Preparing Your Home Birth Supply List

This list is for preparing your home birth supply list, it includes everything you need to deliver your baby naturally at home.

I have had three healthy babies, each one with a safe home birth. Twice at my midwife’s home and once at my own. Honestly, I would never do it any other way.

Labor and delivery is already stressful as it is, so there is nothing better than being able to do it in the comfort of your home.

Especially when you don’t have to worry about going anywhere or throwing things in your bag at the last second. Instead you just have to have the supplies you need all together and tucked away so you can pull them out when the time comes.

My midwife gave me a home birth supply list for each birth. I also looked into what other people used for home birth. Finally, I added things that I always needed at my births.

So I ended up with this master list of everything I absolutely had to have for a home birth.

You can use what you like and add what you like because, of course, you’re the one delivering a super cute bowling ball.

Weeks Before Birth:

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea ~ begin drinking one to two cups a day from the beginning of your pregnancy to strengthen uterus which can decrease the length of your labor.

Evening Primrose Oil ~ you can start taking these around 35 weeks to prepare your cervix for labor.

dates ~ I could never bring myself to eat dates. But I have read a ton of information that they can help bring on labor and decrease the time you’re in labor.

Boiron Caulophyllum Thalictroides ~ you can take this homeopathic remedy daily during the last 2 or 3 weeks of pregnancy for a fast and easy home birth.

For the Birth:

chux underpads ~ a must have for home birth, you are going to want a layer or two of these wherever you are sitting. At all times.

plastic shower liner ~ again, throw this over wherever you are laboring or delivering, especially if it’s your bed or couch.

two sets of sheets ~ one to use during birth and one clean set for after.

Pedialyte Freezer Pops ~ I had some of these in the freezer during my second birth and they were exactly what I needed! I wanted something more than water but couldn’t bare to eat anything solid.

towels and washcloths ~ you’re going to want to use old ones or buy cheap ones just for the birth that you won’t mind throwing out afterwards.

large pot ~ to boil water to sterilize the scissors to cut the umbilical cord.

birth affirmations ~ I didn’t use these with my first birth. During my second I had my husband read bible verses to me and it helped a lot to have God’s encouraging words to focus on.

music ~ make a playlist to listen to, even just for calming background noise. I bought this album (Hidden In My Heart: A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture) and still play it for my kids.

chap stick ~ I always always always have this on me anyway, but you will most likely be breathing out of your mouth when those contractions hit so have your favorite brand close by.

emergency hospital bag ~ in case of an emergency, you don’t want to have to worry about making sure you have everything you need to go to the hospital so just have a little bag tucked away.

thermometer ~ your midwife will want one of these around in case she needs to check yours or the baby’s temperature.

heating pad ~ trust me, you will want this around if you start having back labor.

labor massage oil ~10ml Glass Roll-on Bottle

    7 drops Clary Sage essential oil

    3 drops Lavender essential oil

    2 drops Ylang Ylang essential oil

    carrier oil (I always use olive oil)

I used this on my abdomen during labor where I was feeling the contractions and it helped a lot.

deep bowl ~ for catching the placenta, I used an old plastic bowl that I didn’t mind throwing out afterward.

two gallon-sized ziplock bags ~ we double bagged our placenta until my husband had time to bury it in the yard.

birth pool ~ I wasn’t comfortable being in the water for either of my births. But if it’s something you want to do or at least have there in case you decide you want to use it your midwife will most likely know of a place to rent one.

yoga ball ~ I wanted one of these for my second birth but didn’t get one in time. I just wanted to have something else to use to change positions if I started getting too uncomfortable.

snacks ~ I always felt nauseous when I tried to eat in labor. But it’s good to have some things handy just in case you feel up to it. Plus don’t forget to have some things for your labor team to snack on!

hair ties ~ one of the hardest experiences during my second labor was losing my hair tie and trying to describe where the extra ones were in between contractions. Just buy a pack of new ones to keep with your supplies. That way you’re not trying to swat hair out of your face while you’re trying to get through contractions.

comfortable robe ~ I bought a nice thin robe for my labor and wore it up until I started pushing. With my second labor I somehow managed to stay in my t-shirt and leggings until it was time to push but had the same robe ready to go.

For After Birth:

Thayers Alcohol-free Witch Hazel ~ I poured a little of this on my overnight heavy pads and put them in the freezer for a while, it helped a lot with the soreness. My midwife always suggested Thayers because it’s alcohol free and you can get the scented kinds if you prefer.

trash bags ~ you’re going to want to toss 90% of the supplies you used.

The MomWasher, Fridababy Fridet ~ do I really need to explain why this is really important?

hydrogen peroxide ~ this works best for cleaning blood stains just in case.

Hyland’s Homeopathic Arnica Montana ~ these work great for cramping after birth and can be taken with ibuprofen if needed.

“Wanna Help” list ~ write a list of things people can help with. When people come to see the baby they usually ask if you need help with anything. Instead of having to ask for help you can tell them there is a list on the fridge with different things if they wanted to do any. 

overnight heavy flow pads ~ for immediately after while you’re still bleeding heavy.

regular flow pads ~ for after a few days when they bleeding slows down a little.

panty liners ~ for the weeks after when you’re just about done bleeding.

For Baby:

clothes ~ I know you already have in mind exactly what you want your baby to wear first. Instead of trying to explain what and where it is to your husband, just lay it out now.

receiving blankets ~ once the baby is out it’s going to be a lot colder than they are used to. Be prepared to swaddle them up and have extras saved for after they’re cleaned up a bit.

diapers ~ I like using the ones with a space cut out so it doesn’t irritate their cord. But if you don’t have them you can fold the top of the diaper down, it works just as well. Also if you plan on using cloth diapers (I don’t have the patience and have always used disposable ones) I’ve read it’s best to use the disposables for the first week so the meconium doesn’t ruin the cloth ones

Goldenseal Herb ~ best thing to use on your baby’s umbilical cord stump to help it dry out and fall off quickly! Works way faster than alcohol and is better for baby. If you buy the capsules just break them open and sprinkle the powder on the stump

suction bulb ~ in case baby needs some extra help clearing their nose of any mucus or liquid

Postpartum Care:

Reusable Washable Nursing Pads ~ these are so much more comfortable than the disposable ones, and less wasteful since you use them so often

stool softener ~ you won’t understand until you’ve had your first baby. It’s scary going for the first time afterwards so just do yourself a favor and have these around

large underwear ~ nice underwear can be expensive and you won’t want to ruin them. Buy a pack of bigger (to fit the giant pads in), comfortable boy shorts or briefs. Then you can throw out or use for period underwear down the road.

Nipple Shield with Carrying Case ~ breastfeeding hurts and there are few things that can ease the pain, so use them!

Earth Mama Organic Nipple Butter ~ another thing that can ease the pain. There are tons of different brands to choose from. Just be sure to read the ingredients since it’s bound to end up in your baby’s mouth.

nursing clothes ~ you’ll want bras and tanks for easy access. It’s going to be how you’ll spend the majority of the next six months.

Organic Mother’s Milk Women’s Tea ~ with my first baby I had a hard time making enough milk from the beginning. With my second I started building a freezer stash within a few weeks. I drank two cups of this every day from the day she was born. If you’re not worried about creating a freezer stash, it’s still good to have in case your supply takes a hit.