Home births can be an incredible experience. But it can feel a bit overwhelming, too, since you’re responsible for so much of the preparation. We’ll list several ways to prepare so that you can relax and anticipate labor day!
Supplies
Your home birth midwife will most likely have a list of supplies for you to buy. These might include things like a birth pool liner (if you want to have the option of a water birth), disposable chux pads, and more. You can click over to here to read a sample list; however, always check with your midwife to make sure.
Other nice-to-have supplies that you may not think about right away:
- Keep extra hand soap and toilet paper in the bathroom
- A frozen meal to warm up after delivery
- Have a plan for pets (are they going to be crated, etc.)
- Have backup babysitting planned if you have older kids and you don’t want them at home; sometimes babysitting plans fall through at the last minute
- Towels for yourself
- Light snacks for you and dad
- Warm, soft blankets for after birth
- A scrunchie
- A large water bottle
- Fresh mint (to add to your water bottle, can help with nausea)
- A bluetooth speaker
- Essential oils and a diffuser
- Soft lighting or candles
- Massage oil or lotion and a massage gun
- Yoga mat
- Yoga ball
- Comfy socks
- A list of different labor postions (for your coach; you probably won’t remember during labor)
- Wine and wineglasses (for a celebratory drink after birth)
You get the idea. Basically, you want to make home as relaxing as possible. If you’re a person who hates clutter, ask your husband or kids to help you make sure that as many surfaces as possible stay clean. If you want to be surrounded by all your favorite candles, by all means, go for it! Play yoga music, dance music, or anything in between, and do whatever relaxes you.
Educating Yourself and Your Husband
Your body will naturally know what to do, as long as you’re relaxed and feel safe. Your husband… well, not so much. He will not automatically know what to do. Taking childbirth classes can be just as beneficial to him as it is for you.
Taking a natural childbirth class can help teach how to cope with pain and what to expect during different stages of labor. This can give both of you reassurance when contractions are hitting hard. Your husband will also be able to remind you of coping mechanisms for pain if you want him to.
You can also check out my post on how to prepare your husband to help you here.
Listen to podcasts! There are a ton of podcasts out there, but I’ve listened to these two.
- Evidence Based Birth – a great way to see what the research says about different parts of childbirth. This podcast can be a little technical and a lot dry, but it has a lot of good information. Evidence Based Birth also has a blog, which has many of their podcasts in written form if you find yourself bored of listening.
- Hearth and Home Midwifery – very informative; definitely can tend to being less conservative and more New-Age, but still very educational.
Ask your midwife all the questions! This woman is going to be delivering your baby, so there is no question off limits. You can ask her about anything. There are some pretty weird symptoms that come up during pregnancy, and she is there to be a resource for you.
Keep your morale up
Many women find themselves second-guessing, well, everything in the third trimester. From baby names to decisions we’ve made, we tend to question our own logic during that time. If you and your husband have taken the time to think through your home birth decision, and you’ve made a logical decision, don’t question it! You’ve chosen to go the home birth route. Enjoy it. 🙂
Listen to positive birth stories. Don’t ask for people’s opinions if you know they will try to tear down the way you’ve chosen to give birth. If done properly, home birth can be a beautiful experience, and it’s a safe choice for the majority of healthy women.
I can’t wait to hear your home birth story! Please comment to tell me all about it.
Lynette