adoption can be very expensive and complicated. It is not easy like you may think it is. That is one of the main reasons why there are many children that are not adopted. There are plenty of families that would adopted but aren't allowed to from one reason or another.

One being money. The government requires that you have so much income per child to be able to adopt. Many families live on less then that and can not adopt because of that but would gladly if they were allowed and would be able to support and love that child.

i am the oldest of four in my family, and the youngest two are adopted from guatemala. adoption's great, but, as @Kristenmomof3@xanga said, it is expensive and complicated. plan wayy ahead. it took us almost a year to get my sister and about 7-8 months for my brother.

It is certainly 'easier' to have your own children...that has it's pro's and con's. We've loosely discussed adopting a child in addition to our own daughter, but that would be far, far off into the future.

I'm planning on having two children of my own (to continue the bloodline and one as a "replacement" for each of us once we die), and three adopted. I know I want 5 children, but the overpopulation argument will haunt me if I ever give birth to more than 2 kids, unless they're a set of multiples and I didn't intend on it.

Yet another reason why I am thankful I live in Canada..
I am adopted, and I have an older brother (non-biological) who is also adopted..
You say its easier?? Um, not. There are many more issues that come from being adopted that (in my own experience, and learned from talking to friends/family) birth children do not have... One of the biggest ones is "why didn't my own mom (or someone else in my birth family) want me".. Sure you might get away from the terrors of pregnancy (that I look forward to) but there is much more, even more so when it comes to adopting an older child... its not that its not worth it, believe me it is.. but its not all roses. Its freaking hard.
We want to have our bio-children.. but we are also adopting. Here in Canada that can be done through children's services, and we don't have to pay.
And by the way, there are many grants from your state governments that you can apply for if you want to adopt.Please contact your local government official before you give up!!!
If anyone wants to hear more of a reunited adoptee's point of view who is also adopting, feel free to send me a message.

i would want to adopt cause theres lots of kids out there who need a good loving home.  adopting is doing a good deed not just for the kid(s) but for society as well and the rewards are just the same as with your own children.

some people might say adoption just isnt the same because its not your own child but i dont see any difference.  the bloodline isnt the same but its still raising and educating a life.  it takes a lot more to being a good parent/parenting than labor not that im saying labor is small stuff cause its not but it definitely takes a lot more to raising kids than just physical pain.  emotionally and mentally is the most important.

I don't really want children in general. And most of the guys I've talked to are all like, "No, I want my blood!" Lol... I think if I ever change my mind about children, I'd like to adopt as well, but that might be a problem if my guy isn't cool with it.

Good for you for wanting to adopt!   The world needs more people who want to give a child a home who needs it.  But don't go into it blindly.   As many posters here have already said -it's not a piece of cake.  Especially adopting an older child.  Theycome with baggage - and you need to be prepared to deal with it not just mentally, but physically and spiritually as well.        I'll say it again - as I've said before ---- every time something comes up here on xanga about adoption etc  - people always say "I want to adopt .........later."    Where are the people who want to adopt now??

And that whole overpopulation thing is bogus.  Our world CAN support that many.   We are not reproducing enough to replace who we are now.   The average family in Canada here has 1.2 children per couple.   Hmm .......give us 100 years and we will not have replaced our generation.   There are more and more and more people who decide to never have children - so they're not being replaced at all.   Overpopulation?  Nah - I don't think I'll ever believe it.

Very good list of reasons.....I have adopted two sons.....one at 12 months old and one at 14 years old.  We are currently in the process of adopting another son.  He is only a month old.  In this process we have learned of another baby that needs a home so there is a BIG chance that we will be taking in TWO infant boys.  It is very exciting and rewarding.  I am VERY glad I never went through pregnancy for all the reasons listed.  I never had to worry about losing baby fat or having stretch marks either.  :)

Also, we have adopted all of ours from our state government.  It is free and they give parent training to deal with adoptive issues and parenting.  There are some challenges, especially with older children.  I wouldn't change it for the world though.  It has made me a better mom each day I help my boys work through their issues.  All of my adoptions didn't take longer than a few months.  The state is normally a speedy process, especially if you are will to take older and open on race.  (Which we were/are) 

One thing about adoption that anyone who is adopting should be cautious about is that it has grown into a huge and influential industry.  Supposedly grossing more than $1.8 billion per year (http://www.originscanada.org/infant.pdf). The lure of profits has led to many unethical practices designed to convince/force mothers to surrender their babies.  Mothers are then left with lifelong trauma and empty arms, wondering how on earth they could have let their precious baby go for adoption, when they were the victims of unscrupulous techniques used by adoption agencies and lawyers who take advantage of the mother when she's at her most vulnerable (pregnant or birthing).

Many mothers who were victims of this industry are now speaking out against it, myself included.  Sure there are children in the foster care system needing homes, but don't assume that all adoptions are alike.  Many fit and capable mothers have been conned by adoption agencies and left bereft of their child.  For example, I have a blog post on how open adoption was developed and used for just this purpose.

http://cedartrees.wordpress.com/2008/08/21/open-adoption-they-knew-it-would-work/

Before you adopt, ask yourself these questions:
- Did the mother get a chance to recover from birth first before getting bombarded with material convincing her that another couple would be so much better for her child than she is?
- Did she the same chance to recover from birth before being "matched" to people wanting to adopt her baby -- ensuring she'd feel extremely guilty at hurting them if she kept her baby?
- Was she informed about the more than 50% risk of chronic depression, PTSD, and unresolved grief/loss that can last for decades?
- Was she provided with ample resources to allow her to keep and raise  her baby if she so chose, so that poverty (financial coercion) forced her to surrender or be exploited?

There are many ethical issues in adoption. 

@Cedartrees4 - Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the ethical questions more in terms of private newborn adoptions as opposed to the adoptions of children from the foster care system, at least at the domestic level?

That's right, Kait82521.  Although the term "private adoption" is also applied to adoptions where the adoptive parents seek out and contact the pregnant mother, using their personal lawyer to finalize the adoption. But these type of ethical questions are rife in areas where the paycheque of anyone involved depends on the "completion" of an adoption. This financial reality motivates agencies and adoption law firms to use questionable means to ensure a minimum number of mothers per year surrender their babies.  It is now a commercial business, even for "nonprofit" agencies, where nonprofit only means there are no shareholders (profits are hence paid to staff and directors).

Adoptions from foster care are an entirely different matter, as the original parents have had their rights terminated involuntarily for specific reasons related to child welfare and protection, and child welfare offices normally do not charge fees to people adopting from the system.  They are, however, often under pressure to increase the number of adoptions from foster care per yr, in order to receive federal adoption incentive bonuses. This has meant that certain offices have used questionable practices (see "Adoption Bonuses: The Money Behind the Madness") , but it certainly does not apply to all of them. Most child welfare offices are above-board.