Having a Homebirth, what I like to have on hand

 When we had our first homebirth, I had no idea what to have on hand. The midwife gave me a sheet of supplies (which I got it all) and sold me a basic birth kit, items I normally would not have on hand. Such as gloves, cord clamp, nasal syringe, a paper bed sheet, paper measuring tape, baby hat, OB pads (a mama diaper) and chucks pads. I wanted a waterbirth so I ordered a kids swimming pool, the construction kind of plastic, some old sheets to line the floor and an emergency blanket to cover the top of the pool to keep the warmth inside.
  Now that I have everything I need on hand, including a real Birth Pool, I know what I will actually need and what is just "extra". I know that i am several weeks out, but I am a prepper, so I have most things, sorted, bagged and several tagged. Just because I am expecting my husband to be the one grabbing it, and if he is, he will need some help ;-) I have it all in the trunk at the foot of our bed.

 Yes, because it is my stuff, I put in the extras, who could blame me. I have things such as extra sheets for on the bed (in case they get messy) a heating pad, for baby towels to stay warm (however we have never had time to mess with this) I have the  scale and sling to weigh the baby and the sterile scissors and all of the disposable items in the garbage bag. I know that we will not use half of these things. But again I like to be prepared. I plan to leave the Birth Pool in the basement until a couple of weeks before I am due. I figure if anything happens sooner I will either use the bathtub, or it would be to early, therefore I would have to go to the hospital. Of course we are praying that doesn't happen.

I also have a smaller bag, hanging up with the absolute necessities, just in case it is an emergency, like super fast. It just has a mama diaper (in case I have to move, so that I don't make a mess) the bathing suit top I have birthed all my homebirth babies in, a few baby towels and a cord clamp (Never cut before the cord STOPS pulsing) scissors and a nasal aspirator (no need to suck, if baby is fine)

We are hoping for another fast, easy labor, so I like to be prepared for it ahead of time. And laabeling most everything helps hubby find it all without fussing. As much as I love my "spiritual mother" my midwife (who trained me) and my family (including my kids) I am hoping for another birth like my second homebirth. It was just me, my husband and the Lord. It went extremely fast, therefore it was extremely hard, but it was so intimate and beautiful. It only lasted about an hour and a half, but it was the most pleasurable, yes birth can be pleasureable, if you allow it to be and give God the ability to be a part of it. My midwife made it here, in time to clean up, do the paperwork and examine the baby (however hubby also got to weigh the baby).

I know that homebirths are not for every women, but I am certainly thankful that it is whats best for our family.