supply list, any more suggestions?

[IfMamaAintHappy]

Just pesting you ladies. Sorry! Here are the items that my midwife wants me to have. If you see anything you would want to substitute, add, or subtract, please let me know! You are a wealth of information and I would love to have your input!

This appears to be the birth kit from Spirit-Led Chidlbirth:
1 baby hat
1 plastic backed paper sheet for floor/carpet
20 large chux pads
2 packs sterile gauze
12 alcohol prep pads
1 keepsake birth certificate
8 sterile single gloves
5 sterile pairs gloves
12 lube jelly packets
1 Hesseltine cord clamp
1 digital thermometer
1 8 oz providone soultion
1 tape measure for baby
1 peri bottle
1 bulb syringe
1 birth summary sheet
1 ink footprinter
12 personal wipes

Additionally, my midwife reccomends the following:
1 bottle hydrogen peroxide
1 box maxi pads
8-10 receiving blankets
6-8 towels
2 sets of bedsheets an extra pillows
1 flashlight with new batteries
2 large trash cans , one for soiled laundry, other for trash
5-10 large trash bags
12 washcloths to use for hot compresses
1 package toilet paper
1 package paper towels
1 crock pot to keep hot water handy
1 pair tongs
1 waterproof sheet or shower curtain liner
1 box sterile cotton balls
3-4 cold packs
1 gallon sized freezer bag for placenta storage
1 bottle vitamin E capsules or oil

Thanks for checking the list! I will be thinking about other things I might consider having around and asking your opinion on if they are useful!

[clevah girl]

1 plastic backed paper sheet for floor/carpet

I know that several of the midwives I talked to suggested a shower curtain liner to put either under the sheets or on whatever surface you end up on. They are really cheap (like $3) and would seem to offer a lot of protection.

[indigolilybear]

i would recommend:
--a bag of depends or similar type things for the first two days post-partum when you usually bleed a lot. there are great for absorbing everything.
--some sitz herbs. (i had them and didn't need them w/dd, didn't have them and wnated them w/ds!!LOL) you can also pre-make frozen menstrual pads soaked in a tea that is very soothing. my midwives suggested hving three in the freezer. i used one w/dd and it was great!

--herbs if your midwife doesn't bring htem and possibly things like rescue remedy and homeopathics
good luck!

edited to add:
OOOH!!! a child's small swimming pool for water to soak in!!! my only labor must have

[Spark]

I second the depends! They were great -- disposable superabsorbent underwear. What a great idea. While wearing them for a couple days, the hot topic around our house was (our baby and) how much more productive Americans could be if we all wore Depends. You could cut bathroom breaks out of the work day. Imagine never stopping at a rest stop. Never having students ask for the hall pass. Oh, the possibilities!

I also really liked having a candle. I picked it out before the birth & connected to a naturally frangranced one. (Avoid the synthetic "Apple Sunshine Blossom Rain Morning" Bath And Body Works version -- too overwelming)

And, I had a CD that I practiced relaxing with. Only problem with that is now whenever I hear Pachabel's Cannon, I want to start panting and pushing.

Also, I thought maybe, I'd like a fancy night gown to labor in, but the joy of being at home is that no one makes you wear clothing. I was glad to not have any stranger running around my house.

Other thing would be food. My midwives asked me to have some light food, H2O (with electrolytes), juice, ice cubes, and food to cook a big meal afterwards (I didn't cook, but my mother did. We were all STARVING! And, it was so nice to hold an aleart newborn and eat mashed potatoes, broccoli, tender bits and birthday cake -- for my husband...and new son with good timing)

Phone list of people to tell the news to. You don't want to have to get #'s out or have someone else go through a phone book you've had since high school. Some people you may want to give periodic briefings to. Others to call right after babe is born.

Best wishes!

[brett]

I second everyone's suggestions. I also really appreciated the sitz bath herbs (let me know if you want to know what I put in mine), the frozen pads are so nice and I also put some in the peri bottle to squirt while I went to the bathroom in the first week, especially hepful if you have stiches or "skid marks". I also liked having a hot water bottle for my back in labor and for my belly after the birth and a heating pad for warming the baby blankets. I also liked having lavender essential oil (my favorite smell). It seems like you have all the important stuff on your list, but these are a few extras that are nice. Good luck!

[rainsmom]

I was desparate for some numbing spray after the birth.

Also for the labor, I had horrible back labor and WISH i wouldve had one of those wooden things with balls on the ends......kwim? Instead the midwife had to use her hand and it was quite exhausing.......

[cottonwood]

Well... to be honest, we used almost nothing from the birth kit. And your midwive's list to me seems excessive, but she probably wants to be prepared for anything.

other possibly nice or helpful things:

-a camera and film
-a drink you enjoy to keep your fluids stable (some people like those sports drinks for the electrolytes, I just had OJ and water)
-high quality carbs/protein to nibble on during the labor, if it's long labor it will be good to keep your energy up
-warm blanket that you don't mind getting soiled (you may get the shivers after the birth)
-a heating pad (for cramps in your legs or back)
-a bowl to squat over to receive placenta
-low wattage light bulbs
-hearty food for after the birth
-fairy lights
-a water trough (because they are deep) (and a new hose and faucet adaptor if necessary)

[Gagesmom]

Like the above replies, let me also add that you definitely want Depends or something similar-not only for the heavy bleeding (and big clots) that you experience after the birth (you will bleed all over everything if you try to use pads-just give in and buy the adult diapers ), but also because after your water breaks, you may leak for awhile, which can be a real mess if you want to walk around and move during your labor. I was dripping all over the place my 1st birth as my water broke at 3 cm, and their was some meconium and bood in the fluid-yucky mess! I was grateful for the diaper, since I was at a birthing center and was getting yuckies all over their carpet. It was embarrassing.: Also, my midwife had me mix Betadine (providine) with water in a squirt bottle to clean myself after urinating after the birth-I had no tears but some little scrapes on the inner labia that stung something awful, the providine & H2O mix really helped relieve this after urinating. I went thru 3 1/2 bottles of it before the scrapes were healed, you may want to stock up on it just so you don't have to run out for it like I did (all it took was one time peeing without it to clean off afterward and I was in the car on my way to the drugstore!).
Don't forget to have all the stuff you may need for a newborn, like diapers, washed clothing, extra caps, etc. One thing I didn't have on hand when my DS was born was a can of formula. I know a lot of people may disagree with me, but my DS was born with meconium in his lungs and after being suctioned, etc, he went into a deep sleep and would not nurse. My midwife told us we had to get some formula into him by the next morning if he wouldn't nurse, or his blood sugar would get dangerously low-leading to more lethargy and less ability to nurse. My DS was born at 10:30 p.m., then we had to stay at the birthing center for 4 hours before they'd let us leave: Long story short, it was 4 a.m. and we were at an all-night grocery with our hours-old baby buying a can of formula! I could have done without that little side-trip after a 17 hour labor! So having a can of formula, an eyedropper, and a sterilized bottle/nipple combo can help out a lot, just in case you run into any nursing problems. (We gave DS about an ounce of formula with an eye-dropper at about 5:00 a.m., he then slept until 10:30 the next morning, woke up and nursed ravenously! I'm happy to say that's the only formula he ever had! He's 24 mnths now! ).