My hospital social worker handed me a pen at 2am and I almost signed away my rights without reading it

Sean Martin · 2026-10-12T19:05:04.008084+00:00

I was at St. Mary's in Grand Rapids three days after my son was born, still sore and barely sleeping, when a social worker slid a stack of papers across my tray table and pointed at the line for my signature. Something in my gut said read it first, so I flipped to page 4 and found a clause that cut off all contact with my son's adoptive family after 18 months. I asked her to explain it and she got quiet and said most birth moms never ask. I refused to sign until my own lawyer looked it over, which took 9 days and almost cost me the match, but that clause got rewritten to open contact. Did anyone else get pressured to sign papers right after giving birth, and how did you handle it?

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My hospital social worker handed me a pen at 2am and I almost signed away my rights without reading it | Birth Mothers - Librear