My Favorite Things For Birth!
As you prepare to welcome your little one into the world, ensuring you have the right tools, tips and tricks can help make the birthing experience smoother and way more comfortable. From labor aids, comfort items, and just useful things - here's my go to list!
These are items I have used and love - and share with my clients! If you make a purchase after clicking one of the affiliate links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
As you prepare to welcome your little one into the world, ensuring you have the right tools, tips and tricks can help make the birthing experience smoother and way more comfortable. From labor aids, comfort items, and just useful things - here's my go to list!
Birth Ball this one is a favorite and comes with a handy guide on how to use for birth!
A birth ball, also known as a stability or exercise ball, is a versatile tool that can provide relief and support during labor. Sitting, bouncing, and swaying on a birth ball can help ease discomfort, promote relaxation, and encourage optimal fetal positioning. All of our local Cleveland hospitals have birth balls available for use during labor so no need to haul it through the hospital, but having your own can be convenient for practicing relaxation techniques, stretching, and movement at home before labor and during!
(Doula-tip) Check out what size you need based on your height before you purchase!
Traditional hospital gowns can be uncomfortable and impractical for labor. Consider investing in a special labor gown made from soft, breathable fabric with convenient features like adjustable straps, snaps for easy access during monitoring, and openings for skin-to-skin contact after birth. A comfortable labor gown can help you feel more relaxed, comfortable and empowered during the birthing process.
Also, your own soft grippy socks are always better than the scratchy hospital ones!
Massage Tools: Ball roller, Massage oil, Massagers, Labor Combs
Massage can be a valuable tool for managing pain and promoting relaxation during labor. Using massage tools such as massage balls, handheld massagers, or massage oils to help alleviate tension and discomfort. Enlist the support of your partner or a doula to provide soothing massages during labor, focusing on areas of tension like the lower back and shoulders.
Comfort Items
During labor, having familiar and comforting items can provide a sense of reassurance and stability. Pack items such as a favorite pillow, cozy blanket, essential oils for aromatherapy, soothing music playlist, and snacks to keep your energy up.
Bluetooth Speaker -This little easy to pack speaker is amazing and doesn’t take up much space in your bag!
Small snacks like honey packs, nut butters, trial mix, and bananas are great options!
Liquid IV drinks, Coconut water, or something to add nutrients or electrolytes to all the water you’ll be guzzling!
Keeping the room dim and dreamy can also play a huge part in relaxation so bring in some twinkle lights or battery candles and even your essential oil diffuser!
Useful Extras: A Stroller Fan like this to attach to the side of the hospital bed, your favorite chapstick, extra hair ties, and a extra long phone charger are also some of the most random but convenient things to be sure have during labor!
How it started.
My reason for educating myself about birth, babies, bodies and the power of choice.
I became a doula and a childbirth educator because of her.
The journey of pregnancy is one that is held close to our hearts, cherished, treasured and remembered deeply.
My oldest, my first baby, my mini me….. just kidding, she is an >absolute< spitting image of her father, but she is my reason. My reason for educating myself about birth, babies, bodies and the power of choice.
I became a doula and a childbirth educator because of her.
My journey with her started years before she came into this messy, breathtaking world. I, like so many women around the world, have PCOS - Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. If you were to ask me what that was 10 years ago I would have shrugged my shoulders with a look of absolute confusion.
Well, I have been educated but that is another story for another time.
After trying, praying, calculating, trying some more, and making the (at the time) difficult decision to bring my amazing OB into the mix we were finally getting somewhere.
Rounds of medications, negative tests, months of blood work, and another trip to the nurse’s station for yet another test seemed to be the new normal. I remember feeling so hopeful, nervous, and anxious to hear those results, which would ultimately break my heart in two.
I vividly remember getting the call about my blood results while at work. It broke me. I try really hard to always be professional and welcoming – because well, that’s who I am and literally what I did for work, but I couldn’t. I shut my front office door, called my husband and texted my best friend. Who, thankfully at the time worked just down the hall from me. She came, sat, listened, cried, and held me as I wept.
THE JOURNEY IS HARD.
Weeks later, something changed inside. I felt weird. I can’t tell you how or why, because honestly I don’t remember. But I decided to test again at home.
Positive? Impossible. My doctor called, my numbers were too low, it didn’t take, and I didn’t work. But they were wrong. I work. My body worked. I was pregnant!
THE JOURNEY WAS WORTH IT.
My pregnancy was TOUGH, like a lot of fist time moms I discovered the joys of pregnancy nausea, through my ENTIRE pregnancy, mind you. The heartburn, exhaustion, constipation, cholestasis (that’s were you itch, profusely. All THE TIME.) I felt that I learned about ALL the things.
However, I also discovered the indescribable feeling of love for something my husband and I created, before I even laid eyes on it. I learned about fetal movements and those sweet little kicks and flips. I learned about self-care and taking special moments for me to rest. I discovered that powerful, immense feeling when you find what your body is capable of.
So after ten, very long, very anticipated months, and WEEKS of unrelenting itch- we decided to induce. Fifteen long hours of Pitocin, continuous fetal monitoring, and a very unenthusiastic epidural that was encouraged so I could rest, baby girl made her entrance at 11:55 PM, 15+ hours after arriving to the hospital.
PHEW, THAT JOURNEY WAS LONG.
My second, my little baby boy, his story is a little different. We didn’t try, plan, have tests, or even have doctors involved. God just decided to surprise – I mean, bless us with this little miracle all on his own. This pregnancy was pretty similar, not so much itch but just as much nausea.
I felt completely out of control and absolutely out of my element at the hospital during my daughter’s birth, we decided to go a different route and found a midwife to deliver this one at a local birth center. She and her team were absolutely incredible just like my previous OB. I am so thankful for professional, caring, and compassionate individuals at every turn.
Baby boy came all on his own. At 40 weeks and 1 day in a quiet, dimly lit birthing center tub with only a handful of people. His delivery was easy peasy, as my favorite five year old would say. After laboring at home most of the day, we headed to the birth center around 9PM, I was in active labor for under an hour before holding him in my arms, and we were home in bed only a couple hours later.
Our close friend always jokes, “it was like you left to go get a pizza but came home with a baby.”
I love both of my births. They were special, unique, enlightening and so empowering in such distinctive ways.
THEY WERE JOURNEYS THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, CHERISH AND HOLD DEEPLY CLOSE TO MY HEART.
How do I use my BRAIN?
How can we use it to talk to care providers? How can we use it to make the best choice when many are presented - or none.
B.R.A.I.N. is an acronym tool to help you process, reason, and rationalize difficult decisions that may present themselves during pregnancy, labor, and even postpartum. Using tools such as B.R.A.I.N. can help you create confident answers to problems that otherwise could cause some anxiety, unrest, and a lack of confidence.
So, what is B.R.A.I.N.?
How can we use it to talk to care providers? How can we use it to make the best choice when many are presented - or none.
Benefits: "What are the benefits?" "How can this be helpful in this situation?"
E.g. your doctor is recommending an epidural because you are exhausted, things have slowed down and you have been awake for 24 hours. Ask yourself and your provider, "how would this be beneficial to the outcome I want?"
Risks: "What are the risks?" This can be a straight forward question.
E.g. what are the risks with receiving this epidural procedure?
Alternatives: "What are my other options?" This is one of my favorites. It is simple but lets you and your provider have open communication.
E.g. "Beside an epidural, what are other alternatives or options available to me right now?"
Intuition: Ask yourself, "What is my intuition saying?" This is a great time to take a few moments to gather thoughts, feelings, and ideas. It's okay to ask the care team to step aside or even step out of the room, in order to weigh your options and/or discuss it with your partner.
Nothing: "What happens if we do nothing?" This is simple, yet sometimes the hardest because it involves waiting…. and maybe more waiting. Besides emergent situations, sometimes your care team may allow time to make decisions. Waiting an hour or two to let your body progress on its own may make for some easier decisions later on.