Well, this is starting to get really real, folks! Yesterday after my 29 week midwife appointment, I walked out with all of my bi-weekly appointments scheduled through the home visit at 37 weeks on December 17th. Eek! I also had a list in my hands of everything I should start getting together to have on hand for the birth. The medical items I need to provide I will get with my customized birth kit that I can order online for $63.
My midwife also gave me an additional list of items to get – most of which I already have at my house. Here’s that list for those of you who are curious about what all is good to have on hand in order to birth a baby at home!
*Note – Of course my midwife is providing much of the necessary medical equipment himself, including items like supplemental oxygen setups for both Mom & baby. This would in no way be a comprehensive list for an unassisted home birth.*
Baby Bag:
4-6 receiving blankets & baby clothes (nightie or t-shirt, diaper, socks or boots, 3 hats)
Birth Bag:
1 sheet, 3 towels, 4-6 washcloths
I’ll wash & sterilize these by putting each set of items in its own paper bag, labeling & sealing shut, and storing until needed. Then before the birth we are supposed to put the oven at 200 degrees with a small pan of water in the bottom to provide moist heat. We put the bags in the oven for 2 hours and don’t open the bags until the contents are ready to be used.
Other items to have on hand:
- A couple of extra towels
- 1 large rubber or plastic sheet to cover our mattress
- Alcohol & Q-tips
- Crock pot or large pot to boil ginger & comfrey
- 2 large ginger roots (fresh)
- 2 oz dried Comfrey Leaf (fresh, if available)
- A shallow pan/bowl for placenta
- 2 gallon-size Zip Lock bags to contain the placenta
- 2 plastic garbage bags (large)
- Infant size diapers
- A mirror
- Camera
- Fish Net with long handle (for water births)
Food Suggestions to Have on Hand
- miso, chicken, or vegetable broth (good during labor)
- honey
- lemons for fresh lemonade
- fruit juice (the less acidic the better & frozen in ice trays if desired)
- high protein foods for after the birth (broths, eggs, tofu, miso, protein powder for smoothies with juice/milk/yogurt, cheeses, chicken, and fish)
- Vitamin B complex & Vitamin C capsules
- A birthday cake!
I’m also planning on renting a birthing tub from my midwife (for $200), and they said I can grab it from them at my 35 week appointment or they can bring it to my house at my 37 week appointment. It’s a hard sided tub (5′ diameter I think?) that then has cushy inner liners of course. I guess we just hook it up to the hot water hookup for the washing machine and fill away. He said it will probably take 3-4 cycles of our hot water heater to fill the entire thing. Once it’s filled to the appropriate level, we just plug it in and the heater in the wall of the tub will keep it at temp for days if necessary (with the lid on). I think we’re just setting it up in the middle of the living room, so that’s kind of crazy! Either that or the guest room… I don’t know. Lots to think about. 🙂
I also got a bonus at work yesterday morning that happened to be for the exact amount that I still owed to my midwife in order to get the pre-payment discount. It was the perfect timing to get that paid off and have one more weight off my shoulders. I love it when life works out like that!
