Preparing for the Arrival of a Baby

The adoptive family prepares for the arrival of their newborn in many was that are similar to biological parents. The most obvious difference can be the factor of time for preparation. Because time can be a factor, we have included a few items to have in place before bringing baby home.

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Selecting A Physician

This is an important part of becoming a new parent. Your physician can visit your baby in the hospital if your adoption occurs locally, if not you will be responsible for the transfer of hospital records to the physician you choose. Some criteria used in the selection of a physician may include:

• Type of Physician:
  
  The Pediatrician sees patients who are newborn to adolescent in age. In addition to four years of medical school they have three years of specialty training.
  
  The Family Physician sees patients of all ages and usually has four years of medical school followed by three years of specialty training.
  
• The Type of Practice:
  This would include the following:
  
  The solo practitioner,
  A practice with nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant,
  A partnership with two physicians,
  A group practice with three or more physicians.
  
• Things to Consider:
  
  Office location,
  Hospital Affiliation,
  Office Hours,
  After Hours Coverage,
  Phone policies,
  Emergency procedures,
  Practice size,
  Physician to patient ratio,
  Insurance Affiliation,
  Financial Protocol,
  Philosophy and Style of practice,
  Your comfort level.

Attending The Birth

You may be in the delivery room for the birth of your adoptive child. You may participate in coaching labor or even be asked by the birthparents to cut the umbilical cord. Take cues from the birthparents for how to best be their advocate during this time. They may need your full attention, a bit of space from time to time, or a lot of private time with the baby.

If you are in the delivery room you will witness your baby’s first medical exam and evaluation. The health care team present may perform some or all of the following:

• Clear airway by suctioning mouth and nose,
• Clamp and cut cord,
• Give Apgar score (review of baby’s condition at one and five minutes),
• Administer eye drops,
• Perform physical exam,
• Measure weight, length, head circumference,
• Obtain blood sample from heel for PKU screening,
• Administer vitamin K injection,
• Cover head with cap for warmth.

Baby’s First Exam

This usually takes place within 24 hours of birth and may include the following:

• Weight (which may have dropped since birth),
• Head circumference (which may have increased),
• Examination of internal organs by external palpation (kidneys, liver and spleen),
• Heart sounds and respiration,
• Hip rotation,
• Visual reaction,
• Hearing screening,
• Reflexes,
• Hands,
• Feet,
• Arms,
• Legs,
• Genitals,
• The umbilical stump.

Going Home

This is a time filled with emotion. As an adoptive parent you may find this a bittersweet time of celebration for your new arrival and difficulty in saying goodbye to the birthparents. Even in the most open adoption situations, the birth parents may need time for recovery. This does not mean that they have "changed their mind" or have second thoughts about you as parents. This is a time when birthparents say goodbye to both their child and to you, at least for some period of time. The days you have just shared are precious to both of you and may feel like they have lasted forever. Give birthparents the right to their emotion by being prepared for it rather than trying to prevent it. You may want to share a ceremony, poem, or thank you letter you have composed at this time.