essential lists
Your essential labour kit for giving birth at home
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Choosing to have your baby at home is a very personal decision and not something that will appeal to every mum-to-be but it can be a really positive and rewarding experience.
On the practical side of things, you’ll have to be pretty organised and make sure you have all your equipment ready well in advance.
Your midwife will bring her own kit but these are the things to have to hand to make the process easier.
A birth pool is lovely to have (though not essential) but towels and a waterproof cover for the floor definitely ar - and just remember to pack a hospital bag just in case things don’t go according to plan.
Home Birthing Pool Hire
£125
See more at The Birth Partnership
*Deep blue colour for relaxation
* Easy to inflate and compact to store
* Liner and pumps also included
You can hire this pool for 6 weeks, covering your expected due date and then return it. The easy-to-inflate birth pool is ready for use quickly and is full of clever features, with two grab handles, a padded, inflatable seat for added comfort and made from durable PVC. There's a liner, hose, a submersible water pump and an electric pump to inflate it with. It also comes with a non-slip waterproof floor sheet, a floating water bath thermometer and instructions.
Anti-Burst Exercise Birthing Ball
From £15.99
* Available in four different colours
* Suitable for pregnancy exercises as well as labour
* Made from thick, anti-burst materials
A birthing ball is a great buy for labour and it can also be used for ante- and post-natal exercises, so it's worth investing in a good quality one. Use the ball to encourage proper posture, improve stability and relieve tension in your muscles. It comes with a pump included, as well as two plugs and a removal tool for when you need to deflate it.
Classic TENS machine
£24.99
* Great for gentle, non-evasive pain relief
* Dual channels so can treat pain in different areas
* Three different modes including continuous and regular bursts
A TENS machine is great for the early stages of labour to help combat the pain of contractions. This simple TENS machine has four pads, with the ability to have each pair set to a different intensity to control pain in different areas. There's a booster button for managing more intense pain, too.
Organic Cotton Maternity Pads
£9.49
* Extra soft long and breathable pads
* Biodegradable, compostable and chlorine-free
* Pads and packaging are 100% plastic-free
Made with a soft organic cotton cover, these pads are just what a new mum needs in the days after giving birth. They are extra long, so feel more secure, with a soft and fluffy absorbent core. Biodegradable and compostable, plus chlorine-free, these super-soft pads are a winner for after birth comfort.
Slip Resistant Floor Sheet
£9.99
See more at Home Birth Supplies
* Made from soft and durable PVC
* Textured on one side so it's non-slip
* Measures 2.5m x 1.75m
Made from soft and durable PVC, this large and durable plastic mat has a quilted, non-slip texture. It's made from PVC that won't tear and it is ideal for using under a birthing pool to protect your flooring if you're giving birth at home.
3. Cotton Bath Towels
£16.99
* Available in white, grey, green, plum or beige
* Made with with 100% cotton
* Measures 90 by 180cm
You'll need plenty of towels to hand, so think about buying them new if you'd like them to be super soft for both you and your newborn. A darker colour might be better for minimising stains from blood and other fluids, so this dark grey colour is ideal. Lightweight, yet with lots of absorbency, these are made from soft cotton that can be tumble-dried for ease of care.
Bobble Water Filter Bottle
£22
* Water bottle that filters as you drink
* 550ml capacity
* Available in lots of different colours
This clever bottle filters water as you drink it and is BPA-free, too. The ingenious design removes chlorine and organic contaminants from tap water, so it's ideal for refreshing you during labour. The 'bobble' filter will work to cleanse around 300 litres of water, so is much more cost effective than buying bottled water and it's easy to take little sips from the pop-up cap.
Aroma Home Geranium Fragranced Knitted Hot Water Bottle
* Hot water bottle is made from 100% PVC
* PVC is infused with pure essential oil
* Knitted cover is made from 90% acrylic and 10% lambswool
You could feel extremes of hot and cold during labour, so having a cosy hot water bottle to hand could be just what you need. This gorgeous PVC hot water bottle is infused with the beautiful scent of geranium to give you a soothing and wonderfully scented 'hug' during labour. It's also available in Lavender and Rosemary.
Relaxing Birth Music
Available on Apple Music
* Calming music for labour
* Over 30 different songs and pieces of music
* Available to download onto your device
Calm, relaxing music during labour will help you to focus and hopefully help you to manage your pain better. This collection of relaxing music is a must for calming you during the birth, including sounds from nature.
Burt's Bees® Baby 100% Natural Nourishing Baby Oil
£6.80
* From the natural Burt's Bees range
* Made from natural ingredients including apricot and grape seed oil
* Contains no parabens or SLS
Gentle massage can help during labour and this gentle oil can be used in the weeks afterwards to massage your baby, too. This 100% blend of easily absorbed natural plant oils including apricot and grape seed is ideal for use during labour. It seals in moisture, leaving skin soft and smooth.
Read on:
- Your complete pregnancy skin and haircare kit
- The best products to help you relax during pregnancy
- How to buy the best pregnancy pillow for your bump (and back!)
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase from Amazon. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.