feedback on birth kits idea

[umami_mommy]

i am looking for feedback for my new website.....

basically i will be offering birth kits (and pregnancy, newborn and postpartum as well) of all kinds.

having had one HB and one UC i know that in a planned UC you don't need to have a lot of hand, but it can sometimes be good if you do.

what would you all suggest i have in a UC birth kit??? since you don't need gloves, jelly, etc... what would be things that aren't in typical kits you would love to have or things you think you totally don't need?

i am happy to hear all feedback about this.

(i am going today to get my start up funding... so i'm very excited!!)

[earthie_mama]

I've never bought a kit, I prefer to buy items individually, call me a control freak

[augustacherri]

ditto with previous poster--I didn't go with the kits so I could get what I wanted.

Here are things I purchased for my next birth (my second UC):

Chux pads
Disposable plastic backed sheets
A big bowl for the placenta
Cord tie
A perineal spray bottle (love those things!)
An herbal post-partum bath
OB sized maxi pads
Those pads that have the cold pack inside of them
A generic birth certificate and footprinter
A placenta encapsulation kit from PBi

I think that's about it as far as stuff I considered essential. I guess I have a few other frills here and there, but that's mostly it.

[UnassistedMomma]

Same here. There were lots of kits available out there but none of them really fit what I wanted so I made my own.

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by earthie_mama

I've never bought a kit, I prefer to buy items individually, call me a control freak

great! what items would you buy individually?

[umami_mommy]

well mamas that why i WANT to HEAR about what you DO WANT!!!

what would be your DREAM "KIT?"

[sunnymw]

This is what I have in my cart right now (waiting for payday )

bulb syringe
cord tape
infant hat, unbleached
lanisoh 7g
peri bottle
peri cold pack (x2)
mesh panty
disposable tape measure - 2ft
chux pads (x5)
contract ease 2oz
herbal after birth bath 8oz
placenta out
shepherd's purse 1oz


I plan on using just a regular salad bowl that I already have, and a cheapo shower curtain for the bed. I COULD go w/ less chux pads since I'm putting a second shower curtain down between bed and bathroom (a few feet maybe?) and covering it in old towels.

Just wanted to add:
While it would be good to have a "bare basics" and maybe a "basics + tinctures" kind of kit, I do think that the fully customizable option should be available, since every mama has different needs/wants. If that's too complicated, you could have the mama click on what she'd like included, and then match her with the birth kit that most closely matches her needs (I mean, if you plan on pre-packaging all the kits instead of making items available individually).

HTH!!

[augustacherri]

Yeah, I think a small tinctures kit would be great. I didn't even get any herbs/tinctures because they're so expensive and I don't really think I would use very much of them. It would be really nice if I could just buy enough for an individual birth. Basics for hemmorhage, after-pains, placenta-out, maybe some arnica for post-partum? I don't know what all herbs are the most beneficial, but I would love to have a small amount on hand for my birth.....too expensive.....

[NatureMama3]

my own ideal birth kit for UC:

peri bottle (or two)
bulb syringe
cotton cord tape/floss (not everyone wants lotus)
2 oz bottle of birthroot/bethroot tincture
2 oz bottle of shepherd's purse tincture
2 oz bottle of after ease tincture
mesh panties
ice-pack postpartum pads (not everyone wants to make/use their own)
chux
UC heirloom birth certificate
emergen-C packets
disposable measuring tape

optional for extra fee:
cord scissors
fish scales

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by augustacherri

Yeah, I think a small tinctures kit would be great. I didn't even get any herbs/tinctures because they're so expensive and I don't really think I would use very much of them. It would be really nice if I could just buy enough for an individual birth. Basics for hemmorhage, after-pains, placenta-out, maybe some arnica for post-partum? I don't know what all herbs are the most beneficial, but I would love to have a small amount on hand for my birth.....too expensive.....

yeah, i spent a fortune on herbs for my first birth and didn't even use more than 10 drops out of each bottle.

that's a an excellent idea since i will be having a friend who makes tinctures/herbal stuff do all the herbs for the website. i will have her use the tiny bottles for a kit.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by honeybeedreams

yeah, i spent a fortune on herbs for my first birth and didn't even use more than 10 drops out of each bottle.

that's a an excellent idea since i will be having a friend who makes tinctures/herbal stuff do all the herbs for the website. i will have her use the tiny bottles for a kit.

I'd totally buy a mini-tinctures kit! Maybe grouped with peri bottles or a sitz bath?

Other stuff... not so much. But then I'm a thrift-store, reuse, kind of gal.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

I had old towels and shoelaces and that's about it...not sure those would be big sellers! LOL

[soso-lynn]

I like the mini-tincture kit idea, I would definitely buy that and it could also be a great gift.

Perhaps some stuff like a birth certificate specially made for UC, a little notebook to write down the birth story, with some cute baby stuff for UC babies like hats, onesies, etc.

Another idea would be a UP kit with stuff like a foetoscope, measuring tape (maybe with some average sizes written on it), perhaps protein testing strips and other relevant things.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by honeybeedreams

yeah, i spent a fortune on herbs for my first birth and didn't even use more than 10 drops out of each bottle.

that's a an excellent idea since i will be having a friend who makes tinctures/herbal stuff do all the herbs for the website. i will have her use the tiny bottles for a kit.

I completely agree with this. That would be great. Plus some pp herbs/teas. A bulb syringe, cord tie, chux, pads, born at home shirt for baby, baby hat?, spray bottle, scale option, birth cert and ink pad.

I like the idea of the UP kit, too.

[umami_mommy]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I completely agree with this. That would be great. Plus some pp herbs/teas. A bulb syringe, cord tie, chux, pads, born at home shirt for baby, baby hat?, spray bottle, scale option, birth cert and ink pad.

I like the idea of the UP kit, too.

yeah, i'm going to do a bunch of PP/newborn kits......

what's your idea for a UP kit?? love to hear it!

[kalamos23]

If you could get a mini-tincture kit made in the next 4-6 weeks or so ( due beginning of July), I would totally buy one!

[umami_mommy]

LOL! i'm not sure what will be up and running by then, but i can totally put you in touch with sarah, the woman who custom mixed my birthing herbs in a small bottle for less than $20!

[kalamos23]

That would be awesome - I spent way too much money on cute cloth diapers and was not really relishing spending a ton of money on tinctures that I may or may not use a few drops out of! :-)

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by honeybeedreams

what's your idea for a UP kit?? love to hear it!

Glucose/protein test strips
Fetal scope
Little chart thingy to enter your info.
Cocoa butter

[Prensa]

I'm confused by the disposable measuring tape, why does it need to be disposable?