What's in your Birth Bag?

One of the very first things new doulas start to do (sometimes before they even sign up for trainings) is to brainstorm and start filling their bag of tools to use to help support people in labor. It's exciting! Like packing for a vacation!  Google searches are made, Pintrest is scoured, lists are created and the purchasing begins!

So, after 9 years of attending births and countless doula bag rotations and changes, what can I offer you as a suggestion for what you need to bring?

Answer: A whole lot less than you think. 

Part 1:  THE BAG
I have an amazing ability to get bored with a purse or diaper bag after about 3.5 trips with it so I actually have 3 doula bags that I will rotate through depending on the month. The smallest one is a lovely blue woven bag that was a gift from my aunt on Christmas about 20 years ago. It was funky and lived in the closet until it called to me one day, begging to be brought to births... I usually tote this with me to births I anticipate will be quick... a second time birther at home, or something like that. The medium sized bag is the one pictured above and that is my standard bag lately.  The "Big Kahuna" is actually a JuJuBe Be Prepared diaper bag that I love way too much to retire. I use it as my birth bag when I know I have a lot of people due and I anticipate possibly needing to go from one birth directly to the next without time to restock my bag!  

Part 2: Stuff for you
What? You didn't think you'd need that much stuff?  I will say that when I first started out, the majority of my stuff was for "them", but over the years, I started ditching weird massage tools and stress-squishy-balls and added in more snacks and a can of dry shampoo. Beware that this list is real and a bit TMI-ish... read at will: 

• "Morning in a bag": Travel toothbrush and paste, pack of baby wipes so I can "shower" my sweaty pits, swamp-ass and under-boob area, a can of dry shampoo and extra hair ties and head bands. Taking 10 minutes to refresh myself during a long birth is just as energizing as a cup of coffee. 
• Medications: PACK YOUR MEDS!  Pack at least 3 days worth of whatever you usually take because there's nothing worse than forgetting to restock your meds. I also carry Advil, Aleve and Pepto chewables. Not because I anticipate going to a birth while ill (please... just don't) but because there are a dozen other reasons for a pain reliever such as sore feet and back from supporting the laboring person, period cramps if that's a thing that might happen or even just for a caffeine headache. The Pepto (or Beano or Gas-X or similar) is because 18 hours of eating dried mango and granola bars can do a number on a digestive system... you just never know and you don't want to be adding any "aromas" to that room that will ruin the concentration during a contraction. Another thing that you can use these for (at your own risk): a birth partner with a headache at 3 am when the hospital pharmacy is closed. The hospital will not give anyone who isn't a patient a Tums much less a few Advil.
• Extra Clothes!! A full second outfit. Down to the socks. At a home birth in a shoe-free household and step in a puddle of god-knows-what? You'll be thankful you packed extra socks. Going for a double-hip squeeze over the side of the birth tub and your chest takes a dip? No worries! You have an extra shirt! Puke on your pants? Extra comfy pants. Check! Underwear too.
• Are you an ovulating human?  Pack your menstruation products, even if it isn't due to be your time!!! All of that oxytocin swirling around the room has been known to affect the tide of the uterus and bring on a flow earlier than anticipated. Tricksy Oxytocin. 
• Food. Pack all the food. What do I pack? A variety of the following:  Luna Protein bars (the cookie dough is my current favorite), Kind bars, Lara bars, nuts (be aware of allergies in your client), yogurt covered raisins, shot blocks, EmergenC, Nuun tablets, packets of instant oatmeal (add hot water and you have a hot meal!). If I have time before I leave, I'll pack some good fresh foods: sliced up cucumber, grape tomatoes, cheese sticks, ham and cheese rolls, hard boiled eggs or I'll grab a tub of frozen soup from my freezer. 
• Chapstick
• No-Doz or chocolate covered espresso beans
• Gum or breath spray
• Full water bottle. Hydrate Hydrate HYDRATE. 
• Your cell phone charger- you're likely still on call for other clients!
• Sleeping things such as an inflatable pillow if you're in a hospital with rules about linens in the waiting area. I also pack a sleep mask for the midday naps that can happen. 

Part 2.5: What do I wear?!

• Comfy clothes. Comfort matters. A lot. 
  
• NOT scrubs. There are a billion opinions on wether or not to wear scrubs and I stand firmly in the "nope" category with one caveat: Dickies Cargo Scrub pants are SUPER comfy and handy with all the pockets. Pair those with a professional-looking comfortable top and you will be fine. They don't look like scrubs and you won't be mistaken for a medical professional.
  
• Birth-Nerd-Shirts: My only hesitation comes in the wording... does the shirt guarantee an outcome? Does it say "I believe in your ability to birth!"? Maybe don't wear that to a cesarean (which in reality could be *any* birth). Does it boast your love for unmedicated birth?  Will that offend someone who is choosing medication? I love my stack of birthy-shirts, but I chose one appropriate for each birth and for hospitals, I usually just wear the tank top I had made that has my logo on it and nothing else. It's simple. 
• No Jeans!  You will need to be able to move and bend over and not have things digging into your gut and sides. 
• People with breasts: lock those up. A sports bra is smart because you will be working hard, and make sure that your top isn't so low-cut that things start falling out. 
• Shoes and socks: Make sure they can be work for long periods of time. I wore Crocs until the squeak-factor got to me. Now I wear Danskos but they are also starting to squeak so I'm looking into getting a really good pair of tennis shoes. 

Part 3: Things for them:

• Rebozo 
• "Heat Wave" Heating Pad. I got this on Amazon and then went back and bought a second one... and then a third. They work really well, I was just lazy about boiling them for an hour to reset and sanitize them. Having 2-3 in rotation is wise. 
• Jambox or other bluetooth enabled speaker. I also have a Spotify subscription that I use for births (hint: tax write off) and have made multiple playlists of seemingly innocuous tunes that get *most* people moving. Spotify also has hypnosis albums on there and some are even labor-specific!  
• Pack of LED candles. Spring for the melty-looking ones. They are more whimsical.I have about 12 of the votive-sized ones and they work well. Watch for them to go on sale after Halloween!
• Aromatherapy or essential oils if it is within your scope (some doula organizations allow it and some do not, so check with your org). 
• Massage lotion or oil. I've recently fallen in love with the Body Shop's line of dry body oils. They are lightly scented but SO easy on my hands and I'm not greasy after using them. It's always wise to keep a bottle of jojoba or coconut oil on hand as well for people who are sensitive to smells or want a natural oil. 
  
• Gallon-sized Ziplock bags and a few extra adult diapers. If your client's water breaks before you all head to the birth place and they are nauseated and woefully unprepared for that car ride, it can be made much more comfortable with them in a diaper, clutching a giant barf-baggie that comes equipped with a spill-proof zipper. 
• Most recent edition of the Labor Progress Handbook by Penny Simkin 
• The Spinning Babies Quick Reference Booklet by Gail Tully

Part 4: Tech for the Birth Worker
      *a separate blog post coming soon!*

That's it. Honestly. Your hands will be stronger than any massage tool or fancy gadget. I never got coordinated enough to use the tennis ball in a tube sock, so I ended up tossing it and just using my fists. Here are some things to AVOID:

No-No List:

• Pepperoni sticks or other heavy-aromatic food
• Perfume or scented deodorant
• Food that is in crinkly packages or is loud when chewed
• Open-toed shoes in a hospital (don't let your footwear be the reason they don't allow you to accompany your client into the OR if needed). 
• Cigarettes. No smoking at births!  This should be a no-brainer but third-hand smoke can be really bad for new babies. Pack a patch if you need to, but do not smoke during a birth. And yes, they will know if you did. The laboring human's nose is like a bloodhound. 

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