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Can I Make an Adoption Hospital Plan? [Yes - Here's How]

Planning for Labor and Delivery

American Adoptions will help you make a hospital plan that addresses your every need and to ensures your labor, delivery and hospital experience is exactly what you want it to be. 

Ready to get started? Call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time to get free information about the process.

What is an Adoption Hospital Plan? 

An adoption hospital plan is a birth plan created by a woman who is considering placing her baby for adoption.

Most pregnant women develop a birth plan to help them prepare for the delivery of their baby. A birth plan typically outlines a woman’s desires for her labor and hospital experience — factors like whether or not she wants pain medication, who her doctor should be, who she wants in the delivery room with her, what her preferred delivery method is and more. 

 

When you are making an adoption plan for your baby, it’s important to create an adoption birthing plan that covers all these details and more. You may have a lot more going on at the hospital than a woman who is planning to parent, and it’s important to be very clear with everyone involved about what you need on this day. 

Similar to your adoption plan, you are also in complete control of your birth plan for adoption. In addition to the decisions every woman makes in her birth plan, you’ll have a number of other questions to consider, including: 

  • Which members of your support system will be with you at the hospital? 

  • Do you want to spend time with the adoptive family at the hospital? If so, how much? 

  • Do you want the adoptive family to be in the delivery room with you? 

  • If you have other children, will they be at the hospital? 

  • How much time do you think you’ll want to spend with your baby? Do you want to have that time with your baby alone, with the adoptive family, or both? 

  • Who will hold your baby first? 

  • Do you want any pictures taken of you with the baby? Do you want pictures taken with the adoptive family? 

  • Do you want photos of just your baby to bring home with you from the hospital? 

  • Do you want to nurse your baby? 

  • Do you want to give any special gifts or keepsakes to your baby? 

  • Do you want to leave the hospital before or after your baby? 

  • Do you want to leave the hospital with or without the adoptive family? 

There is a lot to consider, so most women will begin thinking about their birth plan for adoption early on in the adoption process. However, you likely won’t have a finalized adoption hospital plan until closer to the delivery. To get more information on creating an adoption hospital plan and addressing the many decisions involved, call 1-800-ADOPTION to speak to one of our adoption professionals today.

What if I Want to Change My Adoption Hospital Birth Plan? 

It’s completely okay to change your hospital birth plan in adoption, even after you arrive at the hospital; the goal is to make you comfortable, and it’s natural for preferences to change during what can be an emotional and hectic time.   

For example, you will most likely become more and more comfortable with the adoptive family as you get to know them during your pregnancy, and you may decide when you go into labor that you do in fact want them in the delivery room with you. That idea may have previously seemed uncomfortable, given that at one point they were strangers to you. 

You may also be afraid to have time alone with your baby at first but later decide that you want to have and cherish that memory. It’s completely okay for your newborn adoption birth plan to evolve as you get farther along in the adoption process; just let your adoption specialist know, and she will make sure to inform the adoptive family and hospital staff and advocate for your wishes. 

Why Every Woman Needs a Hospital Birth Plan in Adoption 

Every woman deserves to feel as comfortable and confident as possible during childbirth. That’s why having a birth plan is so important — especially if you are making a birth plan in adoption. 

It’s common for women making an adoption plan to wonder, “What will my hospital stay be like? How am I going to feel? When will placement occur, and what happens next? 

While nothing can completely prepare you for this emotional experience, your adoption specialist will be there to help you feel as prepared and confident as possible ahead of your hospital stay. She will work closely with you to develop an “adoption hospital plan” or “adoption birth plan” — essentially, an outline of exactly what you want your labor and delivery experience to be like. 

Having an adoption hospital birth plan in place before you go into labor tells your adoption specialist, the adoptive family and the hospital staff exactly what you want your hospital visit to look like. 

When you make a birth plan with an adoption agency like American Adoptions, your specialist can also help you prepare for the emotions you can expect at the hospital. This will be one of the most physically and emotionally challenging parts of your adoption experience, and by discussing those feelings when you make your adoption birthing plan, you can feel more confident and in control of your delivery experience. 

Get More Information on Creating Your Adoption Hospital Plan   

Michelle, a birth parent specialist and a birth parent herself, is ready to answer any questions you have about the adoption hospital plan and putting a baby up for adoption.          

“I am available to answer any questions that arise, particularly from birth moms, as I have been in your shoes and know how you are feeling,” Michelle said.          

You can ask Michelle questions about the adoption process online. You can also call us at 1-800-ADOPTION, or get free information with our online contact form for prospective birth mothers considering adoption here. Adoptive families wanting more information on adopting a child can click here to get more information. 

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is American Adoptions the right adoption agency choice for many birth mothers?

American Adoptions is one of the largest licensed adoption agencies in the United States. Each year, we work with thousands of women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and offer assistance to these women. Our large, caring staff is able to assist you seven days a week and provide you with one-on-one counseling about your pregnancy and available options.

You should choose an adoption agency where you feel completely comfortable with their services and staff. With American Adoptions, you will work with an Adoption Specialist who is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Adoption Specialist will be your advocate and will provide support and guidance as you create an adoption plan that is right for you.

How will the family tell my child about me and the adoption when my child is older?

Each family has their own style of introducing adoption to the child. When you are matched with an adoptive family, you can ask them this question. If you would like your Adoption Specialist to discuss it for you, just let her know. He or she can share your wishes or provide good ideas from other adoptive families.

You will also be able to share what you want your baby to know about you. You can complete a keepsake booklet to share hobbies, stories, photos of you and your family and a letter to your baby. The adoptive family can provide this to your child as he or she grows older. Be as creative as you like! Some birth mothers have even knitted a special blanket as a gift to their baby or given a similar symbol of their love.

The father of your baby can fill out the birth father's keepsake booklet or write a letter too. You may have other family members who would also like to share photos or a letter to the baby. This is your opportunity to pass on your and your family's love and to share your personality, history and reasons for choosing adoption. The adoptive family will treasure whatever information you provide and will share it with the baby at an appropriate age. In most adoptive homes, the word adoption is in the child's vocabulary early on, and adoption is celebrated in their lives.

Additional Resources

Teen Pregnancy - Information for Young Women

While not every woman who chooses adoption is a young mother, many are. Through adoption, many young women have found an ability to give their babies the best life possible, while finding the opportunity to realize their own dreams, as well. Call American Adoptions today at 1-800-ADOPTION.

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Do adoption terms and phrases leave you feeling confused? Learn the meaning to key adoption words and phrases with our comprehensive adoption glossary.

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