*Bonus Kit #1 - Customized Client Birth Kit*
Disclaimer(s):
1 – This series is a bit like Star Wars, meaning that I’m first releasing the middle parts of the series, because these tend to be the ones people ask about most often. Don’t worry though, you’ll get to see the beginning eventually! 😉
2 – As a home birth Midwife, a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), and a Licensed Midwife (LM) in Michigan, who accepts low risk people with a normal and healthy history and pregnancy, I generally only need to access a small percentage of these equipment/supplies to help facilitate a normal physiological pregnancy/birth/postpartum. More often than not, my presence in care only requires routine health monitoring, physical comfort measures/suggestions, reassurance and basic counseling, gentle non-invasive support, and documenting the whole experience; the pregnant-birthing person and babe do most of the work! However, when you hire me as your Midwife, rest assured that I come with the bells and whistles needed to help you and/or your babe in a more difficult situation. I have the education, training, skills, experience, and equipment to manage the most common and sometimes not so common complications of pregnancy/birth/postpartum. That’s where the peak inside my bags comes in!
*DO NOT HESITATE to reach out with any questions or concerns that you may have after viewing anything in this series*
These are the following supplies included in your customized client birth kit (this is an additional cost to the midwifery care/home birth package), pictured from left to right & top to bottom:
1. Absorbent briefs - for the first couple days postpartum when bleeding is the heaviest
2. ORGANIC cotton maternity pads - for additional absorption/protection; half of the pads in this box are used to make 'frozen padsicles' for comfort right after birth using the herbal sitz bath described below
3. Bulb syringe - not routinely used, but helpful for clearing birth fluids/mucus from babes mouth and nose after birth if needed
4. Non-sterile gloves (non-latex) - for use of birth team to protect birthing person and baby during routine care
5. Sterile gloves (non-latex) - for vaginal/cervical exams when indicated during labor, and for perineal examination after birth to check for possible tears/lacerations
6. Herbal sitz bath - for prepping postpartum frozen padsicles to help with perineal healing and soothing after birth, can also be used in an actual bath to help calm and soothe body/skin for both client and baby in the first week postpartum
7. Peri-bottle - your BFF for toileting after birth, to cleanse and soothe your sensitive areas in the first week to avoid the roughness of wiping with toilet paper
8. Sterile gauze - used for umbilical cord care and during sterile perineal examination for possible tearing after birth
9. Umbilical cord band - alternative to bulky cord clamp typically used in the hopsital
10. Sanitary Birth Pool Liner (*OPTIONAL ITEM*) - to line and protect the birth pool for sanitary purposes, for those that choose to use hydrotherapy during labor and/or birth.
11. Absorbent 'Chux' underpads - to keep things (birth fluids) contained and cleanly during labor, birth, and immediate postpartum
12. Bottle of rubbing alcohol - to clean midwife's equipment and supplies after birth
13. Chlorohexidine Scrub Brush - to sanitize birth instruments after your birth, before being put into autoclave for sterilization process
14. Amnicator - to confirm membranes have released (AKA: rupture of membranes, water broke)
15. Cardboard box - to hold and ship all these supplies to your home directly (Radiant Belly is the service used to order your customized client birth kit)
16. 2 Gallon Ziploc bags - for your placenta; to securely hold/store/transport, depending on your placenta plans
17. 2 Large trash bags - one is for collecting disposable materials during birth, and one is used to contain soiled linens and laundry during birth; your Allomother Midwifery birth team will take out the trash and start a load of laundry before departing after birth (no one would even know that you had a home birth as far as the condition and cleanliness of your birthing space goes)
*Optional Birth Kit Items not picture here*: an Eldon card to check babes blood type if you are RH negative (ie. B-, AB-, O-, etc), an After Ease herbal tincture to help with postpartum cramping/after pains, and a Mattress bag (basically a plastic pillow case for your whole mattress) to help protect your mattress during the labor/birthing process
* STAY TUNED FOR MORE PARTS OF THE SERIES*