Mostly stuff for me, I carry a backpack with:

My 3 ring binder with notes and paperwork stuff

Birth Partner

a birth ball pump (I keep a ball in the car but these hospitals typically have them so only need it if they are all in use)

my knitting

extra socks

massage oil (clary sage, arnica)

massage ball thing can't think of the name of it

pressure point thing (a little wooden thing that works like my thumb)

miso soup, oatmeal, honey sticks, tea, trail mix bars, peppermints

sarong (cheapy rebozo)

change purse

water bottle

homeopathic kit (for me) and a homeopathic childbirth kit

A smallish mist bottle with water and a drop or 2 of peppermint oil and alcohol pads for nausea and to wake me up on the way home

cd player with headphones and cd's

batteries

my digital camera

I think that's about it... not sure

Here's what is in my doula bag:

For Me:

My 3 ring binder (paperwork/notes, educational charts, client file, copy of birthplan, etc.)
Labor Support reminder cards (small & on a keyring)...I seldom use
Labor Progress Handbook by Penny Simkin
Small clipboard with pad of paper & ink pen (taking notes for Birth story)
Toothbrush/toothpaste/breath mints (not super strong ones)
Femine pads/tampons
hair brush
contact lense case w/solution
glasses (in case I need my contacts out for long labors)
change of clothing
money pouch (money, driver's license, etc.)
cell phone (although not on in the hospital)
Disposable camera (afraid I'll drop & break our digital camera)
2 Propel Fitness Water bottles (Peach flavor)
Luna bars (3 or 4) (snack to keep up my energy)
Bottle of Aleve (in case of headache or I start my period )

For Mom or for "Doula tricks":

2 Kneeling Pads (one for other support person or mom, one for me or mom)
Safflower carrier oil or Olive oil (for massage)
Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion (if she doesn't want oil for massage)
2 Rice packs (one w/ Lavender, one w/ Peppermint in them)...Mom keeps rice packs after the birth
Scalp Massager (from Bath and Body Works)
Omni Ball massager (great for counter pressure)
Mini and Reg. size neck/back massagers
2 small plastic combs (for mom to squeeze in her hands...form of acupressure--the cheapest, yet one of most of my mom's favorite comfort measures)
Chilled Gel eye mask
Hand-held battery powered fan
Cotton balls (for putting Peppermint oil on for nausea)
LED Votive Candle (looks like real flickering candle)
Ponytail scrunchies
Birthball & Pump (although I don't take it to the hospital if they already have them in each room-which is the norm-....AND...it doesn't fit in the bag!)

Hmmmm, let me think about that one. I have two bags. The really small one is for doula stuff and the other one is for me I have two bags because I have had clients go through my doula bag looking for stuff, and I just am not comfortable having someone dig through my personal belongings. For example, once I had a woman supporting a mom and she went in the bag to see what massage tools I had. The next thing I know she pulls out an Instead (feminine product that I keep in the bag just in case) and she starts talking about how she has her period and would like to try one so she prances off to the bathroom with it. I don't like people touching my personal stuff - just call me weird or mean - whichever you prefer LOL.

When I first started out as a doula I carried this huge bag with me and now I am down to a very small bag, but in my bag I have the following:

• cd player with speakers
• cds
• massage oil
• flashlight
• small handheld mirror
• aromatherapy scents and a diffuser (cotton balls as well)
• two different massage tools
• tupperware rolling pin
• "prickly" balls
• kneeling pad
• bath pillow
• these cool cards that have positions on them - dad's love to look at them
• hair ties
• paper fan
• Joni's candlelight
• mama's file (I only take along the file for the client I am currently working with for confidentiality purposes)
• business cards
• digital camera
• disposable camera
• batteries

I also have a birth ball, but I never take it with me anymore because all the hospitals have their own. If I do take it I leave it in my van just in case, but I have never needed it yet.

Now in my bag I have money, pens, pencils, paper, a complete change of clothes, all the essentials in case I am gone for a good amount of time (shampoo/conditioner, soap, towel, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair brush, etc). My bag is packed with enough stuff so that if I get called away for awhile I can manage and still feel okay (i.e. clean wise and fed wise LOL). I also have food and water in there. I carry tea bags as well, and if I am reading a good book that would be in my bag as well. Oh yes, and feminine products because I swear I get my period every single time I am at a natural childbirth even if I am not due to get it LOL Sorry if that is tmi

yikes, it'd be one thing if she was like, yo can i try one of these, but just to prance off and take it? wtf?

LOL - had that happen one other time with food that I had packed in my bag. A free client of mine had brought a guy along with to what she thought was labor - this was a friend of a friend who happened to come to her house with the friend and the friend didn't want to come to the birth, but the guy though it would be "cool." He went in my bag and took out my food. It happened twice and I will not deal with it again. Now I make it known that they cannot go in "my" bag.

OMG! I am totally appalled that those people were going through your things! Regardless of whether or not they are things to use on your clients, they are your personal items. I think I would freak out if someone took my food.

Ok, so what I keep in my bag.

Rebozo
nukkles massagers
tingler head massager (this is MY favorite:lol)
other various massage tools that I got from the $1 section at Target(which I've never used, btw)
The Labor Progress Handbook
some relaxing massage CD's
rice socks
hair ties
gardening pad (if I have to kneel on the floor by a tub, for example)
packets of Emergen-C
hand lotion
change of clothes
toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash
altoids mints and gum
Luna bars
pens, pad of paper

I think thats it!

Oh, and I know what you mean about getting AF when you are at a birth! It's happened to me twice since getting my IUD out in June!

LOL - isn't it bizarre? I find it to be the most bizarre thing ever. I can just finish my period and if I go to a natural birth it starts up again. I just can't understand it. I have NEVER had it start at a medicated birth, but at a natural birth that is taking a little bit of time it always starts.

When it first started happening my dh would tease me and tell me not to tell anyone because they would think I was nuts. The more I checked it out the more I learned - i.e. even how often times women in a workplace might all get on the same cycle schedule or women in the same house, etc.

On a side note - I have to ask - how difficult was it getting your IUD removed? I am asking only because I have one and never considered how it was going to be removing it LOL.

Well, there was some drama when I got my IUD removed.
The first time I went to my widwife she couldn't find my strings. Then she looked a few days later and still found nothing. I had to go for an ultrasound to see if it fell out or if it perforated my uterus. You can imagine that I was freaking out about the possibility of it perforating my uterus.
Anyway, it was there but no one could find or feel the strings. So I had to go see an OB that had some "tricks" to getting it out. She had to clamp my cervix with some crazy looking clamps and had to dig around and she finally found it! It took about 20 minutes and it didn't really hurt, it was just a ton of pressure. The strings had curled up so no one could find them.
Everyone else I know had no problems with IUD removal but I'm just a freak!:lol

And of course, 2 days after I had it removed I had my first pp af at a birth!

I keep two good old fashioned hot water bottles in my birth bag. I have found that when filled really full, a hot water bottle is great for providing counter pressure in the small of a mother's back. Why do I need *two* hot water bottles?

If there is a nervous sister/mother-in-law/spectator at a birth, or someone who is distracting the mother in any way, I just keep handing that person a water bottle and sending them off to refill it. It gives them something to do, and gets them out of the way. Works like a charm. I also bring lots of extra maxipads and witch hazel and I send them to the kitchen to make peripads (even if the mother has a freezer full already. It keeps them busy and makes them feel important.)

At one homebirth, the client's jack russel curled up at the midwife's feet at the foot of the bed, and the midwife had to keep stepping over the dog. Even gentle little "kicks" would not persuade that dog to move, so we just worked around the dog - as things were happening really quick. After the birth, when we began to clean up, the dog still had not moved. I picked the dog up to move it and we all laughed to see that the dog had been all curled up on one of my hot water bottles the whole time. He was so comfortable he would not even think of moving!

Desiree O'Clair
Handmaiden Birth Service

What do you pack in your Doula Bag/Birth Bag?

What do you recommend to mom's to pack in theirs?

What one item would you be lost without?

What one item do you take "just in case"?

What item could you just leave at home? (and not really miss or is available at the hospital?

Does anyone bring a swimsuit to help/accompany mom in the shower?

I use a pink and black duffle bag on wheels. It has a bottom compartment I keep things for myself in:
change of clothes
snacks
toiletries
extra change
my wallet and keys
sweatshirt

The top portions has the rest (I have attended three births so I will note how many of the births I used each thing)
3-cd player
3-cd's
0-massage tools
1-massage oil (scented and unscented)
1-peppermint lotion (for feet)
3-peppermint spray
1-knee pad
3-clip board with client file
2-hand fan (didn't have it for first birth)
3-preggie pops/dum dums
0-racquet/tennis ball for massage (if mom is weird about her feet being touched she can roll the ball on the floor with her foot-it feels wonderful)
1-My camera (their batteries died when she started pushing-I take pictures with their camera if they have it)

And of course the birth ball.

Thats all I can think of right now.


I try to tell them to pack things but I have not been succesful with this yet! lol I encourage them to find the music they like, a scented lotion or oil they like, things like that but I have yet to have them actually do that. So far, the stuff I have in my bag that I have not needed is the stuff for me but I won't leave it out!! You just never know when you will be at a long birth.

I don't think I would be comfortable getting into a bathing suit but I might add a lightweight exercise shirt that will dry quickly when it gets wet. I do have the change of clothes just in case, though.

What do you pack in your Doula Bag/Birth Bag?
I have a variety of massage tools, rice pack, lotions (several scents), natural massage oils, knee pad, relaxation CDs, snacks, money, water, EmergenC, personal bathroom stuff for me.

What do you recommend to mom's to pack in theirs?
I usually tell them to bring any specific things they want/need, but they usually don't bring much.

What one item would you be lost without?
Probably my lotions/oils. I do a lot of relaxation massage at births. For me, I have to have my EmergenC. If I don't eat for a while or get tired I just throw some in a bottle water and it's very refreshing.

What one item do you take "just in case"?
I guess the rice pack. I've only used it once (at a homebirth and that was for the baby)...I keep it in there 'just in case'...one day I'll need it.

What item could you just leave at home?( and not really miss or is available at the hospital?) probably the relaxation CDs...with the staff running in and out at the hospital there's really no room for 'relaxation' of that sort. But I keep them in the bag 'just in case'. lol

Does anyone bring a swimsuit to help/accompany mom in the shower?
I don't, but I do have a change of clothes in my bag as well so if I got soaked or uncomfortably wet I'd have something to change into.

Even though I am new and don't have a ton of births under my belt, I cary about the same things. One thing that I have found that I love(which might sound wierd) is KY warming massage oil. Even though it is intended for other fun stuff, it works great on mom's sore back or feet. The warming effect is really nice and feels great on muscles to relax them.

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