Hospital Plan for Birth Mothers: What to Expect During Your Adoption Process in Florida

The time has come, and the baby is coming. Like any woman that is having a baby, you should have a plan of action when it comes to the hospital. However, unlike many, you have an extra plan in motion—your hospital adoption plan. Honestly, most women should make a hospital plan. Yours just includes the adoptive parents that you picked out.

What can you expect, though? Here at Adoption Choices of Florida, we put together an idea of what you can expect at the hospital when it comes to adoption.

The Hospital Plan

The very first thing you should have before you go to the hospital is a birth plan. You will create your hospital plan with your adoption caseworker when you are working on the rest of your Florida adoption plan. Your adoption caseworker will ask you if you have any specific wants or needs for your time in the hospital. For instance:

• Do you want medication during labor?
• Do you want a natural birth, or do you want a C-section?
• Who are the doctors who are going to help you give birth?
• What hospital are you going to be at?
• If you have a partner or spouse, do you want them in the room with you?
• Do you want visitors?
• Do you want to be filmed at all to have a birth video later?

These are all important questions to know before, as it will make the process easier. Not only that, but there are plenty of other questions to know before as well. These are just some of the questions to think about while making your hospital plan:

• Do you want to have time alone with your baby after birth?
• Do you want members of your support system at the hospital with you? If so, who?
• Who is going to hold your baby first?
• If you have other children, are they going to be at the hospital?
• Do you want to nurse your baby?
• Who is going to keep the hospital mementos? (i.e., the hat, wristband, blanket, etc.)
• Do you want any pictures of you and your baby together?
• Do you want any pictures of your baby to take home?
• Are there any keepsakes or special gifts you want to give to your baby?
• Who’s going to take you home?
• Who’s going to take care of you when you get home?

Who is in The Room?

Like any woman, you get to pick who will be in the room with you as you give birth. You don’t have to go through this process alone, but you can if you feel more comfortable that way. Support is something that we highly encourage as it makes the Florida adoption process smoother for you, and it gives you someone to lean on when things get hard. Birth is no different, and if you don’t have support, then you have your adoption caseworker, who will be there for you if you want them.

You will always have a say on who you want in the birthing room. You could even have the adoptive parents in there if you wanted. Just remember that each state has different laws about who can be in the room and how many people can be in the room. Check with your hospital to make sure you know who is allowed and who isn’t.

After Delivery

You go through the delivery, and your baby is here. What do you do now? Do they just sweep in and take your baby away like they do in the movies? Not exactly. Of course, your baby will be taken to be cleaned up and checked over to make sure they are healthy by the doctors. However, you can spend time with your baby if you wish. You can hold, feed, and just be with your little one if you like. If not, then that is perfectly okay too.

You can even name your baby if you want to. The adoptive family may change their name, but if you have talked to them about it, they may love it. Communication is key, and it is an important step to have for your adoption journey.

Take your time here. You typically have anywhere from 24-48 hours before you have to sign your parental rights away. Sometimes the best way to heal is to have a few moments alone with your baby and just know that this choice you are making is out of love. You can’t say goodbye without saying hello after all. However, if you don’t wish to do that, then that is perfectly okay too.

What Happens Next?

The last thing that happens is that you keep going on your journey of adoption. Adoption doesn’t simply end when you sign your rights away to the adoptive parents. If you have an open or semi-open adoption, you can keep in touch with the family. Just because you had birth doesn’t mean that Adoption Choices of Florida is just going to leave you. You become part of our family when you choose adoption. If you have any worries or questions about your hospital plan and what to expect at the hospital, don’t be afraid to reach out to us.

If you are a pregnant woman in Florida considering adoption, and have any questions or concerns about the adoption process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. For more information on adoption, visit us at Adoption Choices of Florida or call us at: (833) 352-3678