Tip #1: Assembling your birth kit

Be prepared for weird medical equipment in your house - it's prep time!


Let's face it, as it stands now, your living room is no place for a baby to be born.  That's why you need a birth kit. Several online stores sell birth kits with more of the hard-to-find, medical-grade supplies.  Check out the bottom of the post for some links.

In these kits, you'll find:

·         bulb syringe

·         lubricating jelly

·         cord clamps/tape

·         gloves

·         iodine/hibiclens scrub (antiseptic)

·         sanitary brief

·         various sizes of underpads (chux pads)

·         plastic-backed sheets

·         sanitary pads

·         perineal irrigation bottle

·         gauze

·         alcohol prep pads

·         flexible straws

·         infant tape measure

·         basic infant cotton cap

But that’s just the beginning.  Homebirth is a great excuse to get rid of those old towels and sheets - start now collecting these items and have everything in place six weeks before your estimated due date. 

·         garbage bags

·         freezer bags

·         scissors

·         old towels, wash cloths, and blankets

·         two sets of sheets (you’ll throw out one set after the birth)

·         bowl for the placenta

·         cookie sheet

·         2-3 plastic sheets or shower curtains (disposable plastic-sided tablecloths also work)

·         more lubricant and/or olive oil

·         more sanitary napkins

·         newborn diapers

·         baby receiving blankets

·         flashlight

·         mirror

·         map to the nearest emergency room

·         contact information for the nearest hospital, back-up obstetrician, and pediatrician

·         birth plan (if you have one)

Your midwife will let you know if she has other suggestions. In the meantime, throw everything in a box and store it out of the way until that first contraction hits.


Birth kits:
In His Hands Birth Supply
Cascade HealthCare Products