When you’re pregnant and considering adoption, planning for your hospital stay is an important step in your journey. Creating a hospital plan can help you feel more prepared by thinking through your personal choices about labor, delivery, and the time following your baby’s birth.
Before your delivery date, your social worker or attorney will help you create this plan, walking you through the different options available to you while respecting that every choice is yours to make.
Let’s walk through the key elements of your hospital plan, starting with the most important decisions and moving through every step of your hospital stay.
Birth Preferences & Medical Care
Your hospital plan will likely include:
- Your preferences for the type of birth (whether you’d prefer a vaginal delivery or would like to discuss scheduling a C-section with your doctor)
- Pain management choices, such as natural birth techniques, epidural, or other options your doctor can explain
- Special requests for your labor and delivery experience
- Any health conditions or concerns you’d like the medical team to know about
Making Your Wishes Known
You are the only one with the legal authority to make medical decisions about you and your baby during your hospital stay. Clear communication helps ensure everyone understands and respects your preferences:
- Discuss your birth preferences with your doctor, including delivery method and pain management options
- Let your doctor and nurses know about your adoption plan
- Ask to speak with the hospital’s social worker, who can help coordinate with hospital staff
- Your adoption professional can help communicate your preferences to everyone involved
- Keep a copy of your plan handy for reference
Your Support Team
You have the freedom to choose who will support you during your hospital stay:
- Family members or close friends you trust
- Your social worker or adoption professional
- The adoptive family, if you wish
Remember that you can spend as much or as little time with the adoptive family as you wish during your stay – these decisions are completely up to you. During your labor and/or delivery, the adoptive family can be:
- In the delivery room with you
- In a separate room at the hospital
- Nearby at a hotel or rental
Time After Giving Birth
The time after giving birth is deeply personal, and you have many choices about how to spend it:
- You can hold and spend time with your baby
- You can take pictures and videos or create other memories
- You can have private time alone
- You can include the adoptive family in these moments
- You can choose not to see the baby if that feels right for you, which is sometimes the case with semi-open or closed adoptions
Recovery & Hospital Stay
Consider your preferences for recovery time:
- Who you’d like to have visit you
- How long you’d like to stay in the hospital
- What would make your recovery room most comfortable
- How you’ll travel home from the hospital, keeping in mind you won’t be able to drive yourself after a C-section or certain pain medications
Planning Ahead
Pack a hospital bag with items that will help you feel comfortable:
- Cozy clothes for your stay
- Personal care items you prefer
- Your phone and charger
- Any special comfort items you’d like to have with you
- Important contact information, including:
- Your medical team
- Your adoption professional
- Your chosen support people
- Your transportation plan (whether family, friend, or rideshare service)
When Labor Begins
When you go into labor:
- Contact your medical team
- Let your adoption professional know so they can help coordinate with everyone involved
- Reach out to whoever you’ve chosen to support you
- Follow your transportation plan to get to the hospital safely
Remember
- Your hospital plan is built around your personal choices
- Each decision is yours to make and can be changed at any time
- Your comfort and well-being matter
- Your support team is there to respect and honor your choices
- You can take things one step at a time
Want to learn more about placing your baby for adoption and creating your hospital plan? Angel Adoption is here to help you understand your options and support you in making the personal choices that feel right for you. Call or text us anytime: 815-307-5837, browse our selection of hopeful adoptive families, or fill out our free information request form.
