An unplanned pregnancy is an emotional journey.

With so many questions, thoughts and decisions involved, when you choose adoption as the best opportunity for you and your baby, it is the official start of the road ahead.

Throughout this life-changing experience, you will work with an adoption professional to create an adoption plan. This covers all details of the adoption, including the adoption birth plan or hospital adoption plan, which outlines all of the details of your delivery and hospital experience.

Even though a very detailed plan will be established, it’s common for women to have concerns and questions. Some of the most common concerns center around the hospital stay, what it will be like, and the emotions involved during placement.

While it is difficult to fully prepare for the emotional experiences you will face along the way, preparation and discussing each aspect will limit any confusion or challenges throughout the process.

To learn more about the steps involved and how to prepare for the hospital stay, you can contact us here. In the meantime, continue reading this article for helpful information.

What is an Adoption Hospital Birth Plan?

To help you prepare for the delivery of your baby, your adoption professional will work with you to develop an adoption hospital birth plan. This plan is a key component to the overall experience of the hospital stay, as it determines your desires for your labor and hospital experience.

Much like the adoption plan, as a birth mother, you are in complete control of the decisions made in your hospital plan. Although some of the details may seem excessive, this preparation will help avoid any complications or difficult decisions during your hospital stay.  It is up to you to make decisions like whether or not you want pain medication, who your doctor should be, who you want in the delivery room with you, what your preferred delivery method is and more.

What to Include in Your Hospital Plan

When you are making an adoption plan for your baby, it’s important to create an adoption birthing plan that covers all these details. With a unique situation like adoption, you may have a lot more going on at the hospital than a woman who is planning to parent.

In addition to the decisions every woman makes in her birth plan, you’ll have a number of other questions to consider, including:

• Do you want to meet with the adoptive family at the hospital? If so, how much time do you want to spend with them?
• Do you want the adoptive family to be in the delivery room with you?
• Do you want to have alone time with your baby?
• Are you wanting any alone time with the adoptive family?
• 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?
• Is there anything you want to give to your baby?
• Do you have a preference on leaving the hospital with or without the adoptive family?

These are just some of the common questions you will discuss with your adoption professional as you create your hospital plan.

As you can tell, there is a lot to consider. Beginning to think about and working towards your adoption birth plan early in the process helps make sure all situations are covered and that everyone is on the same page. It’s likely you won’t have a finalized adoption hospital plan until closer to the delivery, but the more prepared you are, the better.

Although nothing can truly prepare you for this physical and emotional experience, your adoption professional will be there with you every step of the way. They will help implement the adoption hospital birth plan so that the adoptive family and the hospital staff know exactly what you want your hospital visit to look like.

Everyone being on the same page is crucial to a successful birth plan, and it allows you to focus your attention on the birth of your baby. The plan eliminates any worries you may have about having to make a stressful decision during labor.

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

The ultimate goal of the hospital birth plan is to make sure your needs are being met and that you are as comfortable as possible during your delivery. It’s natural for these decisions to change or be altered. It is perfectly fine if you want to make changes, before or during your hospital stay.

One of the most common changes that may occur is your desire for interaction with the adoptive family. In the early stages of your adoption, you may feel as though you need to distance yourself from the family, so you may initially decide to limit any sort of interaction with them at the hospital.

As your pregnancy goes on and you get to know them better and build a relationship, you may decide that you would like more involvement with them when the time comes. Each adoption situation is unique, and each prospective birth mother/adoptive family relationship varies, so make these decisions based on your comfort level.

The decision to, or not to, have alone time with your baby is something that may change as well. Oftentimes, prospective birth mothers are hesitant to have alone time with their baby, as they fear it will be too emotional for them. Other times, prospective birth mothers’ views change as they proceed with their pregnancy and they become more comfortable with their adoption decision.

Whatever you decide, keep in mind that it’s completely your choice, and you are in control of the decisions.

Staying in constant contact with your adoption professional, and letting them know of any changes you may wish to make, is the best way to make sure all changes are implemented and understood. This will also give your professional time to update the hospital staff and adoptive family on your new wishes.

Why Every Woman Needs a Hospital Birth Plan for Adoption

Childbirth is a very emotional time, and every woman deserves to feel as comfortable as possible during this process. Childbirth during an adoption adds a whole new element. We cannot stress the importance of having a birth plan for adoption.

Childbirth coincides with the placement of your baby. Together, these events are commonly considered the two most physically and emotionally challenging parts of your adoption. Your professional will prepare you as best as possible for the emotional challenges you may face before, during and after delivery and placement of your child. The goal of this preparation is to make you feel more confident and in control of your delivery experience and the emotions that will follow.

Start Making Your Adoption Hospital Plan Today

It may seem difficult to think of or begin to plan every detail of your hospital stay and delivery. This may be something you have not considered or thought about, and that’s okay. That is what we are here for.

Creating a hospital adoption plan helps eliminate much of the stress that can be involved. For more information about the adoption hospital plan, hospital stay or anything regarding your pregnancy and options available, contact us for more information.