Not so basic homebirth supplies

[kerikadi]

Ok, so we had our first birthing class last night with the MW and she already gave us our birth kits which have the very basics in them - chux, peri bottle, some of those mama diapers with mesh panties
She also gave us a supply list of things to have on hand including:
comfrey compresses
mirror
flashlight
tea tree oil
umbilical cord care stuff
peroxide
garbage bags
2 big freezer bags for placenta
thermometer

But what else did you guys have on hand for your labor/birth/post partum that you found helped a great deal?

TIA,
Keri

[Past_VNE]

a big blow-up kiddie pool! That was our single most enjoyable purchase during the birth.

[angington]

Lots of witch hazel!

frozen witch hazel maxi pads
witch hazel in the peri bottle
witch hazel on large cotton rounds (in place of Tucks)

[ckhagen]

Frozen pads are the greatest!

[nurnur]

lots of dark colored panties stashed in the bathroom, I also tried some different ways to pee so it wouldn't sting, holding a emptied toliet paper roll around my uretha helped keep the pee stream from touching my ouchy labia tears...which you may not have to deal with! honey slathered on felt good too so I had a little dish of honey stashed in the bathroom too. Anyone else heard of HONEY for tears and healing? My MW suggested this and we just thought that was really looney, but it worked wonders!

[Past_VNE]

Oh yeah! I forgot about the honey. I was so skeptical and chalked it up to looneys...but tried it and it was friggin' awesome! That toilet paper tube idea sounds great. I had labial tears, too, from my cranio baby's skull not compressing and that would have saved me a lot of painful urinations!

[Eaglevoice]

My mw suggested using nori seaweed for labial tears. It worked great, but smelled something awful! I haven't heard of using honey before.

[Baby Makes 4]

Arnica tablets really helped me heal up all those minor abrasions and bruising.

Straws. I know that sounds silly but being able to take little sips of water through a straw was nice.

[Baby Makes 4]

We were also instructed to have some already dry towels and blankets in the dryer. When i was pushing the backup midwife turned the dryer on to warm up the blankets for the baby and I when we got out of the tub.

Warm blankets are so nice.

[iamama]

a LITTLE BOTTLE OF OLIVE OIL to rub on newborn butt makes mid night meconnium poos real easy to clean. Anytime meconnium poos for that matter. My mw asked me 5x if I had one and she was right it made those first changes much easier.

[nittanyalum]

A large heating pad.

It was great for me when I wanted some heat on my tummy or back.

PLUS we used it as a low tech baby blanket warmer. Need one pillow case, 8 blankets, 2 baby skull caps. Make a stack: 4 blankets, 1 hat, the heating pad without the cover, 1 hat, 4 blankets. Slide that stack into the pillow case. When baby comes out you have a nice warmed hat for the head, and pre-warmed blankets for wrapping and wiping.

Our blow up pool was great too. Transition was much easier in warm water.

-A

[UmmBnB]

-Alkalol - it's an herbal and saline solution available at most pharmacies. Really makes those swollen and torn bottoms feel good! Just put a little in your peri bottle.

-Arnica

-Rescue Remedy

-Grandma!!!! - not recommeded for everyone but my mom was an absolute treasure after both my births. She did everything for us so we could spend a couple of weeks just falling in love with the new baby.

[mwherbs]

plastic to cover bed
tarp to go under the blow up pool someone else mentioned
broth, or miso soup and some sort of juice for hydration
some sort of quick sugar-for a bit of extra energy- anything from honey/honey straws to chocolate- what every you think you will get the most out of and can eat ASAP
wash cloths- 12 or more
ginger to use for nausea and some to add to water for hot pack on perineum if you want them

[Arwyn]

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[VaMountainMomma]

A crock-pot of warm water, as well as a big bowl of ice water. I loved having a warm washcloth on my back during transition... as well as a cool one on my face and neck.

I second the olive oil suggestion. Also good for perinium massage during crowning.

[momto l&a]

Peri bottle. I loved rinsing with warm water after using the toilet

My mw mixed honey with herbs to on my tear. Was wonderful.

I know goldenseal was one of the herbs.

And cool wash rags for my head while in labor. They where life savers for me. I felt so sick while hot.

[huggerwocky]

Originally Posted by Baby Makes 4

Arnica tablets really helped me heal up all those minor abrasions and bruising.

Straws. I know that sounds silly but being able to take little sips of water through a straw was nice.

i gulped down a liter during pushing

[kerikadi]

Some great suggestions

We are likely waterbirthing in our garden tub again but of course will have a birthing area on the bed as well, we have the plastic matress cover left over from last time.

I have arnica pellets and the gel which really helped last time.
I don't get to spend much time in the water because my births are pretty fast but I definitely want to have some cold washclothes on hand if I start to get overheated - that would have been nice last time.

I use the comfrey root tea rather than witch hazel - has anyone used both? Is one better than the other? I love the comfrey! I soak 4X4's in the tea and freeze them individually. I don't use disposable pads and can't see me freezing Mama pads - don't they leak when they thaw???

We have a box of bendy straws - I totally agree, a little thing but so nice to have
We usually have a BIG bottle of apple juice on hand for a quick sugar after the birth. For those of you that do honey orally do you just take it straight? I'm not sure I could do that.

I'll have to make sure my Rescue Remedy is within arms reach - I have a purse size spray so that's convenient.

It is possible my Mom will be here so that would be great, she lives in another state and has never been here for a birth. I am due on the 20th and she is panning on coming the 22nd and staying for 12 days so hopefully she'll be here for the birth or at least afterwards to help with the kids.

I got one peri bottle in my kit from my MW but will probably order another one.

For Christmas my boys got me a large rice sock from the Discovery store that has lavender in it and is in a really nice soft cover - I've been using it almost nightly for my back and expect to use it a lot in labor

One thing my MW has us do which is nice: We put 10-12 old receiving blankets in a paper bag and seal it, then once in labor we put the bag in the oven at 150 and it stays there until the birth and we take a blanket out one at a time to keep the baby warm - I think puting the hat in there (if we use one) is a good idea. Once Mama has been checked my MW prepares an herbal bath and steeps the herbs on the stove and puts another paper bag with 3 big towels in it for the Mama so that when I get out of my herbal bath she wraps me up in big warm towels

I also have a bottle of afterease for those nasty afterpains and may get some homeopathic magnesium as well.

Such great information

Keri

[4daughters]

Great info ladies! keep it coming.

[Nicole B]

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