Packing a bag for home birth. Help please!

[McKayz]

DC3 is due in 8 weeks and I want to start getting ready. I'm having another home birth but want to get a bag packed just in case I need to go to hospital. Also if everything goes well, all the stuff I need is in one place.

I'm pretty sure I have baby brain as I just can't work out what to put in the bag at all. Despite this being my 3rd.

What do I need?

Thanks

Pack one with your labour stuff (flannel, lip balm, oils, snacks etc) and one pad, pair of pants, handtowel, wash bag and a change of clothes

One with baby stuff needed immediately (two nappies, one outfit, blanket)

One big hospital bag in case of transfer to hospital - check out the older threads about hospital bags for ideas.

I had to transfer in from home and it was so much easier dealing with the two small bags until I was settled on the ward, then DH filled the baby bag with nappies and wipes and took the dirty/unnecessary stuff home in my little labour bag so I only had what I needed on the ward.

I didn't think about searching old threads.

Thank you

brown paper

Why brown paper?

I had 3 bags
my labour bag
my hospital bag
babies hospital bag

i had 2 nappies and 2 first outfits in my labour bag

I packed as if i were going to hospital for several days (I figured if i needed to go to hospital it would be because of a problem, so i wouldnt be out within a few hours.... also our hospital is a 45min - 1 hour + drive away..... we had family wedding over 200 miles away on BOTH sides of the family, 5 days after my due date, so if i were in hospital, it was highly possible that we would have no family at all around to drop anything in either, and i wouldnt have wanted OH to leave me for 2+ hours to get something

As it was i had the easiest home birth ever.... i wasnt sure if i was in labour, i was 7cm, and 20mins later DD was here...

i didnt need most of it

I also labeled everything clearly... labour bag / hospital bag / baby bag and had lists attached of what was inside
this worked really well, as after DD was born i wanted my rescue remedy and homepathic stuff and the midwife could find it straight away.

I Hope if i packed as if i were labouring and birthing in hospital, i would be lucky enough to have a straightforward birth, and if i didnt pack much sods law would mean i would end up in hospital

I did a similar thing - had two bags, one for labour, one for baby / afterwards. I packed more or less as if I were going to hospital.

One tip - there may be things that you don't have duplicates of and want to keep handy in the meanwhile - e.g. hairbrush, music player etc. Write them on a list so that you / DH can quickly grab them when labour starts or if you have to transfer.

For a homebirth, your midwife should come round to check out your house and will tell you what you need for the birth itself.

Definitely two bags, one for you and one for baby.

For hospital:

Snacks, loads of snacks.

Change for the parking meter and vending machines

Water.

Wet wipes.

Blankets/muslins. I used one when I was in with DD as the ward was freezing! Usually they're too hot

Slippers or flipflops for the showers.

Birth plan

For home:

A massive slab of soft cheese, champagne on ice and what ever else you've not been eating!

Bread and butter for post birth toast.

Ok, more practically:

old dark towels, cheap plastic shower curtains (for the floor)
big baggy comfy clothes eg big mans shirt and tracksuit bottoms for after the birth
big pants and maternity sanitary towels (I actually used tena lady - much more comfy)

clothes for baby although not really as you'll be cuddling them under a towel or something (jealous).

Make sure the camera is charged!

I always recommend these so sorry if you have seen it before!

I have had two homebirths.
For my bed I bought a pack of two dust sheets from homebase. I didnt get the plastic ones, I bought the fabric ones with a plastic backing. (they look a bit like unbleached linen)

Because they are fabric they do not slip on the bed and they are strong enough not to tear. They are not as sweaty as plastic sheets.

I put one on about a week before EDD with an old sheet over the top. Leave it on for the birth and then swop it after for the fresh one.

You will need one for a while after the birth for various leakages

I hope it all goes well.

Oh and yes - towels! We used loads. You can drag your old ones out of the airing cuboard or buy cheap supermarket own brand. Hand towels are big enough to wrap round a baby and to stand on, sit on.

I bought white so I could see any dirt (it seemed important at the time!)

They sound like a great thing to buy! Never would have thought of it at all. We have a trip to ikea planned for this weekend so will see if I can get cheap towels in there.

I must look for a big plastic tarpaulin thing like I had with DS2 so I don't get the carpet messy.

TBH I never really had a problem with the carpet. I was no the bed for the birth though. If you are going to birth on the floor I suppose you will need protection

I was suprised at how little mess there was. I think people expect an explosion of ickiness but it was never the case with me

If it's all straightforward, is there any need to go to hospital at all after a home birth? I had DS in a MLU and they wouldn't discharge me the next day until the paed had done some checks on DS. How is this done after a home birth - Is there an on call home visiting paed? Just curious (and starting to think about maybe making DC2 )

LimeLeaf they don't come round for a visit beforehand in all areas

Lexilicious not necessarily, here the CMWs are trained to do the checks at home, had DS been obliging we'd not have set foot near a hospital at all!

Lexi - it depends on the area. In some the GP will come out to you, in others you go to the GP surgery or the hospital within a day or two.

There is no need to go to hospital after a home birth for yourself unless there are complications - e.g third degree tear (ouch!). I sent DH to the GP surgery for the paed checks.

McKayz - Yes, yes to a very clear list of items which need to be collected because you don't have duplicates. Your notes, hairbrush, etc.

We only live 5 minutes from the hospital and DH is pretty sensible, plus I knew he would be back at the house pretty quickly after any transfer because of DD1, so I went the opposite way to some posters. I had a small bag with the bare minimum in. From memory: nappies, cotton wool, baby clothes, snacks and water bottle, change of clothes, nightie, few toiletries, maternity pads. I figured that, if I needed to transfer, one small 'grab bag' was the easiest thing. The list of additional items was tucked into the straps.

It is a shame they don't always come round - I really appreciated going through this kind of thing with the MW. I guess I was lucky then.

Old bath mats are good to put around the pool if you one.

Ikea towels are fab!

I sent DH to the GP surgery for the paed checks.

Was the GP surprised to see how big he was?

Lexi, the GP came round the day after DS2 was born to do the checks.

I have got a pool so bath mats are a good idea.
Actually we need to put it up and check it all out.

I can't believe how disorganised I am.

My GP came round both times to do the check.
Dont forget to chase up the newborn hearing screen. That is one that can get lost if you are not careful.

My GP is a grumpy ol' git. I avoid him at all costs. He came round to check DC4 (who was born not long after we lost DD) and went back and told all the staff at the surgery that he had just seen the most beautiful baby

They told me the next time I went in. It was nice, they were all so pleased for us.

. Should I have told him to take the baby with him?

MrsDeVere - is there only one of those? If so, in my area it's done by the health visitors at two weeks, regardless where you gave birth. Little electrodes in the ear job?

Thanks everyone. I have a lovely GP who describes DS as a 'treasure' or 'just perfect' according to whether he's sick or not. So it would be lovely to see her the day after.

In this area they do it before you leave hospital.
Its pretty much assumed you have had it done and HB rates are very low where I live so I had to chase it up.

Yes its the electrody one. I had to take DCs 4 & 5 to my local Hospital to get it done.

I had to take both boys to hospital for the hearing test. It wasn't done at the hospital when I had DS1. I had to take him back a week or so later.

MrsDeVere Ours is done by the HV at about 10 days the only thing they seem- useful for--

Slight topic change but MrsDV is there any news on the gym/cottage next door? I had a quick look for a thread but couldn't find one.