This is the most crucial part of finding an adoption friendly hospital. The staff are the people who will be beside you every step of the delivery, the ones who will be following your hospital and adoption plan, the ones who will ensure you are comfortable when you are placing your baby with their family.
The best way to gain information about this is to see it for yourself. Take a tour of some of the maternity wards in your local hospitals. Carefully watch to see if the hospital is clean, full of patients past capacity, and (more importantly) how the staff interacts with each other. Ask them how they approach adoption. Have they experienced adoption before with newborns? Have they worked with adoption and hospital plans before?
Carefully watch how they answer these questions. How do they respond? Do they seem hesitant, or answer calmly? Do they show their personal reaction, or remain professional and supportive? You want them to answer supportively, calmly, and professionally. They should serve as your advocate, not a roadblock in your process. Some hospitals even offer training on adoption behaviors and procedures. Are the staff there specially trained?
You also want to ensure that they will follow your adoption plan, specifically your hospital stay plan. This means they ensure that only the people you’ve selected are allowed in the hospital room for both your labor and delivery. They will support your decision surrounding holding the baby/spending time with the baby alone, or limiting time with them. The staff should be dedicated to following your hospital plan and that you feel comfortable.
An adoption friendly staff at the hospital means you will find yourself supported. You can also gain some insight by asking your dedicated adoption team about the local hospitals. They may have worked with some of your chosen hospitals and have advice for you.
