fertility treatments but have never considered it before. Maybe you always thought you’d have biological children and later adopt, as well. Your understanding and knowledge about adoption may vary. Perhaps you’re even an adoptee, or there are adoptees within your family or social circle. Maybe adoption came to you via the stories of Moses being raised away from his first family and Esther being raised by her cousin, Mordechai. It might have landed on your heart through the fictional tales of Annie, Anne of Green Gables, and Superman. It may have been that person saying, “just adopt!’ after another cycle with no baby.

Whatever brought you to consider adoption as your path to parenthood, this resource is meant to outline the complex adoption process and its many nuances in the modern day. It will help guide you through difficult decisions, explain concepts, and shed light on many common misconceptions about adoption. You will also find helpful resources throughout to continue deepening your understanding of the lifelong impact adoption has on an adoptee, birth parents, and adoptive families. 

We hope that this information helps you at whatever stage in the adoption process you find yourself in today. Please remember we are here to provide ongoing support on your infertility journey – no matter where it leads you.

– The Yesh Tikva team