Packing your bag for the hospital can be exciting or it can bring on some anxiety because your labour is approaching (yay!!) or your labour is approaching (gulp 😰).

Regardless of your personal feelings towards childbirth, having a sense of control can boost your confidence and significantly impact your mental state, which plays a crucial role during labour.

So, start planning to empower yourself, your mindset, and your labour by thinking about how you will be supported once labour starts.

This is one activity I do with my clients so we can fill their birth bag with things that will be supportive and feel personal to them. I call it The Coping Circle.

Take a little time to think about the things that help you when you are not feeling well. Here are some examples:

“I like it when someone brushes my hair. I remember my mother doing that when I was a child so it feels really soothing to me”

Pack: Hairbrush

“I don’t like loud sounds. I really need quiet”

Pack: Noise cancelling headphones

“I have ADHD and need to fidget and move”

Pack: Birth ball to bounce on and a fidget toy to hold in your hand

“I like to lie down and listen to music or an audiobook when I’m unwell”

Pack: Bluetooth speaker or headphones

“I like my partner to rub my feet when I have a migraine”

Pack: massage oil or cream

Then, you fill in the Coping Circle and add to it as you learn more about your needs and preferences for labour (see diagram below).

Here are 4 more things I suggest my clients bring to the hospital:

• Birth ball - in St. John’s, there are birth balls but not necessarily in every birthing room. This is something I tell them to take and leave in the car. Your husband/partner can run out and get it if necessary.

• Yoga mat - being low to the ground can feel really secure and soothing for some birthing mothers but it’s not that comfortable on the bare floor. Having a rolled up yoga mat has been the perfect thing to just grab from the corner as a woman is moving from the tub but unsure what she wants next. Hands and knees on her yoga mat usually does the trick!

• Water bottle with a straw - nobody wants to tip their head back to drink while doing the work of labour. The easier we can make your life the better! A straw means one of us can just place your beverage of choice to your lips and all you need to do is sip. Small but impactful tip!

• Battery operated candles - dim lighting can make a world of difference and not just for the mood. The bright, fluorescent lighting in the hospital can tell your nervous system that you are not yet in a safe place for birthing your baby. Dimming the lights is not always easy but if you have a bunch of battery operated candles in your bag, it gives that warm glow and just enough light for you, your partner, your nurse, and your doula to do what they need to do to support you.

If you feel like you could use some support, I’d love to chat and learn more about what you’re going through. Feel free to fill out my free consultation form, and we can discuss how I can best help you through this journey > HERE