Preparing for a Homebirth {My Supply List}

Preparing for a Homebirth

Alrighty folks, I’m 39 weeks pregnant…and counting! It’s still unbelievable to me that after our losses the Lord has blessed us and we’ll soon meet this little girl or guy!!

Many of my “in-real-life” friends have told me how brave they think I am for having a homebirth, but can I let you in on a little secret… I am nervous, not about something going wrong but about the pain of childbirth. It’s been over 5 years since my daughter Julia was born so I can’t remember everything… but I’m going to put my “brave” face on and get ready for this!

If you’re having a homebirth there are a lot of supplies you should have on hand. Your midwife will give you a supply list you’ll need for the delivery day, a lot of the items you’ll already have around the house. Most likely she’ll have you purchase a birth kit which has all of the medically necessary tools needed as well as a list of supplies need to make the day go smoother, some required and some suggested.

Birth Kit from Midwife

According to my midwife, you should have all of your supplies ready at 36 weeks. Ahem… I just finished mine last week, I would not recommend waiting. You never know when you’ll go into labor so preparation is key! (speaking to myself here…ha!!!)

Here’s My Homebirth Supply List:

Labor & Birth:

Supplies for a Homebirth

  • birth kit-medically necessary tools (still wondering what the straws are for lol)
  • birth supply area- place where all your supplies are stored and ready for the BIG day, you should tell your midwife where your supply area is located before birth (ours are inside of the crib)
  • plastic mattress cover or shower curtain
  • music- create a playlist of songs you like, that encourage you
  • encouraging scripture notecards or affirmations
  • 4-6 large towels
  • 3 washcloths
  • 2 sets of sheets- one for during birth, if needed and one clean, fresh set for after
  • gown to birth in (or sports bra or whatever you are comfortable with)
  • flashlight with extra batteries- in case of a power outage
  • 2 rolls of paper towels
  • several trash bags
  • 2 bottles of hydrogen peroxide
  • juice, natural sports drink or coconut water
  • 1 small bottle of oil- to help with perineal massage
  • birth tub and cover- we are lucky to have a nice spacious tub in our home but if you would like to have a water birth, here’s some more info on what you’ll need

Water birth quote

  • emergency hospital bag- just in case, you never know and want to be fully prepared
  • child care with kids bags ready- some people are comfortable with their children at the birth, however, we personally are not. I have a friend who is willing to come get out kids if I go into labor before my Mom gets here, and she still might come get them so my Mom can be present at the birth. We plan on them leaving for the day or even night if it takes that long.
  • *birth ball or exercise ball- I do not have one of these but will use a wobble disc if I want/need to
  • ice pack for cooling

Postpartum:

  • after birth pj’s or robe
  • peri bottle- which comes in the birth kit
  • homemade relief pads, I plan on making some similar to these
  • extra pads/adult diapers
  • nursing bras/pads
  • mother’s milk tea
  • postpartum bath herbs
  • new mama bottom spray (luckily the last 3 items were given to me from wonderful friends at a baby shower, Earth Mama Angel Baby have some awesome natural, organic products!)
  • nipple cream
  • heating pad

For baby:

Baby Supply Area

  • 6 receiving blankets
  • baby gown(s)-I have one for a boy and girl since it’s a surprise
  • baby cap(s)
  • socks or booties
  • 2 blankets
  • newborn diapers (or cloth diapers)
  • free and clear baby wipes
  • carseat
  • *optional- I got 2 different kinds of bpa-free pacifiers, just in case, my other 2 never took to one
  • mittens- to help prevent scratching

Extras:

  • camera (and/or possibly a birth photographer)
  • gift for older children (Big Bro/Big Sis shirt or special kit or gift, I’ll be posting the ones I made Monday)
  • postpartum wrap
  • ink pad for baby’s feet and hand prints
  • lip balm
  • snacks for midwife and guests
  • if possible, food for a couple days prepared (or froze) and ready to cook.  And possibly a meal-baby ready (a MOPS friend asked me about this, she said if people want to bring you meals, let them bless you!)
  • a “Wanna Help” List– I saw this and thought it was great, write down things you would want people to help out with if they asked, tell them there is a list on the fridge

Well, goodness, if you made it through all of that, congratulations! 🙂 Remember, birth is a natural process that has been happening for thousands of years. No matter where you birth, whether it’s at home, a birth-center or hospital it’s important to have a birth plan to help guide you in your decisions.

Once you have all of your supplies ready, if planning a homebirth, take a sigh of relief! Whew, I’m so glad I can relax now and just wait for the sweet, precious moment when my husband and I get to meet our 3rd blessing from the Lord.

**this post contains some affiliate links, read disclosure policy here

*You can read my homebirth story here

Where did you birth? If you had a homebirth, are there any other supplies you had? Or if planning one, any other suggestions?

About Rachel

Rachel is a mother to four children and a wife to a wellness doctor. Her passions are faith, family, and health. You can find her writing about her family adventures and inspiring you to make healthier choices for your family.

Comments

  1. Nicole miller says:

    That is a great list! My mom was a midwifes assistant for years so I understand how much you need to prepare for a home birth. The only thing I might add would be chucks pads for the bed as well. They make for easier cleanup is the baby is born in the bed and for the first few days postpartum if you have any leaking it’s better than having to change the sheets a lot. In all the births I’ve been to I’ve never seen straws used medically but always on hand for the purpose of hydrating the mother during delivery

    • Ahh, I see… straws for hydration! That’s probably it. lol! I believe the chucks pads came in the birth kit. Thanks for popping by and commenting, I love to interact on here!

  2. I’ve had two homebirths now. This looks like a great list! You will do wonderfully I’m sure : )

  3. Yep – the straws are you can easily drink, from a variety of positions.

  4. Courtney Lozano says:

    I didn’t know you were using Lisa, too! Love her heart.

  5. I would recommend some goldenseal powder and q-tips for baby’s cord care in the first few days. Helps it dry up naturally. 🙂 You may also want some pure olive or avocado oil for baby’s skin if it gets dry in those first few days. The oil can also help clean bottoms of sticky meconium.

    For you, you might like essential oils or a massage lotion during the birth. After, you will want something for the after pains. I usually took arnica pills (homeopathic). They will be quite uncomfortable for 2 – 3 days.

    You might also like a foam rest or extra soft towels to put in the bathtub during birth. I had three babies in an actual birthing tub, and used my normal bath tub in labor for one, and I could not.get.comfortable on that hard surface in labor. I needed the softness and the ‘give’ to it to be able to relax. So you might like to pad at least the back rest.

    Oh, and “labor aid!” I used my electrolyte drink recipe. I had several bottles in the fridge so that people could grab me one if needed (last baby came too fast to really need it — barely two hours!). And a nice, nourishing snack for right after, some kind of soup, grass-fed cheese, something with lots of healthy fats in it.

    Good luck, this is an exciting time!

  6. Home births are a beautiful processes, however, unpreparedness can leave mothers with an undesirable experience during labor. This was an excellent list that will help mothers have a fantastic birthing experience filled with comfort and ease.

  7. Hi,
    Congraulations on your newest addition (or soon to be if baby hasn’t arrived yet). I was wondering if you have practiced, learned or read about natural birthing methods? My husband and I had a wonderful Unassisted home water birth (my 1st baby even!) and I really have Hypnobirthing methods and mothers to thank for such a life changing experience…

    Also, WITCH HAZEL for the list 🙂 Tucks pads have Witch Hazel in them, but nothing beats the uses of it just plain from a bottle (can usually find it near the rubbing alcohol)

  8. Kotex pads soaked in witch hazel and frozen – these were my BFF for days after delivery!

Trackbacks

  1. […] had two amazing pregnancies because I had a wonderful team both times. I chose to have homebirths for each of my labors (You can read my birth stories HERE and […]

  2. […] but I did carry the baby to 40 week and 3 days. We planned to birth at home with a midwife, I had everything prepared and was READY this baby we had prayed […]

  3. […] I was late into my third pregnancy and preparing for my first homebirth, I decided to make a bunch of meals for our family to enjoy when baby London arrived and to share […]

  4. […] I was late into my 3rd pregnancy and preparing for my first homebirth, I decided to make a bunch of meals, for our family to enjoy when baby London arrived and to share […]

  5. […] out of the tub and go to the bed (which was not prepared with all of the stuff I had prepared for my birth kit) or 2) stand up. In my mind, there was no way I was walking to the bed with baby about to come […]

  6. […] Delilah took some adorable pictures … the same lady who took her newborn pictures after my homebirth. We will cherish this photo shoot […]