The hospital stay is one of the most emotional parts of the adoption process. That’s why it’s important that you are comfortable and that your needs are met during this time. That’s where your hospital adoption plan comes in.
To get more information about creating a birth plan for adoption, contact an adoption professional today.
Your hospital plan will be your blueprint for how you want your hospital stay to look. You will be able to choose everything about your hospital and delivery experience. Your adoption professional will be there to help you create your hospital plan and coordinate everything on your behalf.
By creating a hospital plan that meets your needs, you will be able to focus on having your baby.
What is an Adoption Birth Plan?
Your hospital plan lays out all your preferences for your delivery and hospital stay. Every hospital plan is different and will depend on your unique situation and what you want out of your hospital experience. You may have more to think about than a birth mom who is planning to parent.
You will be in control of every aspect of your hospital plan. You will make all your own choices, but you won’t have to navigate this part of the adoption process alone. Your adoption professional will be able to guide you and answer any questions you have as you fill out your adoption birth plan worksheet.
The decisions you will be able to make when it comes to creating your hospital plan are:
- Where you want to deliver
- Who you want at the hospital
- Whether or not you want an epidural
- Do you want the adoptive family in the delivery room
- Who will hold your baby first
- Do you want pictures taken of your baby
- If you will nurse your baby
- And more
One birth mom was comforted by her baby’s adoptive mother staying by her side during the delivery.
“Amanda never left my side — like, she barely went to the bathroom,” Caitlin says. “She held my hand the whole time and then when he was born, I told her, ‘Cut the cord. You can do that; it’s okay.’”
There’s a lot to think about, so it’s important that you start thinking about your adoption hospital plan early on in the process.
Can I Change My Adoption Hospital Plan?
Yes. You can change your hospital adoption plan at any point in the adoption process, even after you arrive at the hospital. Your hospital plan is there to make sure you are comfortable.
The adoption process has a lot of twists and turns, so it’s not uncommon for your preferences to change.
You may even have certain realizations along the way and want to include new additional details in your adoption birth plan. Whatever you want to change or include, let your adoption professional know and they will take care of everything for you. They will advocate for you and communicate everything to the hospital staff.
Why is it Important to Have a Hospital Adoption Plan?
Childbirth is an emotional time, especially when you will be placing your baby for adoption. Having a newborn adoption birth plan in place will allow you to be prepared for when the big arrives.
While you can never truly prepare for the emotions that accompany childbirth and the adoption placement, your hospital plan can help you feel more confident ahead of your hospital stay. Your hospital adoption plan will help your adoption professional, the hospital staff and the adoptive family know what you want so that they can respect your wishes.
One important aspect of your hospital stay you should carefully consider is whether or not you want alone time with your baby. Like all aspects of your hospital plan, this decision will be entirely up to you. This one-on-one time with your baby will be something you remember for the rest of your life.
This is your chance to tell them how much you love them and why you’re making this decision. Even if they cannot consciously understand you, they will hear you. This of course is not required if you feel alone time will be too much for you. But know that it is always an option.
Angelica, a birth mother, reflected on the emotions of filling out a hospital plan.
“I remembered filling out my hospital plan when everything was about me, me, me — but then all that happened, and I felt like it wasn’t about me anymore,” Angelica says. “I couldn’t wait to see them hold her for the first time. It just overall confirmed that my daughter was in the arms of the parents that God had led me to like I had asked.”
Your adoption professional will be able to help you prepare for what emotions you may experience. This day will be full of emotional and physical challenges, so by having an adoption hospital plan in place you can feel more in control of your hospital experience.
