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Homebirthers - do you pack a backup hospital bag?

julyjenniferjulyjennifer member
in Natural Birth

I'm planning a homebirth for my second baby (my first was born med-free at a hospital). 

I fully expect to birth at home, but I know that transports to hospitals do happen if the situation warrants.  Would it make any sense to have a small hospital bag packed with, I don't know, a change of clothes for me and the baby, some toiletries...so if a transport becomes necessary it's just ready to grab?  I don't know if that's just kind of silly given the fairly low odds of needing it.  Plus, a family member can probably just stop by my house to gather what I'd need if it comes to that, right?  I think I'm kind of in ultra-nesting mode so I'm trying to get everything as "ready" as it can be.

Just wondering what other homebirthing people have done. 

Thanks! 

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Re: Homebirthers - do you pack a backup hospital bag?

  • laurasuzanne2006laurasuzanne2006 member
    I won't be.  It wouldn't be that much work for someone to go get a few things afterward.
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  • LindseyJWLindseyJW member

    i didnt.

    baby #1 was HB transfer for c/s and i didnt have a bag. by the time i needed anything that would have been in a hypothetical bag, someone (parents, sibling, bff, etc) could have gone to the house to get it. we didnt put clothes on baby anyway, we snuggled skin-to-skin for a while when he was finally brought to me.

    baby #2 was an HBAC. and i did not pack a bag on purpose. was intentionally not preparing for what-if hospital transfer!

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  • rae_dylanzmomrae_dylanzmom member
    I've had a bag packed and in the car since about 36w. For awhile, I was traveling back and forth to a house we're selling (and not birthing in), so if I'd gone into labor there, I would have had no access to my things and I'd be in a hospital ~2 hours away from our house. As it is, the house we are birthing in is still ~30 min away from the hospital and we don't have family in town or anything to make quick trips. For me, it felt like more of a relief to pack a bag and prepare for that scenario, and then forget about it.
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  • crunchyNMmamacrunchyNMmama member
    This is our first baby and I am not packing a bag.  We only live 10 minutes from the hospital and DH or someone will have to go to our house and take care of our dogs if we have to transfer, so I am not worrying about it.
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  • flowerchild77flowerchild77 member
    I dudnt, I figured what few things the hospital wouldnt have, wouldnt be difficult for someone to pick up if need be.
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  • wnk1029wnk1029

    imageflowerchild77:
    I dudnt, I figured what few things the hospital wouldnt have, wouldnt be difficult for someone to pick up if need be.

    This.  Plus, I think for me some of it was psychological... like, if I'd have packed a bag, it would have planted that doubt in my head that I'd be able to do it naturally at home.  So instead, not packing one solidified in my head the mental visualization of my birth taking place at home.  Maybe a bit silly, but it was important for me to focus on the positive, best-case scenario and not the "what-ifs"

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  • BrideNamedMegBrideNamedMeg member

    My midwife recommended having the car seat installed and a bag packed just in case.  Her reasoning was that if you have to transfer for a non-emergency and are able to be discharged soon after, you don't want to be waiting around the hospital while someone goes back to get the car seat or a change of clothes for you. 

    I packed a really basic bag.  All I had was a change of clothes for me, glasses and contact stuff, and an outfit for the baby.  I did think of that bag a few times during labor when it was tough :)  Thankfully though, I didn't need to use it!

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  • BabyMachine14BabyMachine14
    My midwives advised me to. I just threw a couple of things into a small overnight bag. Some underwear, pads, a baby outfit and a couple of diapers. I had no intention of using it and with the hospital being only 5 minutes from our house I figured someone could grab some stuff for me.
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  • pinksweetpea2pinksweetpea2 member
    I did not pack a bag.  I did have the carseat installed and checked a few weeks before Lily was born.  

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  • wifeofadamwifeofadam member
    I didn't.  I figured I could always send someone to my house to get what I needed in case of an emergency. 
        
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  • laurasuzanne2006laurasuzanne2006 member
    imagewnk1029:

    imageflowerchild77:
    I dudnt, I figured what few things the hospital wouldnt have, wouldnt be difficult for someone to pick up if need be.

    This.  Plus, I think for me some of it was psychological... like, if I'd have packed a bag, it would have planted that doubt in my head that I'd be able to do it naturally at home.  So instead, not packing one solidified in my head the mental visualization of my birth taking place at home.  Maybe a bit silly, but it was important for me to focus on the positive, best-case scenario and not the "what-ifs"

    This is me exactly.  I don't want any doubts in my mind.

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  • A37liciaA37licia member
    It's on my list to do though I haven't done it yet. Basic things like clothes for me, baby, insurance info, nursing bra. I should get on that.
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