Understanding Your Hospital Adoption Plan

The hospital stay is often one of the moments Expectant Mothers think about most as they move through their adoption journey. If you’re making an adoption plan, knowing what to expect during your hospital stay can help you feel more grounded and prepared when the day finally arrives.

At Abiding Love Adoption Agency, we believe you deserve to walk into that hospital room feeling informed, supported, and in control of your own experience. This guide walks through what typically happens before, during, and after delivery when you have an adoption plan in place, so there are as few surprises as possible.

Before You Arrive: Creating a Hospital Adoption Plan

One of the most valuable things you can do before your due date is create a hospital adoption plan with your Adoption Agency. This is a document that spells out your wishes for your hospital stay. It typically covers things like:

• Who you want in the room with you during labor and delivery
• Whether you want the Prospective Adoptive Family present, and if so, when
• How much time you’d like to spend with your baby after birth
• Whether you want to hold, feed, or room-in with your baby
• What name you’d like used for your baby while at the hospital
• Who you want notified of the birth, and who you’d prefer not be involved
• Any cultural or religious practices you’d like honored

A hospital adoption plan isn’t a legal document, but hospital social workers and nurses will typically do everything they can to honor it. Sharing this plan with your care team in advance and bringing a copy with you helps ensure your wishes are respected even if emotions run high in the moment.

Your Birth Mother Advocate at Abiding Love Adoption Agency can walk you through building your plan and will usually reach out to the hospital’s social work department ahead of time to make introductions and confirm everyone is on the same page.

Checking In: What the Hospital Staff Will Know

When you arrive at the hospital, most facilities will have a note in your file indicating that you have an adoption plan. Your Adoption Agency usually coordinates this in advance, so you shouldn’t have to explain your situation to every new nurse or doctor who walks in. That said, hospital staff can change from shift to shift, so it’s okay to gently remind someone if it seems they aren’t aware.

Many hospitals also assign a hospital social worker to Expectant Mothers with adoption plans. This person can serve as an extra layer of support, helping coordinate paperwork, answer questions, and make sure your hospital adoption plan is being followed by everyone on your care team. The social worker will also meet with the Expectant Mother alone to make sure that she is not being coerced by the Adoption Agency and/or Prospective Adoptive Parents.

During Your Stay: You’re Still in Charge

It’s easy to assume that once an adoption plan is in place, decisions are somehow out of your hands. That isn’t true. Until you sign legal paperwork — which happens after a state-required waiting period following birth — you are your baby’s legal parent, and every decision belongs to you.

That includes decisions like:

• How much time you spend with your baby
• Whether the Prospective Adoptive Family visits, and for how long
• Whether you breastfeed or bottle-feed
• Whether your baby is circumcised (if applicable)
• Whether you want your baby immunized
• Whether you want photos, footprints, or other mementos taken
• When (or if) you want to say goodbye

Many Birth Mothers choose to spend meaningful time with their baby in the hospital, while others find that difficult and prefer a different approach. Neither choice is right or wrong. The Adoption Agency’s role during this time is to support whatever choice feels right for you, not to guide you toward a particular outcome.

If the Prospective Adoptive Family is present at the hospital, the Adoption Agency can help facilitate that time in whatever way feels most comfortable to you— whether that means everyone spending time together, staggered visits, or the Prospective Adoptive Family waiting until you’re ready.

After Delivery: Paperwork and Legal Timelines

Every state has its own laws about when a Birth Mother can legally sign the adoption paperwork. You cannot sign until after a required waiting period following the birth. This waiting period exists specifically to protect you, ensuring you have time to recover physically and emotionally before making a permanent legal decision.

• In Florida, a Birth Mother must wait 48 hours after giving birth before she can sign consent for adoption or the day she is discharged from the hospital, whichever comes first.[1] In Florida, there is no revocation period.  
• In Georgia, Birth Mothers must wait 24 hours to sign the Adoption Paperwork and then can revoke their consent to adoption within four days after signing the surrender documents. This must be done in writing. There is a specific way the revocation must be sent to the Agency.[2]
• In South Carolina, Birth Mothers can consent to the adoption at any time after the birth of their child(ren), but South Carolina’s Supreme Court recommends that a Mother wait twenty-four (24) hours after birth.[3] In South Carolina, there is no revocation period. 

At Abiding Love Adoption Agency, your Adoption Attorney, who solely represents you, will connect with you to answer any questions you have about the Legal Paperwork and make sure you feel confident in your decision. You are never required to sign, and you can change your mind at any point before signing takes place.  

It is important to note that unless you have just connected with your Adoption Agency in the hospital for the first time, this should never be the first time you meet with your Attorney. Ideally, you should meet with your Attorney thirty (30) days before your due date to make sure you have a full understanding of the legal paperwork. This meeting in the hospital should be a time to answer any new questions and confirm that you still feel confident in your decision.

Your Birth Mother Advocate at Abiding Love Adoption Agency will stay in close contact with you throughout this process, so you’re never navigating these decisions alone.

Leaving the Hospital

Hospital discharge can be one of the more emotionally complex parts of this experience. –Some Birth Mothers leave the hospital before their baby does; others leave around the same time. Your hospital adoption plan should reflect your preferences here too, and your caseworker can help coordinate logistics like transportation, follow-up medical care, and emotional support resources for the days and weeks ahead.

It’s normal for a wave of grief to hit after leaving the hospital, even if you feel confident in your decision. Abiding Love Adoption Agency offers post-placement support, including but not limited to Birth Mother Mentors and Professional Licensed Counselors, specifically because this transition deserves ongoing care, not just support during pregnancy and delivery.

You Are Not Alone in This

The hospital stay is one chapter in a much longer story, but it’s often the one Expectant Mothers feel most anxious about beforehand. Having a plan and a support team can make an enormous difference in how supported and respected you feel during one of the most significant moments of your life.

If you’re an Expectant Mother in Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina exploring adoption or preparing for an upcoming birth, Abiding Love Adoption Agency is here to help you build a hospital adoption plan that reflects your wishes and to walk alongside you through every step of your journey.

Reach out today for support, compassion, and understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the Prospective Adoptive Family be in the delivery room?

That’s entirely your decision. Some Birth Mothers want the Prospective Adoptive Family present for the birth, while others prefer them to wait outside or arrive after delivery. Your hospital adoption plan can specify exactly what you’re comfortable with, and it can also change up until the moment it happens.

Do I have to make a final decision before I leave the hospital?

No. You cannot legally sign adoption paperwork until after your state’s required waiting period has passed. If you wish, you can take your baby home and decide later if adoption is right for you.

This means you have time after delivery to make sure adoption still feels like the right choice before anything becomes legally final. 

Click the buttons below to learn more about the laws in your state.

What if I change my mind while I’m at the hospital?

You are allowed to change your mind at any point before signing legal paperwork, including while you’re still at the hospital. 

Your caseworker and Adoption Attorney are there to support you no matter what you decide, not to pressure you toward a particular outcome. If your plans change, reach out to your caseworker and Attorney as soon as you’re able so they can help you navigate next steps.

Sources

1. Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2021, October). Consent to Adoption – Florida. https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/consent-adoption-florida/ 
2. Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2021, October). Consent to Adoption – Georgia. https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/consent-adoption-georgia/ 
3. Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2021, October). Consent to Adoption – South Carolina. https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/consent-adoption-south-carolina/