What Supplies are in Your Birth Bag?

Putting together your first birth bag is a BIG DEAL! You want to make sure you have everything you need to do multiple births in a row safety and not kill your back long term. There are many opinions about what supplies should be taken to a home birth. It will vary based on your skill set, educational background, and volume of practice. Here is my recommended list of supplies to have in your birth bags. I carried around 2-3 bags at all time depending on how many ladies were due that month (prenatal & birth bags).

Prenatal Bag:

1. Stethoscope (high quality)

2. Blood Pressure Cuff (sm, reg, & lg)

3. Doppler (gel, measuring tape, spare batteries, and good case to hold it)

4. Lubricant (individual packs)

5. Gloves (sterile and non-sterile)

6. Urinalysis strips (including collection cups)

7. Patient Charts (due in the next month)

8. Extra Paperwork (labor, prenatal visits, progress notes, educational handouts, & consents)

9. Pens, Business Cards (appt reminder cards), & Hand Sanitizer

Birth Bag:

1. Resuscitation Supplies (newborn ambubags, laryngoscope, delee suction, intubation supplies, oxygen tank, oxygen tubing, bulb syringe, & adult mask)

2. IV Start Supplies (IV Start needles – 18g and 20g, iv start kits, tape, IV tubing, & LR bags)

3. Medications (cytotec, pitocin, lidocaine, erythromycin eye ointment, vitamin K injections, benadryl, tylenol, motrin, & tums)

4. Instruments (suture set, delivery set, episiotomy scissors, ring forceps, blunt tips scissors, gauze, & allis clamps)

5. Misc Supplies (underpads, needles, syringes, reflex hammer, alcohol swabs, cleaning wipes, hand sanitizer, & gloves – regular and sterile)

6. Newborn Assessment Supplies (baby sling, baby hanging scale, eye light, measuring tape)