If you're facing an unintended pregnancy or have recently given birth, we're here for you with free and confidential all-options counseling, resources, and support. Connect with our pregnancy counselors 24/7 via call or text at 800-439-0233.
Browse our network of adoption services including infant and foster care adoption, home studies, and post-adoption support.
Explore our network of services including specialized counseling and support groups that help to stabilize and improve behavioral health symptoms.
Looking for Adoptions Together or FamilyWorks Together? New name, same us. Here’s why!
No matter what your pregnancy has been like or how long you’ve known about it, your labor and delivery experience will always be an integral part of your child’s adoption story – and you have the power to control what it will be like. Below are some decisions you may want to make before your hospital stay.
Some birth parents want to be alone before, during, and after delivery, especially if very few people (or no one) know about their pregnancy. Most find it helpful to have at least one truly supportive friend with them. If you do not have that one person, ask your pregnancy social worker about our doula program. On the other hand, some birth parents we’ve worked with have had many people in the room. No matter how many people want to be there, you are the person who decides what happens.
This is your decision. Some birth parents decide not to see their baby after delivery because they are trying to protect their hearts; they know themselves and feel certain that if they do see their baby, it will be much more difficult to place their baby for adoption. Other birth parents spend every minute with their child after delivery and spending this time with their child brings them peace. Many find the in-between option right for them: the baby may room in the nursery and the parent(s) visit the baby as frequently as they wish.
The baby will automatically have your last name in the hospital, and you are welcome to choose the legal first name for your child. If the name you choose has deep meaning to you, tell your social worker so she can communicate that with the adoptive family. The adoptive family may choose to keep the birth name (or make it a middle name) but the last names always change. If you do not want to name your baby, your social worker or nurse can choose a temporary name.
At any point during the hospital stay, you can change your mind about any aspect of the hospital plan or the adoption all together. Your social worker is here to help you with all of your options, including parenting if that’s what you decide. It’s difficult to make a plan when you don’t yet know how it’s going to feel; your hospital stay is your time to spend uninterrupted with your baby if you wish to have it.
Considering adoption? Discover answers to common questions in our expectant parent FAQ. Get 24/7 support, legal insights, and guidance on choosing an adoptive family. Learn about financial assistance and the emotional journey of open adoption.
