What's in your precip pack? - Page 2

[sevenkids]

We don't have a precip pack per say. The clients have their birth kit they put together by 36 weeks; (I give them a list around 34 weeks so they have time to buy everything) the Chux, the olive oil, Betadine or Hibiclens, peroxide, clean towels and washcloths, baby hats, alcohol and cotton balls, gauze pads, etc, and we give them 2 cord clamps, a bulb syringe, and a peri bottle.
In my birth bag, I have a canvas gardening bag with all the outside pockets, and inside is my Kleens and steriles, my instruments packs, meds, syringes, KY packets, extra cord clamps, all organized and neat, blah blah blah, and I can just lift it out of my bag and go wherever I need to and have everything right there. If you open up my bag, it's right there, all packed and ready.

I figure if the birth goes so fast that I miss it, then it's probably perfectly normal and everything will be just fine, and there's no need to hurry up and clamp and cut the cord until I get there. All the mom and baby are going to need is each other. So far, the only births that I've missed were the ones I was intended to miss

And I check it at the 36 week home visit . I'm picky about that...I guess we all have our things, right?

I check it all out too, I like knowing where everything is, like the coffee maker, ha ha. Clean towels, clean washcloths, pads, Chux, etc, all in one place. I like one of those rubbermaid storage boxes with a lid, but a basket or cardboard box, with the clean items in a plastic bag, will do just fine.

(I'm a little crazy about avoidable messes)

Oh, me too! I like to whisk it away with as little fuss and moving Mom as possible. Who wants to spend hours spot-cleaning the carpet? There's enough to do after a birth. Besides it's more pleasant for the new mom if she doesn't have to navigate through puddles or sit on a soggy Chux.

[mwherbs]

well yes we have the supplies list-and check for everything at the home visit-- but for my own supplies really too many bags and supplies very disorganized for just walk in the door and catching- putting everything that is ASAP in one bag and in a ziplock that can be dumped simple enough ---
now I do worry about those quick births before we can get there- hemorrhage is the most common thing - having to do with abruption- as well as a baby that needs some resuscitation for the same reason-- I know that we tell everyone to not worry and that everything will be fine- because people who are panicking are of no use and I hate to scare anyone- but I don't like births that are 4 hrs or less.

[Jane]

What's the saying?..."we are attending the last birth we were at"
I was a waterbirth were the cord had a leak. We treated the mom's "hemorrhage" before realizing the baby was the source of the blood. Thank goodness it was the vein, not the artery, but it's made me twitchy about having a clamp immed. available.
Sevenkids...I'm glad it's not just me. I hate making a mess when it's totally avoidable. To me, that means having lots of towels/chux everywhere. That's one advantage to the birthcenter - lots and lots of towels. I love being able to leave the baby naked even if it's gots lots of mec coming and say "Oh, I'll just get a new towel, no biggie, don't dress the baby unless you want to." Naked babies are great!