When you’re a prospective birth mother, there are a lot of things that you’re in charge of: finding the right adoptive family, choosing your level of contact after the adoption, and, of course, determining what your hospital stay will look like.
Naturally, your first priority will be finding a hospital and physician covered by your insurance. This step is definitely important, but it’s not the only aspect you should consider when choosing a hospital for delivery.
Before you make your decision, there are a few things involved in finding the right hospital for you.
But first, we’d like to talk a little bit about how your adoption specialist can help you get started.
How Can My Adoption Specialist Help Me?
One of the first things that you’ll do when you contact an agency is make an adoption plan. This template outlines all your plans for the adoption experience.
But, in addition to this, you’ll also fill out something known as your hospital plan. There, you’ll be able to decide:
- Who you want in the room with you during the delivery
- If you plan to nurse your baby
- If you’d like to take pictures with the adoptive family and your baby
- And so much more
Of course, this is also where you’ll decide where to deliver your baby.
Your adoption specialist can help you find an appropriate hospital with everything you’re looking for. They’ll also be the ones to distribute your plan to the hospital staff to ensure that they follow your expectations for delivery and afterwards. This plan will also be distributed to the adoptive parents, so that they’re made aware of your desires for this day.
7 Things to Consider about Your Hospital Choice
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, it’s time to think about other aspects you should consider as a prospective birth parent looking for a hospital for delivery.
1. Your comfort level
First and foremost, you should assess your own comfort level when it comes to working with a particular hospital. Not every hospital is created equally, and it’s up to you to determine how you feel going to and working with a particular hospital.
A good tip? Tour the facilities before your due date. That way, you can get an idea of what to expect during the big day.
2. Proximity to where you live
Distance can be a big factor in deciding which hospital to work with. When your baby is on their way, the last thing that you want to be worried about is traffic.
That’s why most women considering adoption choose to work with a hospital that’s closer to them, so that they have a little less to worry about.
3. Accommodations
You’ll want to feel as comfortable as possible after the delivery. When you look at maternity hospitals, you should ask about the kind of postpartum rooms they offer.
For example, do you want to have a postpartum room all to yourself? Or are you comfortable sharing a room with another new parent? Do you want your baby to stay in the room with you for a little bit, or will they be brought to the nursery?
4. Postpartum care for you and your baby
You and the baby will stay in the hospital for about a day or a few days after delivery. While you’re there, you should feel as comfortable as possible.
Part of this will include finding a comfortable room to unwind in. But you should also have a team of nurses who will support you during this transition. Your nurses are a key member of your delivery team, so it’s a good idea to take some time to get to know them during your maternity tour.
5. Pre- and postnatal classes
It’s essential that you take care of yourself during your adoption journey. To help you do that, the hospital you choose should provide wellness classes before and after your delivery. Participating in some of them will help you better prepare for the labor and delivery experience.
6. Hospital staff
This one might be a little hard to determine at first. But as you go through your maternity tour, pay attention to how the staff acts with one another. Are they respectful of each other? Do they seem friendly and open?
It might seem like a small detail, but this can make a big difference in your adoption experience.
7. Safety measures and policies
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown everyone’s plans into a tailspin. If you’re like most prospective birth parents, you’re probably worried about what your hospital stay will look like.
To minimize your exposure, ask about a hospital’s safety policies for admitted patients, the rules you’ll have to following during labor and delivery, and their policies on who is allowed into the hospital for the birth.
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These are just a few of the many aspects you can look for when you look for a maternity hospital for delivery. If you have any questions while you’re making your decision, don’t forget that you can always reach out to your adoption professional.
