The short answer: Start with your midwife's list, because every midwife has her own. Most families pick a room, protect the bed or floor, gather towels and supplies, stock up on snacks and drinks, make a plan for older children and pets, and keep the hospital route and bag ready, just in case. Then make it feel like your nest.
By Sybille Mom of two · first birth in a hospital, second at home · Education only, not medical advice
In Lesson 1, I ask where you'd feel calmest giving birth. For me, the answer was home: somewhere quiet and familiar, where no one bothers you. Preparing your home for a home birth is really just that. You're building your nest.
My second baby was born at home, in my own bed. Here's how I'd think about getting ready.
Start with your midwife's list
Every midwife has her own list, and many ask you to order a birth kit with supplies ahead of time. Ask for her list early, so you can gather things slowly instead of all at once in the last week. Here's what she'll usually bring herself.
Choose your space
Where do you picture yourself? Your bed, the living room, a birth pool, a quiet corner? Choose a main space, but don't be surprised if labor has its own ideas. Many women move around a lot.
- Protect the bed or floor. Many families use a waterproof mattress cover or a plastic sheet under clean old sheets.
- Gather towels. Old ones you won't miss.
- Think about light and warmth. Lamps you can dim, and a warm room for when your baby arrives.
- If you're using a birth pool, do a practice fill so you know how long it takes and where the hose goes.
Fuel for the marathon
At home, you eat and drink whenever you like. Snacks, tea, honey sticks, whatever your body asks for. Labor is a marathon, and you get to fuel it. 🍯 (Personal note: I had a steak dinner, and about five minutes later it was go time. Zero regrets. 🥩)
Stock up on easy snacks and drinks for you, your partner and your midwives, and freeze a few meals for the days after the birth.
Your people
Decide who you want with you: your partner, your midwives, a doula, your mom, a friend, or no one else at all. If you have older children, make a plan for them. When my second child was born, my first child was there for the first part, just two years old and so proud to help her mama, until it was time for her to go to bed. 💛 Plan for pets too.
Your calm
Gather whatever helps you feel calm: your playlist, your hypnobirthing tracks, a favorite blanket, your own clothes. Hypnobirthing practice was a big part of how my confidence grew in my second pregnancy.
Your plan for every path
Part of a calm nest is knowing the plan if things change. Keep your midwife's number handy, know the route to the hospital you chose together, keep the car ready, and pack a small bag for you and your baby, just in case. Here's what happens if you need to transfer.
A gentle checklist
- Midwife's supply list and birth kit, ordered
- Waterproof cover, old sheets and towels
- Birth pool, practice-filled (if you're using one)
- Dimmable lamps, a warm room
- Snacks, drinks and a few frozen meals
- Plan for older children and pets
- Playlist, hypnobirthing tracks, comfy clothes
- Midwife's number, hospital route and a small bag
Whatever you choose, talk it through with an experienced midwife and your care provider. She'll walk through your home plan with you, often at a home visit late in pregnancy.
Questions moms ask
When should I have my home ready for a home birth?
Many midwives suggest having everything ready a few weeks before your due date. Ask yours when she'd like your supplies gathered.
Do I need a special bed or room?
No. Many women give birth in their own bed or wherever they feel most comfortable. Your midwife will help you set up the space you choose.
Will a home birth make a mess?
Less than most people imagine. Midwives bring supplies, protect the bed or floor and often tidy up before they leave.
Can my older children be at the birth?
Many families include older children for part of the birth or all of it. Make a plan with someone who can care for them if they need a break.
Do I need to pack a hospital bag for a home birth?
A small bag is a kind thing to have ready, just in case your plans change. Ask your midwife what she'd put in it.
