What Should I Include in My Adoption Hospital Plan as a Birth Mother? 

Plans and preparations before a major life event can help ease your mind and relax your stress and anxiety levels. Your adoption journey is no exception — particularly the birth and delivery aspect of it. As a birth mother planning to place your child for adoption, you are likely anticipating what your hospital stay and experience might look like. You may be wondering what to bring, what you should know beforehand and how to best prepare. This is where creating a hospital plan as a birth mother comes into play, as it has many benefits and can ensure that you are as comfortable as possible when the time arrives to deliver your child. 

At Adoption Choices of Missouri, your adoption caseworker can help you put together a hospital plan that fits your needs. We understand that each mother’s plan will be unique, and we are here to make sure that everything you need for maximum comfort and security is included. 

1. What Hospital will You Give Birth in? 

You will need to choose a hospital near you in which to give birth. Once you have selected a hospital, you can familiarize yourself with their labor and delivery protocols and ask if they have any extra health and safety procedures that you need to know. This is essential in the case of a global pandemic.

Each hospital runs differently and may have certain policies in place regarding your birth and delivery process. The larger decisions, such as the level of contact with your child’s adoptive family, will still remain with you and can be discussed with your adoption caseworker. 

2. Who will be in the Delivery Room with You? 

Who you’d like to have with you in the delivery room, if anyone, is up to you. You might consider the people you are closest to and choose someone who makes you feel safe and comfortable. If your friends and family are not supportive of you, or you want your partner or spouse to be there instead, you can discuss other options with your adoption caseworker. Our top priority is that you feel as secure and confident as possible throughout your adoption process, which includes during your hospital visit. 

3. How Involved will Your Child’s Adoptive Family be? 

Another key piece of your hospital plan will be determining the level of communication and involvement your child’s adoptive family will have. This can be a difficult and emotional decision and your adoption caseworker will be there to guide you through this. You can have as much or as little interaction with your child’s adoptive family as you feel comfortable with. You might consider whether you want them present in the delivery room, or if you would prefer them to wait outside. You can also discuss the type of involvement you will have with them pre and post delivery, if any at all. Remember, this decision is yours to make and we are here to support your choices. 

4. Do You want to Spend Time with Your Baby? 

As a birth mother, the option to hold your baby after your delivery is available to you. If it is important to you to spend some time alone with your child before the adoptive family meets him or her, this can be detailed in your plan. Your adoption caseworker will walk you through all the possibilities for time with your child post-delivery. Having a plan ready can help ease the difficulty of this decision and ensure that you are choosing what is best for you. 

5. What Atmosphere makes You Most Comfortable? 

You know yourself best. This means that you are in control of arranging for a hospital experience that is as comfortable as it can be. Take some time to think about what makes you feel relaxed. For some mothers, this means creating a playlist of their favorite songs to listen to in the delivery room. For others, it’s bringing along a comfort item, such as a special blanket or a sentimental photograph. When you have decided on the items that bring you joy and relax you most, you can detail those in your hospital plan so they are sure to be remembered. 

The Importance of Developing a Hospital Plan as a Birth Mother

These are only some of the questions that you might consider when creating a hospital plan as a birth mother. At Adoption Choices of Missouri, we want to ensure that you feel confident and cared for as you enter into labor. Spending time with your adoption caseworker to create your own individual hospital plan can establish a feeling of safety and prevent any surprises the day of. Our top goal is to help make your adoption journey as stress-free as possible and as unique as you are.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond, please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri call or text us at 1-816-527-9800

Meet the Author: Molly Doyle is a native San Franciscan, Molly is an experienced educator and a dedicated writer. She holds her multiple subject teaching credential as well as her Masters of Arts in Teaching. When not teaching children or creating new written pieces, Molly can be found kicking around a soccer ball, going for urban hikes or whipping up a fruit pie. 

She currently lives in Seattle, her first home outside of California.