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With your home birth approaching, you might be feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. If this is your first time delivering at home, it’s crucial to make some preparations before your baby arrives. The list below includes several critical steps to take when preparing to welcome your little bundle of joy at home.

How to Ensure You’re Ready for a Home Birth

1. Have Your Midwife on Retainer 

Knowing your midwife is only a phone call away will keep you calm. In the days before labor, review the birth plan you've created to make sure you’re both well prepared. You might go over methods for coping with pain, breathing techniques, and what you’ll expect during the labor, including delivering the baby in a tub. 

As an added precaution, review signs to look for that indicate you may require a hospital transfer. Your spouse or partner should know these signs as well, including an immediate drop in blood pressure, excessive bleeding, and a breech birth.

2. Get Supplies for Your Newborn

home birthAfter your baby arrives, you’ll want to stay home and recover, so prepare the necessary supplies ahead of time. Get the essentials like diapers, bottles, and other breastfeeding supplies, as well as wipes, blankets, and seasonally appropriate clothing for the baby. 

If you don’t plan to breastfeed, you’ll need to buy formula. Your midwife will recommend brands and may suggest you buy a few types in case one doesn’t agree with your baby’s stomach.

3. Prepare Your Home

Your midwife might recommend ordering a birth kit that will contain necessary supplies, including cotton balls, isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70%), a plastic drop cloth or plastic sheet, fitted bed sheets, and washcloths.

A big bedroom or the living room are both ideal spaces for your home birth. There should be plenty of room for your partner and midwife to safely move around you. Additionally, it’s best to have a sink nearby for access to water.

For a water birth, be sure to sterilize the birthing tub by wiping it clean with warm water and soap. You can cover it with a plastic or cotton sheet, and place it in the corner of the room until it’s time to use it.

 

 

Feel calm, supported, and informed throughout your pregnancy with Home Birth with Love in Suffern, NY. Their safe and holistic birthing services include water births and personalized plans to help you with prenatal care, labor, and breastfeeding. In addition to birthing services, they offer their expertise with family planning, yearly well-woman exams, and postpartum assistance. For more information about home births, call (845) 641-5058. Visit their website to learn more about their services.

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