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The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

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Supplies Recommended for a Home Birth

The Best Thing You Can Do for Mothers, Babies, Birth and Families is to Become Net Savvy!

I just had my mind expanded this morning by Laureen Hudson's hour long online session on how to use the internet to get a message out. Laureen's session “Creating an Online Presence," gave me a wealth of information in a short time and impressed me with how many people are out there who completely rely on the internet for their information. I needed that, and maybe you do, too.  

  - Ina May Gaskin 

 I just hung up the phone from doing the hour long session with Laureen Hudson on “Creating an Online Presence”.  Laureen’s know-how and expertise were enough to wake up even the birth oldtimers like me and Ina May to the many unused opportunities of the internet.  Laureen’s engaging and easygoing teaching style made even those scary (to me) terms like “hypertext, streaming, wordpress, technorati, feedreader and trackback” start to make sense.  Her passion is to reach the generation of young women who have not yet given birth BEFORE they fall into the black hole of aggressive obstetrics.  I came away from the class today with lots of ways to improve my website and make it more modern, usable and interesting for readers.  This class will run again this coming Friday (August 22) and I heartily recommend it.  
- Gloria Lemay


 
REGISTER NOW! SPACE IS LIMITED! 

Cost: $35 per session 

Each session will be 60 minutes in length 

Creating An Online Presence
Sunday, September 7 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Friday, September 19 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific / 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Monday, September 22 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific / 12:00 p.m. Eastern 

Search! 
This session will include a case study of Dr. Amy and how we shoot ourselves in the collective feet by visiting and commenting on her website.  (PS Hope you enjoyed the Gotcha! page from our last email!)
Sunday, October 5 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific / 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Friday, October 24 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific / 3:00 p.m. Eastern
Monday, October 27 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific / 12:00 p.m. Eastern   

Have your list of emergency phone numbers near the phone. Your doctor, pediatrician, ambulance, and hospital numbers should all be included. Also include your address, phone number, and directions to your home.

MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES:

Extra people (Support for children, gofer, etc.)
Clean clothes for all - who should also be bathed
1 roll of paper towels
Flashlight with fresh batteries
Heating pad or hot water bottle
Box of trash bags (at least one bag should be white) for laundry, trash,
placenta, pillows, etc.)
2 large bowls - 1 for placenta, 1 for emesis
1 empty squirt bottle - for rinsing perineum after birth
Crushed ice in 3 or 4 sandwich bags for ice packs
3 or 4 bottles of Gatorade, Third Wind or Recharge
Extra juice - especially important after the birth
Thermometer
Extra food - for mother, friends, midwives 
Sanitary napkin belt or sanitary briefs
Box of hospital sized sanitary napkins
Box of maxi size sanitary napkins
Nightgown for after the birth
Diapers
Rubbing Alcohol (73%) for cord care
Flexible straws
Optional: Camera- with film and flash Powder Chapstick Popsicles or frozen juice cubes Nursing bra & pads Warm socks

BIRTH KIT

20 Large Chux - disposable underpads 1 - 3oz. bulb (ear) syringe 1 - bottle oil for massage, preferably in squirt bottle 1 - box 4x4 sterile gauze pads or topper sponges (min.20 pads) 12 individually wrapped sterile gloves (size medium) 1 - cord clamp 1 - bottle 91% alcohol 1 - tube STERILE lubricating jelly (HR, K-Y, etc.) 1 - baby cap

BEDDING

1 set of clean sheets for use after the birth Clean pillow cases for use after the birth 1 plastic mattress cover or thick polyethylene Firm mattress (place plywood underneath if too soft or have a 6-10 inch stack of newspapers in a garbage bag) Cover pillows with plastic bag - then pin case to pillow

The following supplies should be washed, dried, placed in separate grocery bags, sealed with tape or staples, labeled as to their contents and placed in the center of the oven (don't let the bag touch the top or sides of the oven.) Place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven and bake for 2 hours at 200 - 250 degrees. Watch carefully to avoid scorching. or Run these items through an extra cycle in the dryer (at least an hour) and place in plastic bags with a twist tie.

Do not open the bags. They will be opened as needed.

   At least 2 sheets (fitted and top sheet)
   Pillow cases 
   At least 4 towels (these are used to cover the baby immediately after the
birth)  
   At least 4 washcloths
   At least 4 receiving blankets
The following items need not be baked, but washed, placed and labeled in a bag.
   Clothes for the baby
   Diapers for the baby (except when using disposable)
   2 receiving blankets
When you feel pretty certain that you are in labor, make up your bed with the clean sheets that you have for after the birth. Place the plastic sheet over them. Place the baked sheet on top of the plastic (pinning the corners to prevent slipping.) This will make your bed all ready for the birth.

After the birth we will strip your bed and clean up your room while you are showering.



This Web page is referenced from another page containing related information about Supplies

 




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