• Birth supplies for your UC

    Date: 2010.07.09 | Category: Unassisted Childbirth | Tags: ,,,

    Are you planning an unassisted birth? I bet you are wondering what birth supplies you need. What are the items you can’t do without when you are preparing for a UC, and which products are nice to have? This no-nonsense checklist might give you some insights.

    Supplies for mama:

    1) Chux pads, or lots of old towels if you prefer not to use any disposable items. These will come in handy if you feel like laboring on your bed, or the couch, or the carpet for a while. If you are waiting for your waters to break, or they have already broken, chux pads could save you a lot of cleaning later on.

    2) Whatever you think you will want to eat and drink throughout labor. Staying properly hydrated is very important during labor, and having ready-to-eat snacks on hand will save you time and hassle if you get hungry.

    3) A birthing pool, if you are planning on a water birth. This one speaks for itself, so I won’t divulge any further.

    4) Herbal tinctures like Angelica and Shepherd’s Purse, to stop any post-partum hemorrhage you might have. I’ll discuss various herbal tinctures and what they do in a separate post.

    5) Mama pads and breast pads to use after your baby is born.

    Supplies for baby:

    1) Cord clamps if you are planning to use them, or cord string. Clean scissors or a knife, depending on what you are planning to sever the umbilical cord with. Or herbs to prepare your placenta with, and a placenta bag, if you are having a lotus birth.

    2) Clothes, and diapers.

    3) Receiving blankets and towels, warmed up if possible.

    Now, where do you get all of this stuff? There are several great online stores that sell birth supplies for homebirth midwives and UC-ers. One of them is baby, birth and beyond and another is in his hands. These are the basics. Many people like to have a doppler  or fetoscope on hand to keep track of fetal hear tones during birth, and others like to have scales and a tape measure to determine their baby’s size after birth. A camera is another great thing to have, of course.

    Do you think I forgot anything? Should anything be added to this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts!