What's In My Doula Bag?
Lots of stuff!!
The most important thing I always tell my clients that I have in my doula bag is my voice. Many times, I rarely pull anything out of my bag, and simply use my hands and my voice during your birth.
However, just to break down my bag for you and allow you to see into the Mary Poppins-esque that I try (but miss sometimes due to my son eating some of the snacks out of it 😂).
Doula Bag Items:
LED Lights: after my hands and voice, this is probably the next most used item from my bag. I always try to turn lights off and place these around the room (especially if we’re in the hospital so that it can feel a little more spa like and less cold and sterile.
Essential Oils: I bring a few with me for specific reasons but the ones I have are lavender for relaxation, a citrus scent for energy, peppermint for nausea or help using the bathroom, and clary sage for surges. I always recommend that if there are specific scents my clients like, for them to bring them with them if they birthing anywhere other than at home.
Hot Packs: I have these awesome reusable hot packs that I bring. There’s a little metal piece in it that we snap, and there’s a reaction in it that heats up the pack! These are great for the lower back intensity that typically happens later on in labor. These get sanitized and reset after every birth.
Snacks: I try and bring organic fig bars, applesauce packets, clif bars, and honey sticks. Sometimes things get switched out, but these are typically the staples that I keep in my bag. Some of them are for me, and some of them are for whoever needs a little extra calories. I’ll even bring an extra insulated lunch bag and have nut butters, protein shakes, goldfish, whatever I can grab in the middle of the night for extra sustenance if the birth goes long.
Toiletries: I have some for myself and then extras for anyone who may need them. I have mouthwash, hair ties, hand sanitizer. I also bring Tylenol/pain relievers and indigestion meds just in case myself or partner needs them. It’s the worst when you have a splitting headache or tummy issues during a birth. I also bring pads with me, not only for myself in case Aunt Flo decides to show while I’m at the birth, but also for the birthing person in case they need one after their waters release and want to walk around but not consistently change their bottoms.
Birthing Scarf: I also have a birthing scarf that I bring with me. We can also use a sheet or towel, essentially any piece of fabric that is long and wide enough to do whatever position we need to. There’s lots of little tricks we can use with this.
And that’s about it! I try to keep it simple, but bring things that are effective!