The Essential Home Birth Checklist: What You Really Need (and What’s Nice to Have)

Welcoming your baby at home can be one of the most empowering and sacred experiences of your life. Creating a safe, nurturing space for birth means preparing both practically and emotionally. But with so many lists out there, it can feel overwhelming to know what’s truly essential, and what’s simply a “nice-to-have.”

This guide will walk you through the essential home birth supplies every family should have on hand, along with optional extras that can add comfort and ease to your birthing space.

The Must-Have Essentials for a Home Birth

These are the non-negotiables—the supplies your midwife will expect you to have ready.

1. Birth Pool or Birth Space

• Why: Many families choose water birth for pain relief, relaxation, and mobility.
• What to consider: If you’re hiring or buying a birth pool, make sure it’s large enough, easy to set up, and includes a liner and pump.
• Alternative: If you’re not birthing in water, choose a space that feels calm, private, and easy to clean.

2. Clean Towels and Sheets

• Keep plenty of old, clean towels handy.
• Layer your bed with a waterproof sheet underneath and fresh sheets on top for quick changes.

3. Protective Covers and Pads

• Waterproof bed protectors, absorbent underpads, or even a shower curtain liner can protect surfaces during labour and birth.

4. Supplies for the Midwife

• A bright lamp or torch for examinations.
• A bowl for the placenta.
• Sterile gloves, cord clamps, and other medical supplies (usually provided by your midwife, but double-check).

5. Postpartum Recovery Basics

• Peri bottle for gentle rinsing.
• Maternity pads (choose natural, breathable ones for comfort).
• Nipple balm for breastfeeding support.
• Sitz bath salts for soothing recovery.

(All of these can be found in our curated Labour and Love Postpartum Kits—designed to ease those sacred first days.)

🌿 The “Nice-to-Have” Comforts

These aren’t essential, but they can make your experience more beautiful and memorable.

1. Lighting and Atmosphere

• Fairy lights, candles, or salt lamps create a calming birth space.
• Music playlists or affirmations can guide your focus through surges.

2. Nourishment and Hydration

• Coconut water, herbal teas, light snacks, and honey sticks for energy.
• A big water bottle with a straw for sipping during labour.

3. Comfort Aids

• Birth ball or peanut ball for positioning.
• Heat packs for lower back support.
• Essential oils (lavender, clary sage) for relaxation, if you enjoy aromatherapy.

4. Memory Keepers

• A flax placenta basket or keepsake box.
• Affirmation cards to focus your mind.
• A camera or birth photographer if you want to capture the story. 

Final Thoughts

Every birth is unique, and so is every home birth checklist. At the heart of it, you need a safe space, trusted midwives, and a few well-chosen supplies to make your birth both practical and sacred.

By preparing ahead, you’ll not only have what you need for labour, but you’ll also set yourself up for a smoother postpartum recovery.

At Labour and Love, we’ve carefully curated products and kits to support New Zealand families choosing a natural birth journey—from birthing pools to postpartum recovery essentials. Because every mama deserves to feel cared for, held, and honoured in her sacred season.