Once the baby is born, you will begin bonding with your newborn while the doctors take care of the surrogate. Many intended parents spend this time having “skin-to-skin” contact with their new baby, where the baby is placed against the bare skin of the parents. All legal paperwork should be in place at the time of birth, which will ensure that you have all decision-making rights for the care of your child. Some states do require the parentage order be signed after birth. In these cases, additional paperwork is shared with the hospital that will allow you to make all decisions regarding your child. Once the baby is released from the hospital, you and your child can return home and start your life together as a family.