Cost of Homebirth 'Supplies'?

[Belleweather]

How much will you pay for your homebirth supplies? Other than, if you're buying one, the birth pool? And what does that include?

Our midwife doesn't have a 'kit' made up, and I'm trying to figure out how much I need to budget for Chux pads and cord clamps and that sort of thing. It's not included in our general fee, and I've got to figure out where we're going to slot it in.

[LianneM]

Mine was about $40 plus shipping (so about $50) It had everything disposable like chux, cord clamps, a bulb syringe, omg I don't even know what else The other stuff we had to buy was towels - got a pkg of 8 cheapies and they were awesome. Old set of sheets that we didn't end up using since I birthed in a pool. HTH

[kittywitty]

Subbing!

[SublimeBirthGirl]

Mine:
Old towels: free
Birth pool: $25
Bulb syringe just in case: $1

I think that's about all I bought!

[dogmom327]

My birth kit was $30 and I picked it up from the company (local co.) so no shipping. I used old sheets and towels I had planned to throw out (but nothing stained so I could have used my normal stuff) so those were free. The big thing we splurged on was the pool and associated items. The pool was $105 including shipping and the pool stuff was probably $50 total (including a pump to drain it quickly which was the most costly thing but not including a pump for inflating it since we just used DH's air compressor). I didn't mind the pool expense though since the whole thing is reusable for the next one. Half the birth kit was left over too so next time I'll just buy more of the few things we used.

[Acacia]

Wow...mine seEms expensive in comparison to everyone elses!

My kit was $72 including shipping, but then I had to buy other things as well which amounted to probably $50 then the tub rental was $150.

I had to buy a cheap sheet set because we just got a new bed and the only sheets I have are relly nice ones...I also had to get a new hose to fill the tub up. I am going to use old towels and washcloths so that was free.

I will say though that $18 of that kit was for a few large bags of a herbal bath soak that my midwife swears by and I added a birth certificate, footprinter and an actual mattress plastic cover since our bed is new and I don't want to take any chances of it getting ruined!

[Sihaya]

My midwife doesn't have a "kit," just a list of all of the things she wants you to have on hand when she gets there. A lot of it (tea kettle, trash bags, etc.) were things that we already had on hand but other people might have to buy. Some of the things we had to buy (towels, sheets), most people seem to have just lying around the house.

This is what we bought so far (for $150):
four bath towels and washcloths
extra set of sheets
chin-up bar and rope (to pull on)
2 packages large underpads (chux pads)
hospital sized sanitary pads
nasal aspirator
Hydrogen Peroxide
bendy straws
Depends

We still need to buy:
2-3 bottles of Recharge brand sports drink from health food store
a new roll of paper towels
small baby bottle with nipple (and possibly a syringe and cup for finger- and cup-feeding)

Our pool and accessories have totaled about $350, but we plan on selling the pool, water pump, air pump, and other reusable accessories to one of the midwives so they can rent it to other clients. So, we will get back a good deal of that $$.

[Shell_Ell]

My midwife did a birth kit online. It was $35.

We also bought the oral Vitamin K, which was $20.

The pool hose was $17.

I would say I might have spent another $20 on odds and ends. Recharge, tea, peroxide, new washcloths (got a bulk pack from Shopko, I think?) I bought pads in addition to the 20 or so in the birth kit. I used them all. I got a bunch of old towels and two flannel-backed plastic table cloths at a church rummage sale. Sheets came from my mom, she had a ton. We didn't need most of it though because I never went in bed during my labor.

I started early... I got one or two things per month. So the cost didn't hurt us, and we are on a pretty tight budget most months. If I bought it all at once I'd say I'd have spent roughly $100.

We also had things around... garbage bags, a handheld mirror, etc. I guess we might have had to buy that if we didn't already have it.

[Usually Curious]

My midwife friend uses inhishands.com they have several premade birth kits and they are really reasonable. We've twice received our birth kit the next day after we ordered in the afternoon.