One of the biggest questions people have about adoption is also one of the least talked about: What actually happens at the hospital?
In this episode, Heather Featherston and Kim King walk through what families can typically expect during the hospital experience, from labor and delivery to paperwork, discharge, and everything in between.
Whether you’re an expectant parent considering adoption or a hopeful adoptive family, understanding the process can replace fear with confidence.
In This Episode:
- Is there a “typical” hospital adoption?
- Who decides who’s in the delivery room?
- Can adoptive parents be present during labor or delivery?
- Who holds the baby first?
- How do hospital nurses and social workers help?
- Can an expectant mom spend time with her baby?
- What happens if she changes her mind?
- When is adoption paperwork signed?
- When does the baby go home?
- How does ICPC affect adoptive families traveling home?
- Common myths TV gets wrong about the hospital adoption process
Resources
- What Is ICPC? A Simple Guide to Interstate Adoption: In this episode of Let’s Talk Adoption, Heather and Kim explain the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) in simple, easy-to-understand language. They discuss why ICPC exists, what happens after your baby is born, how long the process usually takes, and what adoptive families can expect while waiting for approval.
- If you’re considering adoption and would like free information, request your copy of So I Was Thinking About Adoption…at FreeAdoptionBook.com.
- Download the free Open Adoption app at AdoptionOptionApp.com, available for both Apple and Android devices.