By Lindsay Parkoo

It’s important that you, as a birth mother, feel as prepared as you’ll ever be to birth your child. This is especially true when you’re giving the baby up for adoption. That’s why it’s our job to inform you of what happens in the hospital before and after the baby arrives. What does the adoption process look like in the hospital? How should she prepare? What decisions does she need to make? How will the adoption agency help her? These questions will all be answered here so you can cross one more worry off your list. 

What Happens Before Labor 

Before you even enter the delivery room, you’ll make a birth plan with your adoption agency. This is also called a hospital plan. This is where you decide your plan of action for what you want to happen in the hospital. You’ll have control of who’s in the room with you and how much time you want with the baby. The choice of name for your child is also in your hands if you so choose. Any accommodations you need will be honored by your adoption specialist. 

Deciding Who You Want in the Delivery Room

Decisions that are made in the hospital plan include who you want in the delivery room. You can have some of your family with you. The adoptive family can also be in the delivery room with you if you want. This can give you comfort, and it’ll be easier to hand the baby off to them if you want. Your adoption specialist can be there to make sure your needs are met and no one is pressuring you to do things you don’t want to. You can also choose who you’d like to cut the cord to when the baby arrives. Whoever you are comfortable with should be with you. 

Deciding on Interactions with the Baby 

The amount of contact you want to have with your child is entirely up to you. You might want to spend a couple of hours with your baby before you hand them off. During that time, you have the option to breastfeed or bottle-feed breast milk. On the one hand, this can be a nice moment to have with your baby. For others, this can make giving up a child for adoption even harder to do. It can feel too close, and some women fear getting too attached. All of this is entirely understandable. Don’t feel pressured to spend time with your baby if you’d rather not. 

Deciding How Long Your Stay in the Hospital Is 

Some hospitals will keep you there longer for any additional pregnancy adoption help. If you need to rest more to recover, you’ll stay at the hospital. It’s also your choice to leave earlier than you initially intended. Your adoption specialist can also ask during this time if there are any changes you want to make to your birth plan. 

What Happens After Labor

After labor, there are important documents that you’ll need to sign. At the hospital, your adoption specialist will explain the papers, and you will sign them. A notary and two witnesses will be there. Then the adoptive parents will sign their part of the papers. This will finalize the adoption. Signing relinquishing papers now means you officially give up parental rights of your child to the adoptive family. Any decisions made based on the type of adoption will be honored. 

What Happens Post Placement 

Leaving the hospital doesn’t mean the support from your agency stops there. Adoption in Nevada can provide you with post-placement support. After your child is placed in a loving home, you can get post-placement resources from your adoption agency. This can include therapy, emotional healing resources, or just helping you get your affairs in order. This is when you can continue any other plans that were made in your adoption plan. 

We Advocate for You at Adoption Choices of Nevada 

When you’re going through the adoption, you want your adoption counselor to advocate for you and your decisions. You want them to make sure you’re comfortable and stress-free. No other organization like Adoption Choices of Nevada provides as much care and professional help in adoption in Nevada.