what’s in my doula bag

“What do you bring with you to a birth?”

Clients often want to know what sort of tools their doula will have on-hand when labor begins. Just about every birth worker has an “on-call” bag that is ready to go when, well, they’re on-call. Just like birth workers themselves, no two bags are the same. Every birth worker will have a different style and different tools that they prefer. It might also vary from client to client. A birth worker’s on-call bag will also have personal items such as a change of clothes, toothbrush, and toothpaste just in case they need to freshen up. Every client and birth teaches me something new, so the contents of my bag evolve as I do.

Here’s what I have in my on-call bag for my clients:

• handheld massage tools for when hands get tired

• rice packs that can be heated up in the microwave or thrown in the freezer

• extra hair ties and bobby pins 

• several unopened chapsticks

• a long scarf for certain pain management techniques 

• affirmation cards for encouragement 

• a mirror if you’d like to see your progress during the pushing stage

• a copy of your birth preferences, birth plan, or birth map

Here’s what I have for myself:

• a change of clothes - birth involves a lot of fluids and you never know where they’ll end up

• reusable water bottle

• snacks

• hand sanitizer and a clean mask

• toothbrush, toothpaste, and mouthwash

• charging cable for my phone

• a small notebook, pens, highlighter, and sharpie

• a copy of The Birth Partner - nice to have on hand to review something quickly

Above all else, my most important tools are my hands, my voice, and my heart. I am confident in my ability to support my clients with the barest minimum, should the situation arise.