Baby Paperwork

General Paperwork

When you have a baby in the United States you will have to fill out paperwork. No matter where you have your baby, whether it is at home or at a birthing center, you will be filling out paper work for a birth certificate and social security number for your child.

Birth Certificate Form - For this form you will need to provide the following information.

• Full name of person named on the certificate
• Date of birth
• Sex of the person
• County or city of birth
• Hospital where the birth occurred or other location
• Maiden name of mother
• Full name of father

You can get a birth certificate instantly at any courthouse in the state that your child was born in.

Social Security Number Application - It is not required but very much recommended to apply for your new baby's social security number after they are born, rather than waiting until they are older. This is the information that you will be providing.

• Full name of person named on the certificate
• Date of birth
• Sex of the person
• County or city of birth
• Hospital where the birth occurred or other location
• Maiden name of mother
• Full name of father

The same information is needed to get your child a social security card as a birth certificate, in fact the state agency that issues birth certificates will share the information that you provided for you child's birth certificate with the Social Security Administration.

Paperwork for Unwed Couples and Single Moms

Acknowledgment of Paternity - AOP is a document that gives acknowledgment of a baby's father. This document is often required in order to put the birth father's name of the birth certificate. Single moms who want the birth father of their baby to pay child support will want to fill one of these out.

Paperwork for Unassisted Childbirths

Depending on the state that you live in will determine the paper work you will need for an unassisted childbirth. Most likely you will need the three following items to receive your child's birth certificate and social security card.

Proof of Prenatal Care From a State Licensed Health Professional - You will need proof that you were in fact pregnant. This could come from prenatal records that you may have or by a letter of a licensed health professional such as a chiropractor or ob/gyn.

Notarized A - Either your partner or someone who was present at the birth will have to sign a notarized a along with you to state that you did in fact witness the baby being born.

Proof of Your Baby Being Born From a State Licensed Health Professional - A checkup at a hospital or having a state licensed health professional write a letter that proves that your child was born will do.

Paperwork for Home Births

Every midwife will have different paperwork that she needs you to fill out. The most common paperwork that you will have to sign for a midwife is as follows.

Consent for Care/Home Birth - Your midwife may have paperwork that you sign that states that you understand what is involved in a home birth and that you give her consent to take care of you while you are in labor and deliver your baby as well as care for both you and your baby after the birth.

Consent for Care/Home Birth of a Vaginal Birth After a Cesarean - If you are having a home birth after you have had a cesarean your midwife will likely have you sign paperwork that states that you understand any risk involved and that you give her consent to care for you during the labor and that she will deliver the baby and care for you and your baby after the birth.

Emergency Transfer Plan - In the event that you need to be transferred from you home your midwife may have you fill out paperwork ahead of time to devise the plan you would like to take.

Legal Disclaimers - Your midwife may have you fill out legal disclaimers as well.

Paperwork for Hospitals and Birthing Centers

Depending on your preference of birth and the state that you live in will determine the paperwork that you will be filling out. You will have many consent forms, documents stating certain things that you wanted for you and your baby at your birth, lots of legal disclaimers and possibly even photo related services offered by the hospital or a third party.

It is a good idea before you go into labor to fill out all of the paperwork that you can and to find out exactly what paperwork you will be filling out.

The last thing that you will really want to be doing after you have your a baby is filling out paperwork, one reason to fill out what you can ahead of time and to find out all of the paperwork that the particular birth that you are having come with.