Ilena – doula, matrescence coach, course leader

There are soooooooo many lists out there offering guidance on packing your birth bag ready for the day labour begins and you head over to the birth centre or hospital. Often the hospital or birth centre will issue a list of their recommended bag contents too; so what I include in this list… “the quirky edit”… is the “other” stuff that doesn’t make it onto those mainstream lists. These are the things that during my honoured experiences as a birth doula I have seen can really make a difference.

For You

• Your own pillow – when you are in labour you are open to your environment in an unparalleled way (we are mammals after all). The familiarity of touch and smell of your pillow in the hospital or birth centre setting can work wonders to relax your nervous system and bring comfort in a way that a plastic coated sterilised pillow just can’t compete with.

• THE BAG ITSELF: make it a mini suitcase – do yourself / yourselves a favour and use a little rolling suitcase. Makes any leg of the traversing a whole lot easier and leaves your partner and/or birth support with readily available hands to support you during contractions on the move; offers plenty of space for packing everything but the kitchen sink, is easy to store away in storage or in a corner somewhere.

• Your Birth Altar: having become a doula when I was pregnant; I was allllllllllll ready at home for a home birth – with basically my whole home having become a shrine to the incoming arrival of my son. When unexpected events meant that we switched up on the location; I hurriedly packed my birthing altar – and literally nurses on the ward were finding excuses to visit the birthing room to spend a moment or two absorbing the good vibes(!) Don’t worry – I was tucked away chanting in the bathroom to Snatam Kaur in the birthing pool so was on another planet and it didn’t feel intrusive at all. Bringing photos, affirmations, crystals, figurines – whatever looks appealing to you and triggers a sacred connection or a treasured memory will serve. I had one client who brought fresh flowers and a framed artwork of her mother’s into hospital for her induction saying “If I will be here for a few days then I may as well make myself at home!” 

• Rescue Remedy – use it as you make the journey from home to the birth centre or hospital, use it as contractions become more intense or there are unplanned for changes to the unfolding of labour (this is great if augmentation or interventions are needed), use it as you perhaps encounter the thoughts of “I can’t do this anymore” whilst you traverse through transition; if there is a decision to give birth in the Operating Room then a good few drops of Rescue remedy for everyone (including birth partner) will stand everyone in good stead for calm adaptation to the new birth plan…..this is on repeat order from my suppliers for my own doula bag!

• Aromatherapy oils – the top five for me are Lavender (relaxing, wonderful to ease muscle tension, antibacterial, lovely used in massage), Clary Sage (for relaxing into the other wordly state that labour hopefully brings, to intensify contractions), Frankincense (calming emotions, promoting physical relaxation, centering and can assist later in post partum skin healing – diluted in an appropriate carrier oil), Peppermint (or nausea, to cool off, to cut through fatigue, massaged into the back when experiencing back labour it can encourage baby to adopt a more optimal position) and Rosemary (for bringing clarity during transition and as you ready yourself for following the urge to push, if the air is stuffy it can work wonders, or if need be at any stage to wake you up and bring you back into the real world after being in your birthing bubble).
• Forget the diffuser!!! a spray bottle with some lavender and/or clary sage or frankincense essential oil suspended in water ready to shake and spray. Otherwise hospitals and birth centres usually have a surplus of flannels and washcloths that work very well as compresses – warm or cool. Using a diffuser in a hospital room with any oil can suddenly become overpowering and potentially overwhelming. If you are using a spray bottle (limited air time for the oils) or compresses you can very quickly disperse the smell, or simply throw the flannels / wash cloths out of the room or into the laundry bag and hey presto you have fresh clean and neutral air again. With a diffuser filled air….this could be a challenge – and could present privacy issues if you need to open the door etc.
• Coconut water and/or Miso soup – both jam packed full of electrolytes; which your body needs a constant replensihment of during labour and post partum in the hours after birth. It is physically strenous work and the more you can feed your body what it needs the more effectively it can do it’s job and recover afterwards. The combined heat of Miso soup is very healing post partum too – or if labour slows and things need “heating up” again.

• A straw or two – just makes drinking at unusual angles a lot easier! Drink, drink, drink – and urinate, urinate, urinate!
• Facial spritz – because sometimes a compress just doesn’t cut it and you deserve to be spritzed as you work so hard should you so desire as  Ina May Gaskin famously says “If a woman doesn’t look like a goddess during labour, then someone isn’t treating her right…” Evian does a wonderful only water facial spritz which when kept in the fridge in your room can be wonderfully cooling and hydrating. Physallis at Holland and Barrett do a great Rose Water spray bottle (Rose as a scent is very special and therapeutic fragrance during labour too!)
• Favourite luxurious shower products – for afterwards – it can go one of two ways that first shower. Either you rush through it because you can’t bear to be away from your precious little bundle, or you luxuriate in feeling your body from head to toe again as you cleanse away the sweat, the milk, and the stickiness of the last who knows how many hours. Again – familiar comforting smells really help to promote feelings of safety, comfort and wellness. Linking you up here to two of my favourite shower gels: Neroli and Orchid shower gel by L’Occitane and the Weleda Sea Buckthorn revitalising shower creme (both delightful in my humble opinion!)
• Loose comfortable clothing – body shapes change at different rhythyms after birth, and our bodies often feel tender – so loose fitting layers to layer up or down depending on your body and the season’s outside temperature are best.
• A big soft shawl or scarf – the familiarity and comfort of the smell, the flexible practicality of having something to wrap around your shoulder during the first feed or two. Having this big soft shawl or scarf to wrap around your neck can be wonderful to hide behind as you make the transition from home to your birthing location too – assisting you in staying in your birthing bubble. If it is long and strong enough – you can also use it as a rebozo during labour.
• An EXTRA loose comfortable outfit to travel home in – sounds obvious but you’d be amazed how often this is overlooked; the clothes you arrived can’t be guaranteed to be so appealing to travel home in again. Make sure you have the clothes you stand up in aswell as an extra clean homeward bound outfit to wear after birth. Think about feeding access if you are choosing to breastfeed(!)
• *** Don’t forget: TWO EXTRA COPIES OF YOUR BIRTH PLAN. Yes – your midwife and or your care providers will of course already have them “on file” but care providers are busy – very very busy often and so if the care provider on shift for whatever reason haven’t had a chance to read your birth plan already – then a printed copy that you can hand them will save them and you a lot of time and energy finding and / or explaining.

For your birth partner

• Camera, battery pack or charger, memory card – so much to capture (unless you have a birth photographer of course!) and you don’t want the battery or memory to cut out just before a crucial moment…after all – this not an event where we can be asking for action replays hey?!

• Rescue Remedy – whilst it goes without saying that the labouring mother experiences a lot during labour; so does the birth partner. Whether it is the first or fifth time around; it can get a little emotionally overwhelming at any given moment.
• Swim trunks and a change of clothing – if labouring in water or water birth is on the cards as a possibility then it is great if Dad / birth partner is equipped and ready to support in any setting.
• Nibbles and plenty of liquid – when birth partners are fully supporting the labouring mother; it is hard work for them too. As far as the hospital or birth centre goes, they try as much as possible to support the birthing team too, but their priority is always the labouring mothers – and often birth partners don’t feel like they can “trouble” the care providers for what they need. Plan for them to be optimally hydrated and energised, to ensure you are taken the best possible care of. Whilst it can be that a sweet sugary snack seems appealing; the best bet for sustainable energy is something packed with protein and or slow releasing carbohydrates. Think apples with a handful of nuts or a hunk of cheese, or miso soup with tofu, or a super food brownie packed with seeds and nuts with a few dates on the side.
• Mints, a tooth brush and toothpaste! For fresh breath non offensive breath after your nibbles; and to wake you up in the small hours when coffee just isn’t cutting it! Make sure ahead of time that the birthing person you are supporting doesn’t have a negative visceral reaction to the smell. You could also catch yourself a break with this two in one option: toothpaste tablets. 

• A pillow/cushion/meditation cushion – birth is a very grounding process, and so often a labouring mother following her instincts will not choose to be laying on her bed in a hospital bed but to be swaying on the birthing ball, or on all fours on the floor. Birth centres and hospitals generally have a few extra seats for birthing partners, but if you want your partner to stay close and be comfortable then think about an extra pillow or solid cushion for them to sit on/be supported by. The other possibility is that things may take some time to unfold – and you both may end up having a nap on the job – so make sure you have pillows a plenty.
• A doula – Well obviously; Doulas are for Dads too

For Baby

Again, refer to the more standard lists of what to pack in your hospital bags for all the details, but for our quirky list one thing to consider and two reminders.

• Cord ties – for years the thing used to clamp a baby’s umbilical cord has been a rather unfriendly looking plastic clamp. More and more people are considering the experience of the baby and that has seen rise to the more frequent use of cord ties or a natural rubber cord ring (as detailed here on the lovely natural postpartum supply site Dalalou Natuurlijk), as it is considered the most gentle option for baby (ie. less uncomfortable than an edgy plastic clamp resting inside the nappy). You can make cord ties yourself, it may be that your doula would happily make cord ties for you, or you can buy them from Etsy or specialist handmade businesses.

• Birth Planning documentation covering post natal preferences – Include in your birth plan/ birth preference document a very clear section on your decisions regarding the postpartum care and choices for your baby, including things like the use of cord ties (as above) or your choices about whether or not you will breastfeed, or give Vitamin K etc.
• A container for your placenta! That glorious organ which your body makes alongside making a tiny human truly has some very interesting possible benefits to your healing. Let postpartum specialist Mirjam Heemskerk from Gentle Beginnings teach you more about those possible healing benefits; she has the skills to make an apothecary of products from your very own moederkoek (moederkoek literally translates as “mother cake” – this is the Dutch word for placenta!) Having a container at the ready to store your placenta hygienically is paramount for Mirjam as she comes to collect your precious organ ready to prepare it.
• Baby car seat – When you give birth in The Netherlands you are required to transport the baby home in a suitable baby car seat – best to pack this close to your hospital bag…if you are planning a quick exit from hospital especially, then noone will need to return home to collect the car seat.

Well – I think that just about covers it!

Would love to know what else you would add?

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