The sooner you can get the baby to the breast after he is born, the better. Speak with the staff at the hospital where the baby will be born and let the head nurse and lactation consultant know your plan to breastfeed the baby. They should be willing to accommodate your desire to have the baby fed by cup or finger feeding, if you cannot have the baby to feed immediately after his birth . In fact, more and more frequently, arrangements have been made where the adopting mother is present at the birth of the baby and takes the baby immediately to nurse. The earlier you start, the better.
Some biological mothers are willing to nurse the baby for the first few days.
There is some concern expressed amongst social workers and others that this will result in the biological mothers changing her mind. This is possible, and you may not wish to take that risk. However, this has been done, and it allows the baby to breastfeed, get colostrum, and not receive artificial feedings at first. Latching on well is even more important when the mother does not have a full milk supply, as when she does. A good latch means painless feedings.