I’ll probably end up with children at some point in my life—the question is, how? Whether to get pregnant and give birth to or adopt a child is a common debate among people either planning or starting their families. Either one has their own benefits on which people base their preference. Most people like the idea of having “their own" children with their DNA, though many couples end up doing both, but the more I think about it, the latter option to me makes better sense. I think I’ll adopt a child—in the very distant future, of course.

For starters, adoption means skipping the pregnancy — thank God! Pregnancy is typically painful, and the actual birth giving is excruciatingly worse. Both can become dangerous if complications arise at either point. Adoption feels much safer because no amount of paperwork leads to that much pain. There may be a long waitlist for adoption, but the wait won’t be so bad — if anything, it’ll give me more time to prepare and build up funds so I can better care for my future adopted child. I’ll be ready when the time comes. Both routes are lengthy processes, but one is thankfully pain-free.

Depending on the age of the child you adopt, you may also get to skip the sleepless nights and constant diaper changes. Babies and toddlers are difficult to manage, but why not adopt an older child? By the age of seven or eight, the worst of it will be over and babysitters would only be required for a few short years. Besides, those older children need loving families too — not just babies. Skip the terrible twos and fast forward to the fun part of parenting while avoiding the overwhelming stress that often takes a serious toll on people and their relationships.

Choosing to adopt, of course, means giving a child (either in the U.S. or abroad) a home without contributing to the world’s overpopulation (because that’s been a serious problem for a while). I can understand the appeal for giving birth yourself, because it would be exciting to see which of your features and personality traits your child gets, but at the same time, why bring another child into the world when there are already so many who are still stuck in foster care? At least you can choose where to adopt your child from, regardless of the varying amounts of wait time.

From all areas, adoption sounds like a great idea, even if it’s not the ideal one according to most people. I’ll probably want kids somewhere down the line (by that, I mean when I’m 30), and I can have them without any of the pain or stress that pregnancy and childbirth bring. Rather than dread it, I can look forward to having kids knowing that adoption can be a possibility.

Do you want to have kids one day? If so, are you taking the traditional route, or are you looking to adopt instead? Answer in the comments!