What do you pack in your birth bags?

[art_teachermommy]

Doulas and midwives-
What do you pack in your birth bags? What kind of bags do you carry?

[iemaja]

Hi there - I'm a birth doula...Here's what I pack in a small, black rolling suitcase:

Birth ball w/ cloth cover (obviously not in suitcase haha)
massage items (wooden roller, hairbrush, stress ball thingies)
Thick towel (used as a knee pad)
iPod with external speakers (with preloaded lists of birth music)
change of warm clothes
toiletries for me (toothbrush/paste namely, plus hairtyes & tampons/pads)
plastic grocery bags and ziplock bags (myriad of uses, usually for changed clothes)
snacks/bottles of water for me
packets of EmergenC for me
Rice socks (one per client, so I have several in the suitcase)
Big bottle of antibacterial gel (yay, hospital germs)
Gum/mints (gum for me, mints for mom since we're upclose&personal)
change for vending machine/parking
colorful card stock with permanent marker ("natural birth in progress, I will ask for pain meds, please don't offer" & "I'm breastfed, please no artificial nipples!")
Back-up doula's info
client's birth plan
camera
notebook & pen
Candy for ornery nurses
Aromatherapy oils: I find spearmint most helpful for moms
My business cards

This seems like a lot of stuff, but my fairly small suitcase is nowhere near to being full. I'm looking forward to seeing what others include in their own birth bags!

[birthangeldoula]

doula bag

Things I pack in my doula bag:

massage items (stress balls, tingly head thingie, vibrating massagers, rolly massagers)
CD player
Relaxation CD's
toiletries for me (toothbrush/paste, deoderant, shampoo, lotion, hair ties & tampons/pads)
2 squirt bottles (one for aromatherapy, one for mom to use)
Small Fan in case mom gets hot
snacks/bottles of water for me
stop watch
Multi-colored Rice Sock
Purell
Gum/mints
Hard Candies (jolly ranchers)
change for vending machine/parking
Back-up doula's info
client's birth plan
camera
dayplanner & pen
Aromatherapy oils: Lavender, Clary Sage, Sweet Orange, Neroli, Peppermint
Massage Oils
My business cards

[rnchrista]

Originally Posted by art_teachermommy

Doulas and midwives-
What do you pack in your birth bags? What kind of bags do you carry?

For my midwifery equipment, I have a scrapbook case on wheels that I use. It has pockets and dividers so it keeps everything nice and organized. I used to have a small suitcase on wheels for my doula stuff, but now I just have a tote that I throw over my shoulder. There is so little that I actually use when I doula births. I use my hands and my voice the most. I like to have massage oil and essential oils, my rice sock, and a birth ball. The rest of the stuff I bring is for me. I doula'd a birth where I didn't have any of my "stuff" with me and it was just fine.
oh, and I do have some honey sticks, which are a nice pick me up for a woman having a long labor.

[MidwifeErika]

For doula births, I don't carry much at all. Mostly personal hygiene items for myself, some food (energy bars, honey sticks), extra lip balm, rescue remedy, and some apricot kernel oil that can be used for massage. If a mom specifically requests that I bring a birth ball (most the hospitals have them around here), then I bring that with as well. I had tons of tools and then realized that things went better when I didn't use them. I find myself more in a position to guard her birth space rather than do actual things to comfort her.... kwim? So, all that stuff fits in my messanger back that is also my purse. I also always bring along a book or magazine as there may be times that a mom needs time alone in the bathroom. Oh, and of course I also bring a camera, extra batteries, and her doula chart.

Midwifery supplies are all in a carry-on luggage bag. I don't have to bring much since my preceptors both have full kits at the births. In my bag I have my own fetoscope, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, alcohol swaps, iodine hand scrubs, lots and lots of gloves (sterile and not), and I did have my own doppler, cord clamps, doppler (although mine isn't working right now), and I think that is about it.... oh, I also have some tinctures that I made. I also bring the same stuff that I bring to doula births. Probably a bigger book though as I spend more time out of the way at a homebirth than I do a doula birth. For the time that I am primary and have lots of supplies, I bought a suitcase that a cookie tray can fit in the bottom of. I have seen this set up with a midwife locally and really liked it. She could make up the tray with all the supplies and pack it like that in the bag. Then at a birth, she could pull it out and it was ready to go.

[memiles]

I'm another minimalist for doula gear. Almost everything is for me! After a few years of lugging around a ton of stuff for mom that I never used and finding myself at a birth without food/clean clothes/toothbrush, I changed my strategy.

*Massage stuff-a few different oils, some hand held massagers (dads use them sometimes, I hate using them).
*two microwave heat packs
*honey sticks and Emergen-C to offer mom
*A copy of The Birth Partner (Dad's read through this for refreshers/ideas in labor).
*camera and extra batteries
*a bunch of plastic grocery bags- great puke catchers! I put one in my pocket when I get to a birth, as I've had to catch in a towel or blanket one too many times for my taste.

I do plan on adding a hand held, battery operated fan and a pair of Ipod speakers.

Now, the for me

Now, the for me stuff
*Full change of underwear down to the shoes, socks and undies
*tampons-my period is called by the birthing goddesses, I swear. I use cloth pads at home, but it's just not practical at a birth.
*A very large spread of food-trail mix or nuts and dried fruit, luna or cliff bars, zip fizz, honey, tea bags and fresh fruit that I grab on the way out the door. I have multiple food allergies that make cafeteria food and much of what I've been offered at home births not work. I really don't need to start itching at a birth! I also carry coffee money.
*At least one mindless knitting project.
*cell phone charger
*toothbrush/paste
*mints and gum

[Maggi315]

I'm subbing to remind myself to post my packinglists,I had mentioned posting this before, i feel like i carry the entire office to births everything but the kitchen sink.i am so afraid to forget something...I'll be back whenI get my list off my daughters computer...

[art_teachermommy]

:

these are great!!

[Cookie5765]

My doula bag

Things I pack in my doula bag (mostly it's my stuff and the essential oils that get used, for massage I use only my hands and all the hospitals around here seem to have birth balls):

toiletries for me (toothbrush/paste, tampons/pads, hand cream, hand santizer)
2 empty glass jars for mixing aromatherapy
Small bottle grape seed oil (for massage)
Essential Oils (Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Cypress, Neroli, Rosemary, Peppermint, etc etc)
Rice Sock
Gum/mints
change for payphone
Back-up doula's info
client's birth plan/file
notebook and pen
latex gloves (I've come close to catching baby a couple times)
change of clothes for me
one of those kidney dish thow-up thingies from hospital (I don't tend to have thowing up clients though)
My business cards
Snacks if I think about it....most of the time if it is possible and mom has support then I bow out for a few minutes to get something to eat....I feel funny eating in the birthing room).

[Peppamint]

I'm assistant to a midwife so don't carry nearly as much as the midwife does but I have some basic items in case I would get to a birth first or check on a client that might be closer to me proximity-wise. Anything else I'd need would be in the client's birth kit or in the midwife's bag.

I carry:

• granola bars/cereal bars/nuts for snacking
• glasses/contact solution
• eye makeup remover (don't want to look like a raccoon at a long birth)
• deodorant
• a book to read (some clients like to labor with just hubby)
• small bag with knitting project for long labors
• flashlight (lots of Amish births)
• sterile instrument pack
• gloves, exam and sterile
• ky jelly
• stetho
• doppler
• extra batteries for doppler/flashlight
• watch with second-hand
• extra ink pens for charting
• binder with copies of labor/newborn exam charts

I have my instruments/equipment in a Built NY lunch tote and the rest of my goodies are in a handmade tote bag I bought from a local seamstress years ago.

I like the rolling suitcase idea... I like to be able to have stuff kind of organized, so when I need a full-on birth bag I might just get a couple of smaller bags that could arranged in a rolling suitcase so they are sorted (as much as possible) by prenatal, birth and postpartum.

[Sage.Naissance]

In my holistic doula bag: again, a minimalist.

essential oils(sage rosemary lavender etc.)
homeopathics
The above are for both me and mum for freak out moments, a change of energy etc.
almonds, sunflower seeds, CHOCOLATE, water
a scarf to cover my hair
comfy hospital shoes
a diva cup and tampons,
I have to get to buying another tooth brush/paste, I remember sometimes.
Cab fare(i dont drive) & change for coffee, snacks
cell phone(w/numbers of mentors, other doulas, doula partner, etc)
agenda
client file
latex gloves

Thats it! Again pretty much everything is for me. Just Essential oils and homeopathics for the actual birth. i will probably add rescue remedy and some herbs to that as I aquire them.

[Sileree]

I have limited experience (15 or so births), but I'd recommend these based on what I have used the most:

For the client:
*A bottle of unscented lotion for massage
*Peppermint essential oil and cotton balls (so the scent can be easily gotten rid of if it bothers her later) for nausea
*A birth ball (deflated) and the hand-pump because some hospitals have really crappy balls that are half-deflated and some have none at all
*A rice sock in a big ziploc bag (the smell of heated rice has bothered some and it keeps the sock from getting food on it when you nuke it in the microwave)
*A pair of prickly balls and a pair of combs for holding in the hands for acupressure
*A paper fan

Its also nice to bring a "congratulations” card for the parents with a nice note to the parents.

For me:
*The Labor Progress Handbook by Penny Simkin - this has been so helpful in getting babies to rotate from posterior and asynclitic positions. I am convinced it has saved at least two clients from a cesarean for failure to progress.
*Notes on client's desires or birth plan
*A small notebook/pens to jot down times of VEs and other events
*My cell phone
*DONA name tag (nurses like to know who you are)
*A watch (usually to time contractions so I can get a feel of where we are in labor, not always accurate of course)
*An extra set of clothing, especially underwear, socks and an extra shirt
*Toiletries: hairbrush, pony-tail holders, deoderant, toothbrush, toothpaste, chapstick (hospital air is really dry), pain relievers (I once got a really sore back from bending down for hours) and breathmints
*Stuff to keep me occupied during slow times: a book of crossword puzzles, a deck of cards, embroidery, a novel, etc.
*Food and drink: a bottle of AquaJoe (water and has caffeine but no smell like coffee), a bottle of PowerAde, a packet of Emergen-C, cashews or peanuts, fruit snacks/leather, crackers, a chocolate bar, etc.)