Fertility, grief, loss and adoption

Prospective adoptive parents pursue adoption for many different reasons, they can include expanding their own birth family, creating a family as a single person, we also welcome many LGBTQ+ adopters who have chosen adoption as their route to parenting. Some of our approved adopters also choose adoption as their first route to parenthood.

For others, the route to adoption can come after unsuccessful fertility treatments, a diagnosis of infertility and/or the loss of a child through miscarriage.

A diagnosis of infertility is a very emotional time in an individual or couple’s life. Many individuals experience grief and loss.

It is advisable to take a break after your last fertility treatment or after the loss of a miscarriage. We do not advise a set ‘timescale’ for this break, we would discuss this with you on an individual basis, but we would ask you to discuss this with us early in your enquiry so our enquiry advisers can ask a member of our social work teams to discuss this with you.

It is important to take time to work through grieving and loss to feel emotionally ready to move on and devote your energies to adoption. If you are a couple enquiring about adoption, you both need to feel ready for the adoption process.

If you have undergone fertility treatment and are now considering adoption, you have already been through a lot. Research shows that for many couples coping with infertility, this can strengthen their relationship. We welcome couples whose relationships are resilient and have stood the test of time, and you may have learned a lot about dealing with stress and emotional challenges which will stand you in good stead when you become a parent.

To find out more, or arrange a chat with our enquiry advisers or our social work teams, the easiest and quickest way to get in touch is to complete our short enquiry form, and a member of the team will be in touch.