Homebirthers

[cjbeach]

I was lurking on the UC board and then bugged my gf for some ideas...
I have "the list" from my MW for things I'll need but I wanted some suggestions from someone who has BTDT...
So far on my shopping list of practical items I have:
-a large bowl for the placenta (my gf didn't have one so used her spaghetti pot...)
-Depends
-Motrin for afterpains (the only thing that ever worked for me)
-newborn dipes (until mec passes...)
- gifts from baby for my other 2 kids
- someone suggested either a tarp or plastic shower curtain (or liner) to help contain the mess by laboring on that if I'm in bed...??? What do you think? Maybe under sheets?

Anything else that I can pick up?

Of course this is in addition to my MW's list which is quite lengthy (crockpot, frozen ginger, snacks/drinks, alcohol, olive oil, tall garbage bags ....)

ETA__ after lurking some more I've added: ice pack, more washcloths for peri compresses, peri bottle, heating pad, batteries for flashlight, peroxide (moreso for any blood staining), ???gallon sized ziplock bag for placenta

[3for3hb]

I would definitely get some cold perineal compress pads for after the birth - using ice packs and washclothes was bothersome last time for me ( you can order them from any birth kit site... got mine at www.inhishands.com), a sitz bath, an herbal sitz bath combo (i can give you a list of the herbs in the one I used last time), a PERI WASH BOTTLE and tea tree oil (really helps keeps things cool and clean when you urinate esp if you get skid marks or lots of bruising or tear). and lots and lots of chux pads (the kind in the drug store the sell in the incontinence aisle) I used a ton of these even after birth so I could lay skin to skin with my newborn and not worry about getting lochia on my sheets.
That's all I can think of for now...

[zonapellucida]

I put the shower curtain underneath two sheets: the top sheet was the working sheet--baby was born in the tub though. My midwife brought the in his hands basic kit that she uses with all her homebirths so there was little I needed other than pads. You will need baby blankets, lots of towels , roll of paper towels, almond or olive oil for perineal massage, hydrogen peroxide for cord care and to clean blood stains, laundry basket for all those towels and face clothes that are going to be used to clean up you and baby, healthy foods and electrolytes for snacking, and a heating pad--great for the lower abdomen and afterbirth pains.

[birthjunkie27]

Here's what we did for homebirth of Ds. On the bed we layered the sheets like this, made clean up super easy. Bottom layer, clean sheet, middle layer, plastic shower curtain, top layer clean sheet we didn't mind getting dirty. When birth was done, removed top sheet and shower curtain, and the bed was already made! I just laid on chux pads, which I didn't even really need since I had the jumbo maxi pads.

Oh, and another hint, you can take a maxi pad (or mama pad if you use cloth although I don't know if it would work with a mama pad, never tried) get it wet, not soaked, but damp.....and sort of mold it to a little bit of a curved shape, stick in freezer and you've got a nice frozen pad to sooth an achy crotch. Do a few of these, they warm up fairly quickly once they're on.

[bec]

Ooh, I was going to suggest the frozen maxipad thing. They felt Soooooo good after Emily was born!

We had a ton of OJ and eggs on hand for after the birth.

I need to get my list from my MW, thanks for reminding me!


Bec

[flyingspaghettimama]

My MW said to soak the pad in witch hazel and then put that in the freezer...

Hmm!

[zonapellucida]

[QUOTE=birthjunkie27]Here's what we did for homebirth of Ds. On the bed we layered the sheets like this, made clean up super easy. Bottom layer, clean sheet, middle layer, plastic shower curtain, top layer clean sheet we didn't mind getting dirty. When birth was done, removed top sheet and shower curtain, and the bed was already made! I just laid on chux pads, which I didn't even really need since I had the jumbo maxi pads.

QUOTE]


This is how my bed was made up!!

[cjbeach]

Originally Posted by flyingspaghettimama

My MW said to soak the pad in witch hazel and then put that in the freezer...

Hmm!

Oh gosh I think I'll do this tonight just for some hemorrhoid relief!!

[flyingspaghettimama]

Originally Posted by cjbeach

Oh gosh I think I'll do this tonight just for some hemorrhoid relief!!

Let me know how it works, OK? I thought it seemed a little intense, but they promised that people loved it...and it definitely was one of the more unique tips!

[Awaken]

Wooooooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I guess I am officially a homebirther now : I am so excited!


Now all of a sudden I feel really overwhelmed at all we have to get ready...with the birth center we would have had to pack/bring a lot of stuff, but now I feel like we have to get our house in shape to be a peaceful space to birth in, all the supplies, etc- and that seems like such a huge undertaking! There are so many neat things I want to have on hand...all the herbal remedies, etc and I am still researching all that!

We are supposed to order a birth kit so we'll see what that contains, and I'll talk to the mw about what else we need.

Thanks for all those great ideas you've all posted- I'll have to figure out how to do the bed- not sure if I"ll be birthing in the bedroom or elsewhere, but I"ll sure we'll move into the bed after it's all done.

[BensMom]

We have been trying to move furniture in our room all day today to make space to give birth. Our room is a perfect square and with the king sized bed and all the furniture, there is very little room to navigate. But the MW made a good case for setting up the birth pool in the bedroom, so you can have privacy and be in a room you are comfortable. We got 2 pieces of furniture out and will be moving the bed tomorrow. Hopefully it will make enough space to be comfortable in there.

I guess I also need to order the birth kit as she recommended getting it by 36w for the home visit which is 3.5 weeks away. Yikes!

Note to self...look for cheap king sized sheets at the thrift store for top layer of bed....

[Kavita]

Note on the pads for the freezer--you can kind of shape them over a mixing bowl and put them in the freezer that way. You can also use comfrey leaf tea to soak them with--comfrey helps with tissue healing.

Also, I've always had people do the shower-curtain thing between the sheets but my MW recommends a flannel-backed vinyl table cloth--she says they move around less, absorb a little if necessary and are thicker, less hot and less "crunchy" (crunchy in the bad sense of noisy not the good sense! ) It made sense so I got one--it was about 2 or 3 bucks at the discount grocery store and I've seen them at the dollar store too.

Recharge is very good for during the labor (like natural gatorade) and also having plenty of snacks on hand for both you and DH and also something on hand for the midwives to eat. Michel Odent has couples have a bed for him--so that he has his own little area that he can read or rest and avoid being tempted to intervene unnecessarily!! I think that's a good idea too, maybe not a bed but to be sure that there is some space for the midwives to hang out and take turns napping if it's a long labor or something. (Especially for me cause they're coming from two hours away and it's my first.) So I'm planning on having the futon available for them and made up with some sheets etc.

Camera and film. Also this sounds crazy but duct tape. (You never know when duct tape will come in handy!!) :LOL You can use it to cover up the overflow valve on the tub, so you can overfill it and the water will cover your belly if you get in the bathtub during labor!

[flapjack]

NOT a shower curtain. They're designed to have a constant sprinkle of water, not one great deluge (like your waters breaking.) There's nothing worse than having to have a longer post-partum bath than you want whilst your hated mother-in-law deals with a soggy bed (btdt). I'd just get a tarpaulin or groundsheet type thing and be done with it- there's so many things you could use it for later, it's not going to be a major waste of money- bur that said, I'm probably not going to be birthing in, on or near the bed this time, because my bedroom is always rather chilly in November and it's absolutely tiny. Baby is either going to be born in a pool in the dining room or in the living room, both with an open fire, and both rooms will have groundsheets taped down (again, duct tape, duct tape, duct tape) and old bedding on top for me to roam around on.

[crsta33]

My midwife recommends the flannel backed vinyl tableclothes too. And she suggested I get 2 in case I don't labor in one place. Because we are headed into fall, you should be able to find them on clearance pretty easily...I paid $2 each for mine (at evil Walmart )

There were some other things on my mw list...ginger root for compresses, arnica oil, and arnica remedy 30c. And she suggests the bottom of an empty gallon milk container (as well as the ziploc bag) for the placenta.

I'll have to find something suitable for throwing up in (I did all through transition last time ) and I'm borrowing my mom's crockpot. I've got a few things left to buy too (I can't find my flashlight).

I was nesting yesterday and got a shelf cleared in my linen closet for all my birth gear. Now it's full of birth stuff. Once I get everything together I'm going to run the linens and clothes through the wash, then we'll be all set.

Christa

[BensMom]

OK, I know this isnt really a "supply" but I am excited as heck. We moved the bed in our room today and I was not expecting much...but there is so much more room now! I can totally fit a birthing pool in there now. Woo hoo! I feel like birthing in my room, with my bathroom and my comfy bed right there will be so much more wonderful than some other room in the house.

Now that the big thing is out of the way, I feel like I can focus on assembling the "stuff."

[brandybehr]

I think you ladies have kicked my butt into gear. I seem to be in denial at times still that I am having another baby!

[bec]

I don't think I'm even going to bother with the bed. I'm definitely renting a birth pool. I did this with my second. I labored, and birthed in the pool. All the mess was contained! They did want me to come out to birth the placenta, so we'll have to talk about where we want to do that this time. The pool will be downstairs. I am really comfortable in my whole house, so am not worried about privacy. And the downstairs is the biggest room with the most floor space.

We always have duct tape on hand!


Bec

[Awaken]

Wow, all these wonderful ideas! I got the list of supplies from the mw so now I have something to work from and that makes me feel better. I just ordered the birth kit and afterease (all the talk about afterpains really has me concerned now!).

I can't see birthing in the bedroom, either. The bed and bureaus take up the whole room. I just picture it being in the living room- hardwood floors and we can push the table out of the way. Maybe I'll spend time in the bathroom, too. Or downstairs in the family room, I have a little yoga room off to one side. Although they are carpeted so that may not be too good.

do most people decide where to birth ahead of time and stay there?? I just felt like i"d go wherever I felt like I wanted to...although I know I'd like to have a tarp under me if my water breaks and want the supplies to be near wherever we need them. It just seems kind of artificial for me to 'commit' to one room when who knows when/how it will all happen! Since I'm new to all this, just trying to figure it all out!

[littlemomma]

Hi! Lurking from the December DDC. This will be my first hb. I saw that a pp mentioned "afterease." What is this? I'm a little nervous about the afterpains I hear about from moms who've had more than one babe. Thanks!

[cjbeach]

OMG a flannel backed vinyl tablecloth makes SOOOO much sense!

::crossing off shower curtain, adding tablecloth to my list::