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How to prepare the bed and home... linens, etc?

937 views 19 replies 14 participants last post by  mnnice 
#1 ·
I'm planning a water birth, but whatever works for me in the moment is what will happen. I know I will need a tarp on the floor around the pool and extra blankets and towels so I don't slip on the plastic.

But also, how do I prepare my bed if that's where I will be? What else do you keep on hand for a homebirth?
 
#2 ·
good question - my midwives haven't really addressed that. i guess i should ask! i'm realizing i haven't prepared at all for my water breaking in bed. but i don't want to be sleeping on plastic for the final days/weeks of this pregnancy!
 
#3 ·
I got a fitted water resistent cover for my bed, and put a sheet under it, then that, and then made the bed over top of that. When it came time to birth (I gave birth in the pool but had the placenta in bed) DH just moved the "good blankets" away and brought in the throw aways. In the end, I think he washed the pillows and everything else just got wrapped up in the plastic sheet and thrown in the garbage. We could have washed it, but we wanted our first days to be cuddling with the babe, not cleaning up any more than we had to.
 
#4 ·
For my homebirth, we got one of the fitted allergy reducing (upon DH's insistance LOL) and waterproof mattress covers......... then we just put our normal sheets above that (I did this at about 35 or 36 weeks 'just in case' the water broke or something in bed)......... Then when it was the actual birth day, I had all the supplies for my birth on my changing table and the midwives took care of all of that. I did end up giving birth leaning against my bed. They put the "birthing" sheets on my bed (the ones that I didn't really care if they got messed up), plus they put an old shower curtain on the floor next to my bed.......... I didn't really have to do anything! After the birth, when I was up and moving around a bit, the midwives switched out the sheets again to our "after birth" sheets - which were nicer sheets and clean
 
#5 ·
LOL! i bought a cheap shower curtain at the dollar store, bought a couple of cheep sheets at the local second hand store and a few towels for wiping up.

put the showercurtain over the matress and then put the cheep sheets on the bed around 36-37 weeks. My eldest DD was born in our bed. I also had a cheap old comforter that I'd kept just for the birth. that way when she was born everything on the bed was "disposable" KWIM? as it turned out, I actually washed everything later....but i wasn't "worried " about it!

OH- and let me tell you there is one product that everyone whould have in the house before having a home birth: OXYCLEAN!!!! the powder- not the new sprays. i was actually almost out- had maybe 1/2 a scoop left in the bottom of the container. My bestfriend who was there for my daughters birth just grabbed everything off the bed and the used receiving blankets and towels etc.....threw it all into the tub in our spare bathroom, filled the tub with cold water and the last little bit of oxyclean and then left for the night.......it was 2 days later before I even thought about it!!! My dh threw it all into the washing machine with the regular soap and that was it.....and it all came out sparkling clean!!! not a blood stain to be seen!!! Since then I always tell everyone about oxyclean- specially for home births!!lol!!!
 
#6 ·
i did buy 4 towels at the second hand store for $2 each, yay! and i have a set of sheets that i never use because they feel soft at first but then turn out to feel itchy after a while... so it wouldn't kill me if i had to throw them out.
 
#8 ·
I am being so lazy about this... and wondering if its really necessary? I didnt put plastic on my bed for previous pregnancies and my water never broke in it. Of course I plan to give birth on it this time, which is different, but wouldnt all the big chux pads and things catch everything?

told ya I am being lazy. LOL
 
#9 ·
To me, chux pads are so uncomfortable and bunch up. If I am sleeping and my water breaks, those blasted things wouldn't be underneath me by then.. maybe down at my feet somewhere.

They remind me of the hospital and the uncaring doctor's office during my 13 week miscarriage (I sat on a chux pad for a long time with no bottoms and no one attending to me). I also used them on the elderly when I was a nurse's aid. I think you would have to drug me to get me to use something like that again! LOL

My water broke when I was in bed, but I had JUST laid down, it was just a trickle and I got to the toilet. This time I might use a Depends or something for a while when it starts. But just in case, I would feel better having something like a waterproof sheet to sleep on.
 
#10 ·
For my home birth we are going to layer the bed. I have a king size mattress bag, then a water resistant mattress pad with a plastic sheet then a regular sheet, another plastic and another regular. That way we can just remove what is necessary along the way and it will still be comfortable. As for the fear of water breaking in your sleep or in the bed, I am going to use a mattress pad that I used to use for my son when he was still wetting in the night but out of diapers, it's soft and easy to put under the sheets or over, it is plastic backed but doesn't bunch, it tucks under the edge of the mattress.
 
#11 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by MommytoTwo View Post
Of course I plan to give birth on it this time, which is different, but wouldnt all the big chux pads and things catch everything?
I wouldn't rely on them, even if you put them all over the bed. Fluid and blood can flow quickly and go where you don't expect it to.
You would probably rather spend 10 minutes putting the sheet on your bed, than try to clean your mattress after!
 
#12 ·
I liked chux pads. I bought a case of them at Sams Club. In fact I still have a few for this birth. They are also good changing pads for when you are on the go with baby.

I also used them on the bed the first week postpartum. DD and I were naked for our whole baby moon. We just changed them as needed. My midwife put a few under the sheet just in case. They did not slide around at all.

I saved old ratty towels that normally would have been retired to the garbage. (You know, the cheap pack of 8 on sale at BB&B that lasts about a year and then starts to get a little thread bare.) They were great as clean up towels. Use then toss.

We also used our sleeping bags (cheap ones) as padding under the birth pool. The kitchen tile would have been a little hard on the knees.
 
#13 ·
I plan to get a waterproof mattress cover for under my sheets. I should probably find some sheets I don't mind throwing away. I also plan to prepare some pillows with garbage bags over them, maybe under the pillow case so the plastic isn't against skin. I only have a very few crappy towels, too, so I guess I need to get some cheap ones.
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by AbbieB View Post
We also used our sleeping bags (cheap ones) as padding under the birth pool. The kitchen tile would have been a little hard on the knees.
Oh that's a great idea, I'd never have thought about that!
 
#15 ·
you are all so prepared

i had 3 homebirths and just used my regular bedding (no waterproof stuff). for the pool, we just put the tarp directly under the tub and not around it so slipping was a non-issue.
we just winged it each time and it worked out perfectly

can't wait to hear about your homebirth!
 
#16 ·
We got a waterproof mattress cover for our bed. We rented an Aquadoula from our MWs so that was set up last night over a big sheet of plastic that the MWs gave us in our birth kit. They had us bake towels, washcloths, and receiving blankets for the birth. Those are sealed in bags ready to go now. They also had us set aside two sets of sheets for the birth - one for the actual birthing if I choose to use the bed (they are dark and won't show stains) and a second set that they will put on our bed after the baby is born and we are in the shower or tub or whatever.

Did anyone else bake their linens, etc?
 
#18 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by whitecrew4 View Post
Okay, I thought I read wrong, did you bake your towels? Hmm
Yep, to sterilize them. The MWs had me put my towels, washcloths and receiving blankets in paper bags in the oven at 200-250 for 2-2.5 hours. You have to be careful not to let the bags touch the top or sides of the oven and put a pan of water directly below the bags.

Just wondering if anyone else did this...
 
#20 ·
Just don't do what I did.


I put one set of sheets on the bed and then put on a shower curtain and a second layer of sheets. The shower curtain was too crinkly and was keeping me up so I fold it up and put it under the bed (thinking I would replace it when I went into labor.) My water spontaneously broke while I was sleeping. I got both sets all wet.

Then I ended up hemmoraging pretty good right after birth and got another set bloody where the chuxs didn't cover. When my mom and dad came their main job was laundry.
 
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