Your Alabama adoption birth plan makes sure that the birth of your child goes according to your wishes. As the birth mother, you decide how the birth of your child will go. Making an advanced birth plan helps you consider the important decisions ahead of time.
Gulf Coast Adoptions explains Alabama adoption birth plans.
What Happens at the Hospital If I’m Placing My Child for Adoption?
If you’re placing your child for adoption, you decide how you want the adoptive parents involved. You decide who is with you during labor and delivery. After the birth, you may spend time with your baby, if you choose. Social workers will help you complete the paperwork.
Hospital Birth Plan
The hospital birth plan covers:
- Labor and delivery: who you want present during labor and when the child is born
- The birth: your personal preferences for labor and delivery
- After birth: how much time the baby spends with you and the adoptive parents
- Paperwork: signing the adoption consent paperwork, if you haven’t already
There is no “right” way to do a hospital birth plan for adoption. The plan is up to you as the mother. While Alabama law states that the paperwork must be done in a certain way, you have the flexibility to decide what’s best for you.
What Do You Need to Bring to the Hospital?
Even if you expect a routine delivery, you might spend a couple of days in the hospital after giving birth. Having things from home can make you more comfortable.
You may want to pack:
- Pajamas, robe, gown
- Socks, with grip
- Pillow, towel
- Toiletries (e.g., shampoo, conditioner, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant)
- Hairbrush, hair ties
- Your ID, insurance, or Medicaid information, if you have it
- Water bottle
- Lip balm
- Snacks
- Aromatherapy, portable fan
- Eye mask, earplugs
- Prescription medications
- Copy of your birth plan, folder, or envelope for documents
- Glasses, contacts, related things
- Phone, charger with a long cord
- Books, magazines, or other things to do
- Personal item like a favorite stuffed animal or photograph
The hospital will have certain items like towels and pillows, but you may feel more comfortable with your own things.
Bring an extra bag so you have plenty of room to take things home.
You may also consider religious rituals or cultural traditions that are important to you and that you would like to incorporate into the birth.
Who Is in the Room With You?
You decide who is in the room with you during labor and delivery. You may want the father present, your mother or father, both of your parents, another family member, friend, or the adoptive parents. You can decide if you want them there for labor only or if they will be there the entire time.
Your Birth Plan
Your birth plan is how you want the birth itself to go. You may decide things like pain management or whether you want to incorporate a birthing ball, water, or aromatherapy. You can control the lighting, music, ambient sounds, or even plants.
Learn about the different positions for giving birth and options for fetal monitoring. There might be medical factors that influence some of these decisions. Others are just a matter of preference.
Care After Birth and Throughout Hospitalization—Alabama Adoption Planning
After the baby is born, there is no one answer for what should happen. You may hold the baby or have an adoptive parent hold the baby first. It’s up to you how much time you want to spend with your child. Some birth moms choose to have the adoptive family care for the baby the entire time in the hospital.
It’s common for the adoptive parents to be in a room nearby. You can then facilitate the transfer of the child between parents. Another person can help you make exchanges if you prefer they not be direct. You may also choose to have the baby with you the entire time until you leave the hospital.
Naming the baby
If your adoption is open, you might talk about names with the adoptive family. You may name the child on the original birth certificate.
After the adoption is complete, the State of Alabama will issue a new birth certificate. The new birth certificate will list the adoptive parents as legal parents. If the name changes, the new birth certificate will have the child’s new name.
You may choose to put medical history information and your preference for contact in the sealed court file.
Signing Consent
If you haven’t already, you’ll execute the consent to adoption paperwork. A notary public or other authorized person will witness the signing. The form is standard language and states that you are placing the child for adoption, and you understand and voluntarily give your consent. It may help to review a copy of the form ahead of time.
In Alabama, you may sign a consent for adoption before the child’s birth. So this step may have already been taken care of before you go to the hospital. If you give your consent to adoption before birth, you go before a probate judge. The judge will explain your rights and the legal effect of signing.
If you’ve done the consent before birth, you have five business days from birth to withdraw it or five days from when you gave your consent, whichever is later (§ 26-10E-12). If you sign the consent after birth, you have five business days to withdraw it (§ 26-10E-13).
Discharge from Hospital After Adoption
After you leave the hospital, you may consider counseling to process what has occurred. It’s normal to feel grief and loss.
The adoptive parents will file a petition to finalize the adoption shortly after they take the child home. A court will sign an order of adoption. (See § 26-10E-17 for notice requirements.)
Other Adoption Planning
Remember that your Alabama adoption birth plan is one part of your adoption planning. An adoption plan honors your wishes as you make the loving choice to place your child for adoption.
Talk to Someone
At Gulf Coast Adoptions, we spend hours talking to birth mothers at no charge. We’re located in the Mobile, AL, area, serving zip codes 36609, 36685, 36641, 36660, 36671, and 36695, but we help birth mothers throughout Alabama.
We invite you to contact Gulf Coast Adoptions today.