The Ultimate Home Birth Supplies List

Photo by Hannah Barata

Having the right home birth supplies ready can make all the difference in helping you feel prepared, supported, and relaxed when the big day arrives. With all our favourite product recommendations, this ultimate home birth checklist covers everything you, your baby, birth partner, and midwives may need. 

Prefer to have your home birth supplies checklist on paper? Print off our PDF version below:

Home_Birth_Checklist.pdf

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Setting & Ambience

Create a calm, peaceful space to labour and birth in with these comfort and atmosphere-boosting home birth items:

• Birth pool: For those planning on a water birth. You can buy one or hire one out, but check that these are not supplied by your home birthing team. 

• Waterproof sheets or plastic coverings (for floor, bed, and the birth space): We’ve ordered these decorator dust sheets that were recommended on our home birth Facebook group, which are fully waterproof. 

• Extra large clean towels: If money is tight, you could ask family/friends to donate their old, unwanted towels. These budget-friendly, dark Amazon basics towels are also a good option. 

• Music, playlist or speakers: To save money, you could also use your phone or TV and create a birth playlist of your favourite songs to get the oxytocin flowing. 

• Candles or soft ambient lighting: Avoid open flame if using Entonox, we’ve got this galaxy projector for even more ambience. 

• Mirror (if you’d like to see the baby being born) 

• Desk lamp or head torch: Not strictly necessary, but helpful for midwife’s checks if you want to keep the overall lighting dim 

• Birth ball or exercise ball: This is also great for your third trimester and prepping for birth. Our choice is the Babygo birthing ball. 

• Fan: Depending on the time of year and room temperature. Our home birth is in July, so a good-quality fan is a must!

  
  

  For You 

  Stay as comfortable and prepared as possible throughout labour and postpartum:

  
  

• Maternity notes & birth plan: Kept in an easy-to-access area. You (or your birthing partner) can hand these to the home birthing team when they arrive. 

• Lip balm: Labour breathing can be drying.

• Notebook and pen: If you want to jot down your thoughts or document the experience. Some people might find this too distracting. 

• Camera or phone for photos/videos: If there is a spare or student midwife, you could ask them to take some photos so you and your birthing partner can focus. 

• Comfortable clothing – oversized T-shirt, dressing gown, swimming costume (if having a water birth), or nothing at all. 

• Hair ties or clips: Labour can get very sweaty, so keeping your hair out of your face can help. Silk hair ties are great for a bit of extra luxury. 

• Large sanitary pads or disposable postpartum underwear: The Lil-lets maternity pads and Frida Mom disposable underwear were amazing after labour and for those first few days post-birth.

• Perineal bottle: Using the toilet post-birth can be painful, so a perineal bottle can soothe the area while you relieve yourself. Our go-to choice is the Lansinoh Peri Bottle. 

• Light snacks and electrolyte drinks: To help keep your energy levels up during labour. 

• Water bottle with a straw: Labour is thirsty work, so we recommend a big bottle with a straw that doesn’t need constant refilling. The Stanley Quencher is our favourite and is also great for staying hydrated at night when breastfeeding. 

• Hot water bottle or heating pad

• TENS machine: A battery-operated device to help manage lower back pain during the early stages of labour. These can be bought online or hired out. Some birthing pool companies also supply them. 

• Bowl or bucket: For sickness, as some women are nauseous during labour. 

  
  

  For the Midwives

  Make sure your midwifery team has everything they need for a smooth birth visit:

  
  

• Space for their birth bag and equipment

• Access to plug sockets and good lighting

• Kettle or access to warm drinks. It’s a nice idea to provide a basket of snacks and drinks for your midwives.

• A large bowl, bucket or freezer bag for the placenta. They’ll also take away your placenta if you choose.

• Midwives will typically bring:

  • Disposable absorbent pads

  • Entonox (gas and air)

  • Basic pain relief

  • Monitoring tools

  • Emergency resuscitation equipment

    
    

  For Baby:

  Have everything ready to keep your newborn warm, dry, and snuggly:

  
  

• Soft cotton blankets: We recommend 100% cotton cellular blankets that are gentle on baby’s skin.  

• 2 soft baby hats: To keep baby’s head warm post-birth. This pack of two soft-touch hats are a good choice. 

• Baby clothes (vests, sleepsuits): If money is tight, Vinted is also a great resource for second-hand baby items. 

• Newborn nappies: We recommend getting a few small packs in two different sizes, as baby’s size is hard to predict pre-birth

• Water wipes or cotton wool: For nappy changing. Cotton wool is recommended for the first few days as it is more gentle on baby’s skin. 

  
  

  You’ll also need a car seat in case of hospital transfers and a Moses basket or next-to-me crib so your baby has somewhere to sleep post-birth. 

  
  

  If you think anything is missing from this list, please let us know below!