After the birth mother has recovered from the delivery, a social worker for the hospital will normally meet with her alone in her room.  It is the job of the social worker to discuss the situation with the birth mother in a sensitive and professional manner, and to determine whether she still intends to place the child for adoption.  she is given the opportunity to change her mind.  This is why no one else is allowed in the room.  There should be no pressure placed upon the birth mother one way or the other.

If the birth mother indicates she does still want to place, she will be asked to sign a form called a “Release of Baby” form.  this form is generated by the hospital and cannot be prepared by the adoption attorney.  The form authorizes the adoptive couple to have complete access to the child in the hospital and take the baby home from the hospital.  The form is made a part of the birth mother’s chart.

From the time the birth mother signs the form, the hospital will treat the adoptive parents as the parents of the child.  They will be free to go to the nursery and hold the child, bond with the child and feed the child.  They will not, however, have freedom to make medical decisions for the child.  This authority remains with the birth mother as long as she is still in the hospital.

In most cases, the birth mother will be in the hospital from one to three days. During this time, she may want to spend time with the baby.  The amount of contact a birth mother wants with the child varies considerably. Some want no contact at all, because they know they cannot handle the emotions involved. They may be afraid that if they hold the baby they will change their minds, and they want to prevent that from happening.

Other birth mothers want time with the baby, and it does not affect their decision.  For many, it is a necessary emotional step in parting and in grieving. For others, it is simply part of the process of making the placement. Usually the birth mother will welcome the adoptive parents into her room and they will participate in the process which she is going through.

The important thing for adoptive parents to understand is that the birth mother is the one who decides how much contact she will have. The hospital will honor any request she makes to have the baby with her consistent with the health needs of the child. The adoptive parents need simply be sensitive and compassionate.  These times usually go very smoothly.

The birth mother may be released from the hospital before the child. If so, the hospital will look to the adoptive parents for medical decisions after the birth mother has left. A Voluntary Transfer of Custody and Medical Authorization form should be prepared by the attorney and signed by the birth mother before she leaves the hospital.

When the baby is discharged, the adoptive parents will take the child home with them, just as if they were the biological parents.