I want to have my baby at home, what will I need to get ready?

Discuss this with your midwife so you can discuss issues such as hiring a water birth, purchasing a birthing ball (fitballs are cheaper and do the same job!) and managing pain that may be significant for your labour and delivery. A sensible delivery area needs to be considered often near to bathroom facilities. Also it would be practical to have plastic sheeting, old sheets etc. to protect your flooring. Shower curtains make good surfaces for giving birth. Dustbin bags for waste disposal may help. Depending on local policies some midwives will deliver a homebirth pack to your home from about 37 weeks pregnant and others will bring the equipment with them.

It may be worth having all your items gathered in the place you intend to deliver or even in a hospital bag should you need one. Organising your things separately from baby things can be helpful; so all the clothing, toiletries, sanitary pads, and labour clothes you may need. Think also of music, food and drink, phone numbers and camera aswell. A well stocked fridge may help your partner and you in the first few days, aswell as nutritious snacks during labour

Baby things to hand would be helpful too; nappies, cotton wool, vests, clothing, sheets and blankets. If you have other children you may need to make arrangements for them or consider meals and occupying there time.

Even though you want a home birth, there are occasions when things mightn't go completely to plan and you need to be transferred to hospital. This can happen before, during or after labour and it's a good idea to have an emergency bag packed for such an occasion.