21 Items I Actually Used For My Home Birth (2024)

February 12, 2024

What Do You Actually Need For A Home Birth?

There is a straightforward, simplified list at the end of this post for those that want to get down to the nitty gritty. I will try to make this a comprehensive list without all the extra fluff. The good news is that most of the things you need for your home birth are already in your home!

Do You Need a Lot for a Home Birth?

I had my first born in January 2023. You will come to find out I have a little more of a minimalist approach when it comes to packing and such. In the case of a home birth though, you need to be prepared for a hospital birth as well.

I ended up not having a very long labor. Active labor only lasted six-eight hours for us so that probably needs to be considered during this post. And as with everything else, every labor and birth is different for every individual. But that is what makes it such a magical experience!

*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links while at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

What are Possible Birthing Locations Within Your Home?

First you will need to consider your birth plan. Where do you plan on actually pushing/delivering? For a lot of people this involves a water birth in a birth tub. More common places include on or around the bed and often times even on the toilet! Although I’m sure this isn’t part of your plan it can be super helpful!

Birth Tub

This may be supplied by your midwife, or you might need to get your own. A bathtub might be possible with proper cleaning, and some women even use their backyard pools and spas!

Waterproof Sheets or Mattress Pad

If you plan on delivering in bed you’ll definitely want this extra layer. Once baby comes, your midwife may prefer you be on a bed or a couch so they can monitor blood loss and wait for the placenta to come. This Blanket is still pretty soft and comfortable compared to the plastic ones you find. This will depend on your budget though.

My midwives recommended having my normal sheets under a waterproof mattress pad and pair of old sheets. That way when everyone is all cleaned up and ready for bed, you just need to take those top two layers off and you’ll have a whole bed made underneath.

Squatty Potty

In case you’ve never hear of these bad boys…they’re very helpful for getting things moving, if you catch my drift. It’s no different for labor. It’s very common for women to experience labor progression when they go to use the toilet. Simply being in a relaxed open position away from everyone can help immensely during a stall.

Having your knees higher will help facilitate Baby’s movement through the pelvis. The squatty potty can also double as a birthing stool while just sitting on it on the ground. It will allow you to sit in a deep squat while also allowing you to be a resting position.

How do you Manage Pain For a Natural Birth?

Heating Pad

Such a simple gadget, but it was THE MOST helpful thing I purchased to ease contraction pains. I was able to crank it up to high and sleep for a good portion of active labor with this on my back and hips. I was initially going to just use microwaveable packs and I’m glad I didn’t since that would have been harder to keep consistent heat.

Water or Hot Shower

They call it natures epidural for a reason. I was in and out of the hot shower most of labor. If my labor hadn’t started with my water breaking, I would have also taken baths. Just be careful not to use all of your hot water if you’re also aiming to fill a birth tub.

Birth Ball

I pretty much had to stay bent over my birth ball on the floor once my contractions got more intense. It was the only position I was able to maintain during contractions but also relax. A birth ball also has so many used during pregnancy and getting labor started, so this is likely something you already have.

Eye Mask

This doesn’t necessarily ease labor pain but it helps with sensory overload. All your senses are heightened during labor, sometimes it helps to dampen them. Maybe for me it was, if I can’t see it, it’s not real? Just me? Ok never mind.

Extra Large Bolster

I splurged on this while pregnant not really knowing if it would help. I don’t think I found any accounts of people using them for pregnancy but mine has proven useful in so many ways! After my pregnancy pillow quickly failed me, I needed another option to keep the pressure off my hips while sleeping. I was able to sleep in an exaggerated side lying position.

During labor, I was able to actively rest with my bolster between my knees and go to sleep. Being able to relax was probably the most important part for me being able to progress so quickly.

Now, my baby also loves to use this bolster, so it’s been a good investment I would say!

What Should You Eat And Drink During Labor?

Being dehydrated can slow labor, and cause more painful contractions. It’s super important to get electrolytes in while you are in labor. Electrolytes are a must! There are plenty of different electrolyte packets on the market or you can make your own! Coconut water is also a super great source electrolytes naturally.

Also, what kind of woman would I be if I didn’t mention that you should have a tumbler with a straw. It doesn’t have to be a Stanley (although I’m partial), but it is super convenient to be able to chug some liquids without moving from your ‘bent-over-the-side-of-the-tub’ position.

As for food – all the nutrient dense foods you can think of! My favorites were Larabars, honey sticks, and applesauce packets. These foods didn’t take a lot of effort to eat while tired. You need a mix of protein and energy. Simple sugars will help keep your energy up and stabilize blood sugars after a long labor

What Do You Need to Pack in Case You Have to Go to the Hospital?

This part kind of tripped me up, because it seemed that I needed to have two of everything. In case of an emergency transfer situation there is no time to throw things together. Even if it’s not an emergency, it’s hard to concentrate on packing a bag, so it needs to be ready to go.

Fortunately, the hospital provides pretty much EVERYTHING you need. So you won’t need much in terms of

I ended up keeping my hospital bag close to my birth space so I could still use everything in it while I was at home laboring. That way it’s easy to have your partner throw everything back in it if need be.

We ended up having to go to the birth center since another mother was giving birth, so our midwife couldn’t come to us. I was in full transition/pushing mode. My husband couldn’t find the clothes I wanted to wear and ended up just throwing everything he could get his hands on in the car. It was hectic to say the least.

Comforts of Home

Have your second-in-line coziest blanket packed and ready to go. I also had a new comfy nursing hoodie, nursing bra, and a pair of stretchy sweat pants that fit me pregnant and not. I was also not prepared for the amount of swelling that occurs AFTER birth. Oh. My. Gosh. For this reason I’m super glad I had slippers packed. They are the only shoes that fit.

Depending on how long your stay is at the hospital, you’ll also need a few toiletries. You’ll need a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and any medication.

Car Seat

It’s a good practice to have your car seat installed before 36 weeks. As first time parents, this contraption was so foreign to us and we had no idea what we were doing. It’s also a good idea to have your local fire department double check it’s installed correctly. So get familiar with it beforehand, in case you need to use it in the event of a transfer.

Baby’s Bag

Baby only needs a set of clothes to go home in. This will vary depending on your preference and birth plan. But really, all Baby needs is you!

What Do You Need For Postpartum Care?

This is something that I recommend not putting off because it seems less important than Baby. However, it is not super complicated or in depth. There are plenty of recipes for ‘witch hazel gel pads’ and other nice things you can look into. Depending on your recovery, you may need more or less. But this post is about things you will definitely need so I’m going to try and keep it short and simple.

Adult Diapers

These are absolutely necessary, and in my opinion, not too uncomfortable at all. They sound so humiliating before you actually wear one. But trust me, they will give you the confidence to lay in bed snuggling your new baby for the next several weeks without having to worry about messing up the sheets. You can graduate to large menstrual pads after a while according to your healing time.

If you end up at the hospital, they probably won’t have adult diapers. They have these mesh panties and really huge pads that you stick inside them. They are definitely not as comfortable as Depends. I honestly cannot attest to whether or not they work as well either.

Ice Packs

These can be the frozen pads that you made ahead of time or something like this. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be a bag of ice. If your midwife supplies you with a birth kit ahead of time, it might include medical ice packs exactly for this reason.

Nursing Pads

When that milk comes in, oh boy, it’s so terrifying how full your boobs get and it leaks everywhere. It’s not a huge deal if you don’t care about it getting all over sheets and clothes at home. After I finally left the house, it possibly made me feel a tiny bit more civilized to keep my milk stains contained with everything else going on with my body.

Whatever Your Midwife Tells You to Have on Hand!

There will be a laundry list of little things that your midwife will need as well. Aside from medical items that they should bring, there will be random things that they might want you to have on hand such as:

  • Tons of Towels – At least a dozen
  • Big Stock Pot – For boiling water
  • Olive Oil or Sweet Almond Oil
  • Flash Light
  • Hand Mirror
  • Candle and Lighter
Stock pot with herbs steeping for a postpartum sitzbath
Herbal Blend for a Sitzbath immediately postpartum

The Full List

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