If you are planning a home birth, your midwife will likely give you list of things to collect over the course of your pregnancy to prepare for the arrival of your baby. Midwives will bring all the essential medical equipment, but there are a few things that you can get that will also help in different situations. Below is a list of the things I made sure to have on hand – some things are more valuable than others. Some things we never used but were happy we had just in case!
- Large Bowl (just in case you feel the need to throw up!)
- Large container with lid (or 2 large ziplock bags) for the placenta
- Tube of Lanolin or Nipple Cream
- Thermometer
- 2-3 Cotton Baby Hats
- Small Bottle of Olive Oil
- Adult Diapers (trust me! As much as you won’t want to buy them, you will need them, and love them!)
- Old sheets that you don’t mind losing
- Plastic drop sheet (to go under the old sheets)
- Clean sheets (to go under the drop sheet)
- 6-12 Receiving Blankets
- 6-8 Bath Towels
- 6-8 Washcloths
- Tissues
- Heating Pad, Hot Water Bottle, or Magic Bag
- 1 Package Large Chux Pads (my midwife brought these)
- 2 Large Garbage Bags
- Hand Mirror
- 12 Large Super-Absorbent Sanitary Pads (if you aren’t using adult diapers!)
- Flashlight
- 2 Water Hoses (if you are planning a water birth – 1 to fill the tub, 1 to drain the tub)
- Exercise Ball
- Food for Mom, Dad and Midwives (I did some baking and made sure there were lots of fruit and veggies in the fridge)
- Bendable Straws
- Space Heater or Fan (depending on the time of year)
- Bright Portable Light
- Hydrogen Peroxide
- 1-3 Ice Packs
- Gravol, Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen
