Rights, Consent, & Procedures

• You can be on a non-report status at the hospital; that means the hospital will not give out your patient information to someone calling in.
• In cases involving a newborn baby, the adoption consent cannot be signed until12 hours after the baby is born.
• You can sign anytime after the 12 hours, but need to prepare for this in the birth plan. For example if you have a c-section, your attorney may request that you wait 24-36 hours after birth before signing the adoption consent.
• The birth parents consent is considered to be irrevocable at the time they sign the adoption papers, unless you can prove to the Court that the consent was not given freely and voluntarily.
• This means the adoption decision must be carefully weighed during the pregnancy and counseling is highly advised.
• Hospital procedures vary, but once you sign the consent papers, you no longer have any legal rights to the baby.
• It may be arranged with the adoptive couple for you to continue to see the baby during your hospital stay.

Birthfather

• The birth father must consent to the adoption unless a plan has been made to terminate his parental rights.
• If he does not consent or cannot be reached to sign the papers, then the adoption can still be finalized if proper notice is given to the birth father.
• You will need to seek legal advice about terminating the birth father's rights.