What supplies do I need to buy?

[Crystalftw]

And/or do you recommend having on hand.

Thanks!

[A_Random_Phrase]

I've not UC'ed, but your post looked so naked with no replies. There are threads on here that address that, but they may be archived (I don't hang out in this forum as much as I used to). Some women go simple and some women want a lot. One thing I've noticed is that they all agree on a lot of towels for clean up. Chux disposable pads (you can put them on your bed, on the floor, etc.). Something to tie the cord and to cut it. Frozen cubes of red raspberry leaf tea. I can't think of any more that I've read. You would find a lot of info just exploring past threads in this forum.

[Tumble Bumbles]

 I've been thinking about this as well. The pp is right, some people go very simple, some get everything they think they'll need. I've been looking at http://inhishands.com/ . They seem to be highly recommended and to have decent pricing.

I was thinking:

Chux pads, thrift store sheets and towels (washed on hot first of course!) for mess containment/comfort if I'm on the floor.

Cord clamps and scissors for cord -- or some people use white shoelaces boiled to tie off cord -- although if you keep babe attached until it stops pulsating and blood has all drained this is less of an issue.

Tinctures/herbs -- I may get Shepherd's Purse (stops bleeding in case of hemorrhage) and also Placenta Out, which is supposed to help expel the placenta if it doesn't come out in one piece or is taking longer than your comfort level to come out. Also, Rescue Remedy for emotional/mental stress fatigue, would seem useful during transition. Arnica, for stress, bruising, etc.

A Peri bottle (for after of course)

Apgar scoring chart (this is more to have a "record" that we made an educated decision than anything)

Foot-printing sheet with room for baby's stats (weight/length/etc) -- again, for "proof" that we're "good" parents

Scale to weigh baby and sling (I already have the sling)

Stethescope to listen to baby's heart after birth (they sell them on that site I linked)

Oh, I'm also going to print out some "what to do in case" type sheets. Although I've read and researched extensively, and don't anticipate a problem at all, in the moment I want to have visual aids and such in case of a "variation of normal".

This was a great idea I read on a midwifery site --  to get receiving blankets/infant hat and so on, put them in a pillow case with a heating pad on low and keep it close by. It keeps the things warm because newborns lose heat VERY quickly especially if you are doing a water birth (both of you will be cold and wet, the parts that are out of the water). I thought that was a brilliant idea because you can leave the heating pad on low for hours and not worry about it. You could even wrap the whole thing in a larger blanket to cover mama with because sometimes you get the chills right after birth.

We also may rent a doppler or buy a fetoscope to hear heart tones during labor but I'm still not sure. I think that would freak me out unnecessarily since heart tones naturally often drop during a contraction then recover.

Other than that, comfort items like drinks, light foods if mama is hungry, warm socks for land birth, chapstick for dry lips, warm compresses in crock pot on low for perineum or lower back, casserole in freezer for after birth (I was STARVING after my home birth)....stuff like that.

I'm probably missing something major, but that's what I was considering so far. Hope that helps :)

[Rainystar66]

I tend to go light....

Chux Pads

Large Plastic Backed Sheet

Cord Clamps

Scissors

Bulb Syringe-Although I've never actually needed one, I always keep one on hand just in case...

Couple Pair of Gloves-Again never usually use them, but have them on hand just in case

Towels

Wash rags

Scale

Peri Bottle

Something to put the placenta in (Usually a big Ice Cream bucket)

[Crystalftw]

Oh thank you ladies very much!!! 

I was on inhishands.com last night and added stuff to my wish list:

			Price
		Sterilization Pouch for hospital grade scissors I already own
		Bulb Syringe
		Cord Band the clamp is bulky, and I don't plan to cut/clamp until it's white and limp.
		Donut Ring I LOVE to sit on the toilet while in labor- I figure this will make it more comfortable
		Peri Bottle
		Baby T-Shirt, bc it's CUTE
		Birth Certificate Something sentimental for us
		Footprinter, Kleen-print refer to above
		Tape Measure, paper
	Sterile Gloves
		Mesh Panty / Brief
		Sitz Bath Plastic Tub this is also for my toilet sitting during labor in case I cough and she flies out. lol
		Hibiclens Scrub Brush for DH if he rushes home from work after just using there soap they will still be dirty as he works on helicopters.
		Mattress Cover
		Plastic Covering for the floor between my bed and bathroom
		Underpad, 23 X 36
		Water Birth Pool - 60" X 22" Deep I'm still on the fence on whether I need this or not. Every time I think about giving birth to her it's on my bed...
		Labor Support Guide for DH
		Red Raspberry Leaf Tea for the weeks before birth

I'm not too sure what herbs to get. I have read mixed things on shepherds purse so idk. I'm probably also going to get a fetoscope. I hadn't thought about an infant stethoscope. I plan on taking her into the Ped(we have a crunchy ped) the next day for the metabolic screening and to be checked out. I know she is perfect, in Jesus' name, anyhow! I love the heating pad idea, I will have to buy one. I have a LARGE alum. mixing bowl I can put the placenta in. I saw a baby scale at a thrift store, if that's cheaper than the sling scale I'm picking it up. 

As far as towels go- are we talking like full size or prefolds? And how many is suggested? 

Thanks again!

[Mamatoabunch]

I have gone cheaper and more minimal each time. The sterilization thing is worthless, IMO. I just boiled the scissors and put them in alcohol until needed. Others don't even do that.

I have:

Kiddie pool
hose
faucet adapter
cord clamp
scissors
sheperd's purse, 
calcium lactate
alcohol
chux
depends 
bowl for placenta
bendie straws
delee suction
bulb syringe
super glue
steri strips
squeeze bottle for peri
old sheets
clothes for baby and diaper
old towels
baby scale

[A_Random_Phrase]

As far as shepherd's purse goes, I tend to have low blood pressure and, for me, it makes it far too low. I have heard of cayenne tincture for hemorrhage. Many of the mothers I've seen on here over the years swear by a bite of the placenta (maternal side, when they've mentioned which side to use) if it has been delivered. Obviously, if it isn't there yet, it can't help. Many take a piece of the placenta as a preventative for hemorrhage and post natal depression.

[jshannyn519]

I have everything I need as well, and it's fairly basic. It's easy to go overboard with a bunch of stuff.

I have:

2 sterile cord clamps*

my nursing school scissors*

a small box of alcohol wipes*

a bottle of rubbing alcohol

a package of non-sterile gloves - I'll probably never use these but I have them just in case. I got them for $1 at the Dollar Tree

a package of large chux (30x36) - there are 20 in a pack

a package of Depends - they work better for PP bleeding than pads

pads

2 single-use peri pads

large plastic bowl for the placenta

sterile delee suction*

sterile bulb syringe* 

basic first aid kit (band-aids, tape, steri-strips, etc)

squeeze bottle for peri care

old sheets

plastic shower curtain liner

digital travel luggage scale & sling to weigh baby

doppler (I had this already and it's really come in handy)

basic baby clothes, diapers, wipes

measuring tape from my sewing basket

stethoscope*

BP cuff for infants*

charting forms for labor, PP and newborn

I still need to get some thrift store towels since I'm not okay with potentially ruining any of mine.

Several of the items that I have, the ones with the * next to them, are either from my nursing school stuff or from my midwifery apprenticeship that are left over. I'm in nursing school now, so things like my stethoscope get used all the time. Most of the birthing supplies I have were purchased at Wal-Mart or the Dollar Tree for very little money. A few other things I purchased from Cascade Healthcare Products. I opted not to go with a basic birth kit from any of the websites because it had so much in it that I already had around the house. If you look at the birth kits and see what they have, you can usually create one of your own from items you have or inexpensively purchased items from local stores so you can save on shipping. 

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by A_Random_Phrase 

As far as shepherd's purse goes, I tend to have low blood pressure and, for me, it makes it far too low. I have heard of cayenne tincture for hemorrhage. Many of the mothers I've seen on here over the years swear by a bite of the placenta (maternal side, when they've mentioned which side to use) if it has been delivered. Obviously, if it isn't there yet, it can't help. Many take a piece of the placenta as a preventative for hemorrhage and post natal depression.

I have cayenne in there too. I also have cytotec for an extreme PP bleed. I have also thought of the placenta option, but never needed anything, so far.

[Tumble Bumbles]

Can someone talk to me more about calcium lactate, cayenne, and cytotec? I'm going to Google but more info would be awesome, thanks!
 

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by Tumble Bumbles 

Can someone talk to me more about calcium lactate, cayenne, and cytotec? I'm going to Google but more info would be awesome, thanks!
 

There is evidence that calcium in the last few weeks and in labor cuts perception or actual pain of labor a bit. It has been effective for me. Cayenne can be taken for excessive PP bleeding, another tool. Cytotec or misoprotol is just what it is, a drug that, in this country is used as an ulcer medication commonly, but also as an off label use for inducing an abortion or an induction of labor. In that aspect it is a very poor choice and should never be given to pregnant women. Although, it can be used after the birth of the baby to counteract heavy PP bleeding episode. It isn't my first choice, it would be my last, but something a UCer can have on hand and obtain somewhat easily, where pit cannot, which is commonly given in a hospital or HB situation. I felt led w/ my last pregnancy of my 10th to have something, a stronger choice, if I or my dh was presented w/ a PP hemorrhage.

Calcium, labor and other positive effects of supplementation

http://1stholistic.com/reading/health/A2005/health-tips-for-painless-childbirth.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=vxZxksJNLgkC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=calcium+lactate+and+labor&source=bl&ots=FaHhJa2EFm&sig=BjqtIBf8y8Ls_cpofxsbWo2-Q2M&hl=en&ei=YlwyTYGoN8L6lwfBppyDCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=calcium%20lactate%20and%20labor&f=false

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/nutrition.html

Cytotec and PP hemorrhage

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/thirdstg.html#Postpartum

[Tumble Bumbles]

Thanks so much Mamatoabunch, I'll definitely check out the links!

[tracymom1]

Great thread.  I can't believe I never thought of Depends!   Those will be perfect for the first couple of days.  And steri strips.  

[lightinmyhands]

before I had my UC, i too wondered what supplies I should have on hand.  We wound up just having towels and a bulb syringe in case suctioning was necessary (it was not)... oh yeah, and sharp scissors to cut the cord.  Birth just happened, we didn't wind up needing any gadgets except of course the scissors.  My placenta took over 3 hours to deliver (i wound up transferring to the hospital-but left baby with a good friend).  Anyhow, I later found out that inhishands has a tincture called "placenta out" that I will definitely have on hand this time.  The doctor at the hospital was really rude and awful, I refused his pitocin and he told me 'fine, bleed to death, but don't wake me up when you do'.  I didn't need that after the beautiful birth I just experienced.  I wish I had known about the tincture beforehand and could have spared myself his offense.  

[Tumble Bumbles]

 I refused his pitocin and he told me 'fine, bleed to death, but don't wake me up when you do'.

That's awful!!! I'm so sorry you had that experience :(

[AJandElijahsmommy]

Originally Posted by Tumble Bumbles 

 I refused his pitocin and he told me 'fine, bleed to death, but don't wake me up when you do'.

That's awful!!! I'm so sorry you had that experience :(

Sounds like the doctor i had during my first pregnancy, when I had a retained placenta, (of course it only retained because they didn't let me breastfeed immediatly) I was screaming because he had his arm half way up my uterus ripping it out of me and my husband was praying. He told me to shut up that it didn't hurt that bad and He wanted my husband to stop praying so he told him to leave and when I said no I want him to stay the doctor said "fine, then I will leave and you'll bleed to death", And he took off his gloves and threw them in the floor. Being scared and naive at the time I told my husband to go ahead and leave the room. Needless to say that was my first and last hospital birth. ANYWAY! Just so I am not being completly off topic in this post. www.inhishands.com is where i got my supplies for my UC with ds2. I am 8 weeks pg now and planning another UC it was the best thing I ever did. I will be ordering a birth kit from them again.
 

[AJandElijahsmommy]

i too bought "placent out" for my last UC but didn't end up needing it. placenta came out in 1 hour after breatfeeding and standing up giving it the slightest tug.

[AJandElijahsmommy]

btw the water birth pool and the red raspberry leaf tea are must haves! The warm pool made labor so much easier and the raspberry really strenghthens your uterus to make the contractions more efficent. With ds1 i didn't take it and had 24 hours of labor, ds2 i tool it religiously everyday 3 times a day for the last 3 months and had a 3 hour labor and delivery. that was nice!

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by Tumble Bumbles 

Can someone talk to me more about calcium lactate, cayenne, and cytotec? I'm going to Google but more info would be awesome, thanks!
 

Herbalists say that, while cayenne tincture can halt hemorrhage for a while, it also simultaneously stimulates blood circulation. Perhaps it will look like the bleeding stopped, but it might come back with a vengeance. Witch hazel or shepherd's purse are better.

[Tumble Bumbles]

Edited.

Edited by Tumble Bumbles - 4/10/11 at 5:00pm