Supplies for UC - Help me make my shopping list!

[paquerette]

It's really time for me to get on the ball and pick up my supplies. :) So far, I just know I need chux pads (how many?), a tarp, a good supply of pads/depends for postpartum, a peri bottle*. Old washcloths will be stewing in the crockpot (with lavender? maybe other herbs?), old towels warming in the oven. Clamps or braided string for the cord? (Husband insists we have all the clamps we need in his fly-tying kit! :yikes: ) Oh, and I've heard about the bendy straws, can't hurt to have them around. ;)

So, what else is recommended?

*On a side note, I'm not sure I entirely understand the peri bottle thing. I have an idea that it's used as sort of a hand-held bidet, because toilet paper would be a bad, bad idea. Is that pretty much it? Rinse off, drip dry, and you're done?

[Mama2Lennon]

*On a side note, I'm not sure I entirely understand the peri bottle thing. I have an idea that it's used as sort of a hand-held bidet, because toilet paper would be a bad, bad idea. Is that pretty much it? Rinse off, drip dry, and you're done?
The peri bottle is to relieve the stinging sensation when urine hits the small tears and such around the vulva and the perineum.

My mother made a bunch of butt cloths for ds but he had already decided to start using toilet paper. They are so soft! I will have some separate cloths for the new baby but I have a good supply of small, soft, cloths for me to wipe for number 1 and 2. I can't imagine using anything else on my soft tissues in the first weeks.
I am just gathering my supplies too ... witch hazel (which will be handy whether I need it after birthing or not), some pp herb bath mixtures, peroxide is said to get blood out of anything (carpets, sheets), some nice beeswax candles, lots of towels/blankets, a pad to protect the bed (not just for birthing), some lavender oil and a bigger supply of coconut oil. I have been using coconut oil lots already and I can't say enough about how wonderful it is! It is very soothing for any sores or stinging/itching of the skin (especially the vulva), is a great massage oil, clears up any yeasties anywhere, and is very erotic! If I birth the babe in the tub then I probably won't use it but it's very handy right now for the prep peri massages. I want it for massaging my babe after the first weeks, too.
Should you also add some homeopathic or bach flower remedies? Only you can know if you want to have those on hand. I haven't intuited yet if I need something like that "just in case", but I don't want a mw "just in case" either ... :eyesroll
Good Luck!!!! :love

[Chandar]

bendy straws are my #1 essential item. Everything else you can wing it with what is in your home. :love

[homemademomma]

olive oil to rub on baby's bum so the meconium is easier to clean up. also a plastic sheet for the bed (was that mentioned already?) not just for the birth, but for pp so blood and baby pee doesnt get onto your mattress. and i just have to say i HATE cord clamps! definetely use string to tie off the cord, if you use anything at all. cord clamps are so big and clunky, they must be so irritating to a newborn babe. yuck. my ds' cord was tied with a sterilized tampon string! my mw forgot her bander, so we borrowed one of my roomates tampons :).



i cant wait to give birth again! have fun!

[fourlittlebirds]

Hydrogen peroxide is good for getting out blood stains, and I second the olive oil. That meconium is darn sticky!

If I was concerned about hemorrhage I might have cinnamon tincture and Shepherd's Purse on hand, although I would swallow a bit of placenta before anything else.

We used a sterilized white shoelace to tie off the cord.

Lighter if you're going to have candles.

Camera, batteries, film.

We didn't use chux pads, towels worked just fine.

[sprinkle pocket]

bv~i understand the dosage for shepherd's purse is just a few drops for hemorrage, is that right? do you know about cinnamon dosage? i 2nd the idea of chowing placenta before the tinctures!

[sprinkle pocket]

i just bumped an older thread along these lines in 'birth and beyond'. it had some good info that may help.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=2454439&posted=1#post2454439

[muslima0midwife]

I purchase my birth kits from Inhishands.com
But since it seems like U r making ur own ... which is great.... Try using the website to make your chechlist ... i love their delux birth kit ... but i have my own specially made BKit. They also have a Herbal mixture called HemHalt... it is a mixture of Black cohosh, and other great herbs for PPH. U can make ur own tinture. I agree that the olive oil, and shepard's purse are really good to have as well. Dont forget to have some food prepared bc u and your Partener will both probably want to relax and enjoy the new baby after the birth... Who's gonna feel like cookin? LOL! Oh and one more thing... i love a new pair of soft fluffy and comfy slippers afte I have a baby... makes u feel like u r floating when u finally get up on your feet! And a soft warm bath robe too!
Aishia - Homebirth Midwife, DOula, CBE

[Pam_and_Abigail]

A store in town has some absorbent pads that sound like chux pads, but they're for housetraining a puppy. The only thing is they claim to be "deoderizing" so they might be scented. Any thoughts on using them?

[plum]

what are the bendy straws for?

[Electra375]

Ginger root water for your compresses in the crock!!! I had the ginger root, but no one got it out and boiled it :eyesroll It helps decrease swelling and I could have really used that.

[paquerette]

what are the bendy straws for?

For drinking. :) I have heard it can be difficult to actually get a cup to your lips during labor.

[paquerette]

Bump, since someone else was asking similar question. :)

Oh, and I got my bendy straws, so now I'm perfectly prepared. :thumb

[flowers]

I made up a huge batch of comfrey infusian, soaked my luna pads in it, and froze a bunch for all post-partuum....Felt so good and the comfrey helps with swelling and tissue trauma. I also used some in a shallow bath soak over the first few days. I put like an ounce of herb in hot soup pot of water...turned off the heat and let it seep overnight. It keeps for quite a few days...especially if you put it in the fridge.

Bendie straws are awesome. I drank a lot of emergen-C

I also had those freeze dried packets of miso soup around. When my stomach couldn't take anything but I needed some energy this was awesome. I downed a whole bowl right before I pushed.

[hawkfeather]

i would add (although I didn't read the link so perhaps I am repeating) a placenta bowl, a hot water bottle or heating pad (nice for warming babies blankets or blankets for your lower back), arnica for swelling afterwards..extra towels and cloths for compresses and such..camera batteries? if your cutting the cord you would need something to cut it with..i like to have a nice place to throw dirty linen and garbage that i can have out of my eye sight so any mess can be delt with later..having a thermometer at home is kinda handy in labour..some people like to have anti bacterial hand cleaner (i personally don't like it) tea tree oil is nice..rescue remedy is nice to have, vitamin c can be nice ( if your waters are broken a long time it can be a bit helpful to take vitamin c).. nice to have honey in the house.. it is good for small tears.. something sweet (stevia or maple syrup) you could add to juice should you get exhausted or have a long labour....
all of these are just ideas really I think only the mamas can really know what she *needs*

[AngelBee]

:notes:

[boheime]

Both of our children have been born UC. We used chux pads under towels. Floss to tie the cord (although we waited until their cords stopped pulsing) - it is readily available and sterile. Kitchen shears to actually cut the cord. Peroxide to get out some drops of PP blood that I dripped on the rug. And that's about it.

If hemorage is a concern, you can take a small slice of placenta and stick it under your tongue. The hormones from the placenta are absorbed by your body and stop hemorage.

mandy

[CryPixie83]

*On a side note, I'm not sure I entirely understand the peri bottle thing. I have an idea that it's used as sort of a hand-held bidet, because toilet paper would be a bad, bad idea. Is that pretty much it? Rinse off, drip dry, and you're done?
I used cool comfrey tea in my peri bottle.. very soothing and helps any tears (or stretches) heal.
Also, since I tore, I used the comfrey leaves from the tea as a compress in my pads, putting the herb directly on the tear....ahhhhh relief!

[sofysmommy]

My mother made a bunch of butt cloths for ds but he had already decided to start using toilet paper. They are so soft! I will have some separate cloths for the new baby but I have a good supply of small, soft, cloths for me to wipe for number 1 and 2. I can't imagine using anything else on my soft tissues in the first weeks.



what are butt cloths?

[yvonnemlv]

I think she is talking about cloth wipes for wiping the butt after poop? We have some soft flannel squares for our son and I use ones I made for me for my toileting needs as well. Toilet paper is a waste and so hard on the body compared to soft cotton.. mmm.

[sofysmommy]

thanks yvonnemlv, that is what I thought but I was not sure :blush lol

[autumn_faune]

The thing I appreciated most since my UC labor was long and I wasn't interested in eating during it, was my pre-frozen labourade popsicles

http://www.mother-care.ca/labourade.htm some recipes, I added apple juice to mine as well.

that way, whenever I was needing a pick-me-up but really really didn't want to eat or drink, my dh could bring me one of those, and it was refreshing and energising.

[hottmama]

I had a UC waterbirth 3 weeks ago, and have a box full of stuff I didn't use. Here's what I did use:
-tarp, inflatable pool, and hose
-2 buckets- 1 for vomit, 1 small one (from my son's sandbox toys) for pee (I couldn't fathom getting out of the pool but didn't want to pee in it, although near the end I did, not wanting to stand up out of the water)- afterwards we used the big bucket to empty the pool
-several towels
-string and scissors for cord
-depends for PP bleeding- much comfier than huge pads and didn't leak once! I wore them for the first 2-3 days before switching to cloth
-popsicles were great during labor, I had my mom stop at the store for them on her way over
-supplies for placenta smoothies- blender, frozen bananas and strawberries, juice or soymilk
-ibuprofen for after birth cramping- that HURT!

Didn't need:
-I didn't have any swelling and only minor (healed within a week) tears, so I didn't end up using the herbal sitz bath, witch hazel, cold packs, etc. that I had gotten for use after birth.
-the Depends totally handled the PP bleeding, so I didn't use the puppy pads I'd bought- we use them as disposable changing pads now

Wish I'd had:
-heating pad for after birth
-bendy straws

[TyDy]

Dont forget a sterilized scalpel or razor blade to cut the cord. Also make sure if you use cord clamps make sure you have three one for spare. Lots of old towels and something to preserve the placenta in for later eating (if your into that)

[CryPixie83]

Dont forget a sterilized scalpel or razor blade to cut the cord. Also make sure if you use cord clamps make sure you have three one for spare. Lots of old towels and something to preserve the placenta in for later eating (if your into that)
Huh?? Razor? Scalpel? Why??? I have scissors, they should work fine. Also, why would one need three cord clamps?

[TyDy]

You are right scissors work just fine, however a razor or scalpel is easy to sterilize and the main reason is to get a nice clean cut for healing and god forbid if you had to hook an I.V. up it is much easier when the umblical cord is cut nicely. It is a good idea to have three cord clamps because you should always cut the cord extra long with a uc in case you do have to hook up an I.V. then after baby is stable 8 hrs or so you can trim the cord down to normal length hence the third cord clamp. Paranoia saved the cat!