18 Home Birth Essentials You Will Want To Have
Whether you’re planning your first or your fifth home birth, this home birth essentials checklist will make it easy to prepare the things needed for home birth you will need to stay comfortable and supported!
When planning for a home birth there is so much to think about: Where will I give birth? Who do I want to be there? How will I deal with discomfort?
Some of these decisions simply fall into place in the moment, but one important item you will need to prepare beforehand is what supplies you will have available to you!
The things needed for a home birth will differ slightly for each woman, and each birth. You should start by asking your midwife what she is going to bring, and if she has a list of items she wants YOU to have ready.
Then you can prepare for home birth by making a DIY at home birth kit.
Some midwives recommend that you have all your home birth supplies set aside in a tote bin, laundry basket, or box by 36 weeks, so that you aren’t caught off guard if the baby surprises you before your due date!
Here are the top natural home birth essentials to give you ideas of what you might want to have on hand when giving birth at home!
Home Birth Essentials Checklist
Here is a simple home birth checklist you can use to see if you have everything you will need for an at home childbirth.
You can use this home birth supply list as a guide to help you make an at home birthing kit too, if you wanted to!
It is broken down into categories to help you prepare for a home birth one at a time and know what you need for every stage of giving birth at home.
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General Supplies
Birth Kit
The items in your actual birth “kit” include thing like pads, cleaning supplies, towels, plastic shower curtain liners (to place under your bed sheets), and paper or plastic bags.
Usually your midwife will have a list of these types of items that she wants you to prepare, so make sure to ask.
Learn how to make your own DIY home birth kit!
Food & Drink
Who will be at your birth, and what will they eat? Make sure you prepare plenty of healthy snacks and drinks for yourself (labor can make you hungry) but also think about having something easy and ready to go in case your husband, mother, or friend needs some refueling while they support you, as well.
Postpartum freezer meals/snacks are great for this!
Birth Plan
Make sure to include a printed copy of your birth plan with your birth supplies. This will make your wishes and goals easily accessible to your partner and birth team!
Birth Pool
If you are planning a water birth, arrange in advance for a birth pool! You and your birth team will want to know how to set it up, where it will fit in the house, and how you will fill it with water.
You should also think about how/where your birth team will clean it up after.
Birth Ball
Birth balls are one of the most popular natural home birth essentials. They can help get the baby into position while also providing you with comfort and support in multiple birthing positions.
It is also a great tool for natural labor pain management too!
Camera
Your phone camera might be enough for you, but think about if you want a separate camera or photographer at your birth, and make sure it has batteries and an SD card if you do!
Phone & Charger
Of course at a home birth your phone is probably already laying around, but make sure you have a charger at the ready so you never lose access to your phone, contraction counting app, camera, etc.!
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Essentials For Mom
Postpartum Care
You spend SO much time preparing for the labor and birth, don’t forget to think about the postpartum period as well. Common postpartum care items include:
Learn more about creating a postpartum care kit to full be prepared for the postpartum period.
Affirmation Cards
One of my favorite things to do before births is write/print out some beautiful birth affirmations and place them all over the walls of the rooms I expect to be laboring in.
This is an easy way to make sure your affirmations are easily usable and visible. They really do help put you in a positive mindset!
Check out these 40+ birthing affirmations.
Pain Relief
There are so many things you can do to find relief and comfort during labor. Some popular items to have on hand include:
- Massage tools (hand tools or a massage gun)
- TENS machines
- Pillows or Peanut balls (to help you position yourself better if needed)
- A bar or rope (or a person’s hands) to pull/hang from. (The downwards pressure of pulling has been used for many years as a way to use counter pressure to relieve birth pain!)
- A birth stool
Clothing
You can give birth in whatever clothing (or lack of clothing) you want! But it may be handy to have some clothing items on hand that are easy to get on and off, or easy to open for breastfeeding and cervical checks.
Also keep some socks nearby to stay warm!
Mirror
Some women like to keep a handheld mirror close by so that they can watch the baby be born.
Essentials For Baby
Receiving Blankets
A small receiving blanket is a great way to keep a baby’s back warm even when you want to have some skin to skin time.
Make sure to use one that you don’t mind getting a little messy, since the baby will probably still have some vernix or blood on their skin.
First Outfit
Keep your baby’s first outfit at the ready, so you won’t have to dig for it later!
Diapers
Your baby won’t need a diaper right away after the birth, but they will soon, so make sure you have one opened and on hand in your birth supplies.
Other Essentials You Will Love
Music & Lights
Music, hypnobirthing recordings, mantras, nature sounds, and other calming audio can help you focus your mind and relax your body.
Dim lights such as salt lamps or Christmas lights can also set the mood for a peaceful labor!
Bath/Spa Items
If you are planning on laboring in the water, bath sponges, brushes, and washcloths are great items to have nearby for comfort.
Your birth partner/doula can help rub your back, run warm water over you, etc. as needed for pain relief.
Another bath item that some women like to have on hand is a 4 inch fish net, just in case there is any debris in the water that needs to be scooped out.
Hospital Bag
I think it is so important to have a hospital bag ready to go for emergencies. This was mentioned in my natural labor course and it’s so true, you never know when things are going to go wrong and you will need to quickly get to the hospital.
Home Birth Supplies FAQs
What are the best labor snacks for home birth?
Labor snacks to prepare include snacks that are easy and quick to eat, not too messy, and nutrient dense. Think about snacks that can be eaten not only sitting up at a table with two hands, but wherever you happen to be laboring!
Some ideas include protein bars or balls, honey sticks, yogurt tubes, and electrolyte filled drinks such as coconut water, or even pregnancy tea. Make sure to bring a straw!
Does your midwife or doula bring anything for a home birth?
When attending an out-of-hospital birth, a licensed midwife should bring all the items required for a normal birth, plus some extras just in case of an emergency.
These items may vary depending on your Midwife and state, but can include gear like suturing supplies, oxygen, an IV, certain medications, and other emergency equipment. She might also bring food for herself, a doppler, a scale to weight the baby, and even ink and paper to capture your baby’s first footprints.
Your doula may bring items such as natural pain relief remedies and tools, a camera, and a notebook. Make sure to talk with your midwife and doula (and other birth team members) about what they will bring so that you are all on the same page!
Checklist for Home Birth Wrap-Up
It might seem overwhelming to plan your supplies for a home birth. These birthing essentials will help prepare you for the big day.
Take some time to think about how you want to feel during your birth with each of your senses, taste, touch, sound, sight, and even smell, and you will have a good head start on some ideas to get you ready.
