My New (Small) Birth Bag

For our birth supplies my midwifery partner and I both have scrapbook totes. We keep things like chux pads, gloves, gauze, peri bottles, suction equipment, amnihooks, herbs, instruments, etc. in the totes. At births we ask the family to have a large bowl and some plastic shopping bags available. The bowl is lined with about four bags and then we sit some of our birth supplies in the bowl. Usually gloves, gauze, instruments, suction equipment, cord clamp, sterile gel, and anything else we might need.

As the birth is imminent we can grab the bowl and go to where ever our client is comfortable. Everything in one place so it's right there and ready. We don't have to dig around for stuff or go to another room to get something.

However, I've noticed something with this arrangement. After the baby is born we usually have some supplies still in the bowl. That bowl with the bags lining it is for the placenta. So what happens is we then need to get ready for the placenta and the supplies get dumped on the floor or bed. Then we have a mess.

Enter my new (small) birth bag:

I. Love. It.

There is a place for everything we need. In the pictures I took I don't have "everything" in the bag. When I go do home visits I have a small purse-like bag that I throw equipment in to carry home with me.

So this picture doesn't include things like the doppler, doppler gel, stethoscope, etc. So clockwise from the top left corner: 2-pack gloves; single gloves; instruments; bulb syringe, wool newborn hats (a pink and a blue because our next client doesn't know the baby's gender), and an amnicot; gauze; peri bottle with olive oil.

Little pockets for sterile gel and Rescue Remedy. And an extra pocket.

A zippered pocket where I can keep a thermometer and covers.

Side pockets. One that holds a cord clamp.

The opposite short side has pockets too but is a little different from this side. I had trouble getting the picture to save from my phone so I don't have it to add. There is one velcro pocket that I have extra batteries for the doppler. Then there are little credit card-like slots and I have alcohol swabs in those.

This little bag fits just perfectly into the large tote. So when I get to a birth, all I have to do is grab this bag and I have the supplies I need. If I need herbs or any extra chux pads I can get them out of the larger bag but those aren't things that I usually need readily available.

So excited to get to use it soon!!! :)