If you plan on giving birth at home, you should have some supplies on hand. Just because you need to have supplies doesn’t mean it has to be expensive. Your birth supplies list is entirely up to you, and you can give birth to a baby with surprisingly little, at surprisingly low cost.
Speak with your midwife before the birth, as she may have a specific list or home birth package that she will require you to purchase. She may ask that you purchase these items through her, through a certain company, or through the company of your choice.
Information and Paperwork:
__ Prenatal Care Record
__ Keepsake Birth Certificate
Supplies:
__ Extra Large Garbage Bags
__ Freezer Bags
__ Scissors
__ Lots of Old Towels, Wash Cloths, & Receiving Blankets
__ Plastic Cord Clamps
__ 2 Pair Sterile Gloves
__ Bulb Syringe
__ Pan/Small Tub for Placenta
__ 1-2 Peri Bottles
__ Cold Packs/Peri Cold Packs
__ Plastic Sheet or Shower Curtain (for birthing on bed/floor)
__ Old Briefs or Mesh Panties
__ Chux Pads or Puppy Pads
__ Postpartum Pads
__ Tucks/Witch Hazel Pads
__ Hydrogen Peroxide
__ Baby Hat
__ Diaper
__ Measuring Tape
__ Camera/Video Camera
__ Flashlight
__ Water Mug/Straws
__ Fish Scale/Hanging Scale (to weight the baby)
Water birth:
__ Birth Pool
__ Tarp (to protect the floor)
__ Hose, Hose Attachment, & Python Faucet Pump (for draining/filling the birth pool)
__ Water Thermometer
__ Small Fish Net (for fishing particles out of the pool)
Herbs/Remedies:
Some women prefer to have several herbs, tinctures, or home remedies on hand for birth and postpartum. Your midwife or doula may carry some of her own remedies as well.
__ Shepherds Purse Tincture (bleeding/hemorrhage)
__ Tea Tree Oil (antibacterial, often used in postpartum bath)
__ Arnica (pain/bruising)
__ Rescue Remedy (for shock)
__ Red Raspberry, Nettle, or Alfalfa (for low iron)
__ Motherwort (pain/hemorrhage)
__ Stool Softener (postpartum)
__ Tylenol (postpartum pain)
Other:
__ Snacks/Drinks
__ Ink Pad / Ink Foot Printer
All items on this list are optional. You may want to discuss with your midwife or look into alternatives for many of these items. If you are having a water birth, I have included the special equipment you will want to consider buying.
Vanessa integrates EMDR, sandtray, and attachment-focused approaches in her work and is completing credentials toward Registered Play Therapist and EMDRIA certification. With a background as a certified birth doula and a passion for making healing accessible, she writes and teaches on the intersection of trauma, neurodevelopment, and story-based therapy.
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