Useful Information
If you choose to have your baby at home, the midwife will arrive at your house after you page her to assess your progress. If you are not in active labour, she will advise you of any thing you need to do. She will leave and wait for your next page. If you are in active labour, she will stay with you until after the baby is born and has fed. She will monitor your labour and help support you along with anyone else who is there to support you. She will also have paperwork to document the progress of your labour. When she deems the right time, she will page the second midwife to attend the birth. As with in the hospital, one will focus on the birthing mother and the other on the baby. Midwives are trained in infant CPR. Midwives are also able to take care of immediate postpartum needs, such as assessing and repairing tears as well as teaching initial breastfeeding.
Important Items:
- Hot water bottle or heating pad
- Container for the placenta (a yogurt or ice cream container is fine)
- Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning spots off carpets
- Old sheets, towels, hand towels, facecloths, etc.
- A plastic, cotton-backed tablecloth
- Maternity pads, large size
- Disposable bed underpads, large size
- For baby: hat, diapers, undershirt, sleepers, booties, receiving blankets, larger warm blanket.
- Large garbage bags
- A portable, bright, directable light or flashlight with new batteries.
Also nice, but not absolutely necessary:
- A fan for the summer or an electric portable heater for winter so windows can be opened.
- Oil for massage
- A hand mirror
- Squirt bottle, such as an empty shampoo or dish detergent bottle
- Lots of pillows
- Knee socks and a warm T-Shirt to wear as a nightgown
- Lots of energizing drinks (fruit juice, Gatorade etc.)
- Bendable straws
- Light and easily digestible snacks like fresh fruit
- Camera
- Food for your birthing group
- Music, candle and aromatherapy