Woman in the Process of Adopting Twins Thinks She’s Infertile — Finds Out She’s Pregnant & Returns Them

• A woman came to terms with doctors saying she was infertile by choosing to adopt twins.
• Weeks after finally bringing the twins home, she discovered she was pregnant.
• She and her husband decided to halt the adoption process so she could focus on her pregnancy.

Ali Sanders and her husband Michael had always dreamed of being parents. However, after doctors told Ali she was infertile, they had to look for other options to make their dream come true.

After some time, they decided the best way for them to have children was to adopt. They applied, and after a tedious process, they were approved. The social workers found a match – twin boys whom Ali claimed looked like her husband.

They Were Finally Going to Be Parents

They were excited to finally become parents. They anticipated the arrival of the twins, especially after having to wait so long to have children.

While preparing, they bought the most expensive strollers and car seats and babyproofed their home. They wanted to make sure everything was perfect once they took the boys home.

When the twins finally arrived, things weren't as Ali expected. She felt something was stopping her from connecting with the children. Meanwhile, her husband went straight into dad mode.

Michael was already smitten and more than ready to step into his role as a dad. He fussed over the baby gear, changed diapers, and put them to sleep.

Even the twins' doting grandparents were delighted to meet them. Everyone was ready to welcome the boys into the family.

Still, Ali couldn't connect with them. She felt nothing towards the children. While her husband bonded with the kids immediately, she realized she didn't want the adoption process to push through. She felt lonely.

Sanders Wasn't Enjoying Motherhood

At this point, Ali's' thoughts were depressing. Not only did she feel nothing towards the children, but she began having invasive thoughts. "My overriding memory is of sitting there praying that the twins wouldn’t wake up, because when they did, I’d have to go back to pretending to be a mother again," she admitted.

After a few weeks, Michael begged her to go to the doctor. He could tell that something was wrong with his wife, and her thought process wasn't normal.

When she finally went to the doctor, she was ordered a urine sample. The doctor didn't tell her what it was for and just came back with the results and the most unexpected news: she was pregnant.

She couldn't believe it. It was supposed to be "impossible" for her to get pregnant. How could it be? She was infertile, and she had just adopted twins.

They Decided to Return the Twins

Legally, Ali and Michael hadn't fully adopted the twins. The adoption process took months to finalize, and they were simply allowed to take home their children. Regardless, they were already parents.

They had cared for the babies for weeks when they discovered Ali was pregnant. The drive home from the hospital was a silent one. They purchased another pregnancy test to be 100% sure, and it confirmed Ali was indeed pregnant.

By the end of that day, the next steps were a no-brainer for the mom. She was determined to return the twins so she could anticipate the arrival of her biological child. They called their social workers and said they could no longer continue the adoption process.

That same evening, the babies were returned to their foster parents. It was then that Ali cried for the first time, feeling all the emotions at once. She admitted:

"I don’t think the guilt will ever go. I let down these babies who had already been let down."

Ali believes the adoption was doomed the moment she fell pregnant because her body didn't allow her to bond with the twins, who weren't hers genetically. She had always been maternal, so it was the only explanation that made sense to her.

Ultimately, she put her biological child first, and that's a decision she has to live with for the rest of her life. She has since welcomed a son named Jacob and a daughter whose name she has not disclosed publicly.

The only remnants of the twins in their home were a pair of gingerbread Christmas tree ornaments they thought they could hang once they were older. Ali also wrote a book about the experience.

After writing the book, Ali feared being judged. She insisted returning the twins broke her heart, and it wasn't like she was a child returning a toy she no longer liked.

However, people couldn't justify her reasons. People flooded her book with one-star ratings for what she put the twins under.

"Can’t believe she actually wrote a book to profit over the fact she abandoned two kids right after adopting them like it’s some heroic story," one wrote.

"This book is about one woman's guilt trip over returning adopted twins like a pair of shoes upon finding out she's pregnant," another echoed.

What do you think of the mom's situation? What would you have done if you were in her position?

In a similar story, a white couple adopted a black girl. They decided to return her and adopt a white daughter instead. Click here to find out why.