Any tips for what to have in for a home birth

[bezzyk]

Hello, apologies if this has been covered before. I'm almost 38 weeks pregnant and hope to have a planned home birth.

Does anybody have any pearls of wisdom as to anything I should have in, or anything to make the whole experience a little more special?

I've got the birth pool inflated, the clothes washed and a box of fancy biscuits for the midwives, but that's about it!

Any advice gratefully received!

Midwife advised us to double make the bed so you are stripping rather than making, iyswim - sheet, then shower curtain, then sheet on the top. I do the same now in case my kids wet the bed!
If you need parking vouchers where you live, make sure you have one for the midwife.
Handsoap and black bags, they go through em like nobody's business.
Swiss ball and a puzzle book, for the boring middle of the night bit
Gingernuts, coz why not eh?
Good luck, I bloody loved my home birth :-D

No one has said this yet, so I will.

There is nothing that is essential for a home birth.

Yep, that's right. I had a hugely complicated first labour and birth, and was under hospital consultant care for my second. But baby made a very rapid arrival and I didn't leave the bedroom, let alone get to hospital. We had nothing at all in for a home birth. And it was fantastic.

Don't panic if you don't get everything off everyone's list.

Oh, yes, and I lost LOADS of blood, so rapid and explosive was DS's arrival into this world, and yet even without buying all the shower curtains in Poundstretcher we still managed to survive the birth without a single drop of blood, amniotic fluid or even poo or snot anywhere on my carpet or bed.

I second people's suggestions of a contraction app and Tena Lady pants - they are much more comfortable than standard disposable knickers.
I had a pool HB back in March and what I can say is helpful is:

Cereal bars as they are handy and not too messy to munch on in pool.
Buckets - bailing and to catch the placenta sonthe midwives can examine it.
Packed bags with change of clothes and baby clothes just in case.
Selection of non-alcoholic soft drinks for you and midwives - not citrus.
Some comedy DVDs so you hav something to watch during th boring bits if it's taking a while.
Back-up set of energy drinks - this is what saved me from a hospital transfer as I had ketones in my wee so I had o drink 2l of Lucosade at once. Manage it as well!

What I also found good:

Daylight lamp and led head torch for midwives to use.
DH found the XBOX useful during the slow bits too.
Crank up the heating or use a portable source during the 2nd stage.

For the actual birth we cut the main lights and were on the daylight lamp and fairy lights for illumination.

Hope it goes well!

Bake some cakes in the early part of your labour! The house will smell lovely and your midwife will love you!