what do I need to prepare for the birth.
Whether you are birthing in a hospital, birth centre or at home you will need to prepare a few things.
HOMEBIRTH: have a safe certified carseat ready, with one outfit for baby to wear, one set of clothes for yourself for after the birth, sanitary pad and undies, as well as toothbrush etc. This way IF there is an issue and we need to transfer to hospital we can just grab the carseat and go, and you will have all you need for the immediate few hours.
Your midwife may be able to provide you with a birth pool if desired. She will also bring the linen and birthing equipment needed.
HOSPITAL OR BIRTH CENTRE: when heading in for labour, bring your hospital bag and your carseat. In your hospital bag you will need: one outfit for baby to be dressed in (singlet, stretch and grow, hat and booties) and one wrap for baby. An outfit for yourself to wear after birth: PJs or trackpants and top. You will need several sets of large undies (as you will need to wear 1-2 thick sanitary pads in them), or incontinence undies, and a stretchy crop top style bra if you like (but not absolutely necessary). Bring your cosmetics like soap, toothbrush and paste, deodorant, shampoo. You dont need to bring sanitary pads or nappies for baby, or towels as the hospital/birth centre supplies these. Bring a water bottle (especially important in labour), headphones for music if you want and/or a speaker for music in labour. You are welcome to bring your favourite pillow/blanket for comfort. Bring snacks for you and your partner - the hospital supplies 3 meals but you will need snacks.
You are welcome to bring aromatherapy, affirmations to hang around the birth room, lighting or anything you choose to make the room homelike. Keep in mind we cant allow open flames so only the battery operated candles and aroma therapy atomizers.
Bring any regular medications you may be taking, and blood sugar testing equipment if you are diabetic.
After the birth:
After baby is born and you settle in at home you need some basic things and it pays to have these sorted long before labour. You need a safe space for baby to sleep. Baby needs their own bed, for every sleep, with a firm flat mattress. No toys or pillows or bumpers around the bed. A bassinette or cot or wahakura is perfect. You need a safe and certified car seat for travel, preferably a newborn capsule or accredited newborn carseat. You need a basic set of clothing: ideally merino for all seasons in NZ. 2-4 singlets, 4 stretch and grows, a couple of hats and booties/socks. Some blankets or wraps in natural fibres such as merino or cotton or bamboo are ideal. Baby will need nappies - at least 3 packets of newborn size, and you will need sanitary pads for the first few weeks at least. Wet wipes are handy but you can use cut up fabric or face cloths rinsed in warm water instead. You dont need shampoos or soaps or talc for baby in the first few months. Plain water for bathing is best, and at most a natural oil such as coconut oil if baby gets dry skin, and a simple zinc and castor oil nappy cream is all you need. Babies can be showered with a parent, bathed in a bucket or large bowl or a baby bath. You dont have to buy purpose made baby baths or seats. It can be useful to have a pram or buggy for going on walks but its not essential. You may prefer a front pack, sling or baby wrap. Some families find a bouncy chair useful once baby is a few weeks old and wants to see things from a different perspective. A changing table so you dont have to bend down to much can be very useful, but again its not essential. See what you can borrow from friends because saving money now is a great idea. One thing that is super useful is having meals and snacks pre-made and frozen so your partner can organize meals for you easily in those first few exhausting weeks.
