Preparing for a Home Birth

If you are one of many women who have chosen to have your baby at home, there are a few ways to make the birth more comfortable. While your midwife will have the essentials, you need to make sure that you are prepared as well. This means having everything ready to go at least a couple of weeks before your due date.

Even if you are determined to have the baby at home, things can happen to change your plans. Because of this, it is recommended that you have a hospital bag packed, just in case. This should include an alternative layette for the baby, plus diapers and a blanket. You will also want socks, a nightie, and pads for yourself, as well as anything else you might need to bring. Remember, this is in case of emergency only, so don't worry about making it a complete bag, just the basics is fine.

Ask your midwife ahead of time what she recommends having on time. Different midwives will ask you to provide different things, such as gauzes or absorbent pads to soak up blood. This is good to have on hand ahead of time in case you go into labor earlier than expected.

You will want to protect your bed, so buy something to cover it with. Plastic or rubber hospital sheets are ideal for this purpose, but you can also use a cheap shower curtain picked up at the dollar store. Plastic bin liners are a good idea as well, to store dirty gauzes and towels. You should have at least two or three on hand to separate washables from garbage.

During the labor and after the birth, it's a good idea to have some comfort things on hand. Gatorade or another similar sports drink is handy to keep you hydrated. Buy some ahead of time in your favorite flavors and store them in the fridge so they will be nice and cold for when you are ready to drink them. Make sure your freezer is well-stocked with ice or Popsicles as well. There may come a point when you can't stomach liquids, but ice will stay down.

Light snacks are also good to have on hand. Crackers, fruit bars or other snacks that provide energy without stuffing you are good choices. These can be purchased ahead of time and kept in a special drawer so no one will eat them before the birth.

With these basics on hand, along with clothing and diapers for the little one, you will be more than ready for your baby to arrive! Remember that babies can be unpredictable, so try to have everything in place at least a couple of weeks before you are actually due.