How to Make Your Own Holistic Birth Kit
Preparing for labour and birth is an exciting, transformative time, but it can also feel overwhelming. One of the ways you can help to get yourself prepared ahead of time is to pack your own birth kit. By creating your own holistic health birth kit, you can ensure that you have everything you need to support your body, mind, and spirit throughout labour and delivery.
No matter how you plan to birth your baby, this blog post will go through some of my favourite go-to items, snacks and drinks to have on hand for labour and birth, as well as some simple recipes for creating your own herbal labour and post-birth remedies. We’ll also explore some of the practical tools you can use to create a calming, nurturing environment for your labour and birth.
Why Make a Holistic Health Birth Kit?
A holistic birth kit addresses more than just the physical aspects of labour. By packing a personalized birth kit, you can prepare yourself to feel empowered and at ease as you welcome your baby into the world, knowing you’re well-prepped for whatever may unfold during labour.
Benefits of a holistic birth kit include:
Natural support for your body: Herbs, essential oils, and natural remedies can help promote relaxation, ease discomfort, and assist in labour progression.
Emotional well-being: Items like birth affirmations, mood-setting supplies, and calming essential oils can reduce anxiety and create a peaceful birthing environment.
Nutritional support: Snacks and hydrating drinks keep your energy levels up during labour, helping you stay nourished and focused.
Key Components for Your Holistic Birth Kit
When creating your holistic health birth kit, focus on including a combination of natural remedies, comforting items, and tools that can support your physical and emotional needs during labour. Here’s what you should consider packing.
Herbs and natural remedies for labour support
Healthy, protein-rich snacks
Electrolyte-rich drinks for hydration
Pain-relief and comfort measures
Physical “mood-setting” supplies
Post-birth remedies
A physical copy of your birth plan
Let’s go through these in more detail:
Natural Remedies for Labour Support
Herbal Remedies
Raspberry Leaf
A uterine tonic that helps to strengthen and tone the uterus, making contractions more efficient. Red raspberry leaf can be taken throughout labour to support uterine contractions, as well as during the early days post-birth to support uterine healing.
How to Use: Brew a big batch of raspberry leaf tea and sip throughout early labour to support uterine function and keep up hydration. Raspberry leaf tea can be made as a cold brew by adding a few heaping teaspoons to a litre of filtered water in a glass bottle or jar and set in the fridge overnight. Strain and sip throughout the day.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a beautiful, calming tea and can be used to help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation in labour. It’s also helpful in relieving nausea, which can occur during labour.
How to Use: Combine with raspberry leaf infusion for drinking through early labour.
Shepherd’s purse
Shepherd’s purse is a powerful herb for managing postpartum bleeding. It helps the uterus contract and reduces the risk of excessive bleeding after birth.
How to Use: Take it as a tincture after birth to help with uterine contractions and to minimize bleeding. See your naturopath or herbalist before starting any new tinctures or liquid herbal extracts.
Homeopathic Birth Prep Remedies
Some of the best homeopathic remedies to have on hand for during birth include:
Caulophyllum
Pulsatilla
Arnica
Cimicifuga
Gelsemium
Chamomilla
How to Use: It’s best to work with a naturopath or homeopath to establish a treatment regime for homeopathics in labour. A qualified naturopath or homeopath will be able to advise on dosage and timing to suit you.
Essential Oils for Labour Support
Aromatherapy can be an invaluable tool during labour, helping to ease discomfort, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. Here are some essential oils to include in your kit:
Clary Sage
Clary sage is well-known for its ability to stimulate contractions and promote labour progression. It’s also great for balancing hormones and easing anxiety.
How to Use: Diffuse clary sage or mix it with a carrier oil and massage onto the lower back or abdomen during labour. Do not use until labour has begun.
Lavender
Lavender is calming, soothing, and helps create a serene environment. It’s particularly helpful in reducing pain and anxiety during labour.
How to Use: Diffuse lavender or use it in a massage oil for relaxation.
Frankincense
Frankincense has a grounding, calming effect and can be helpful during moments of intensity. It also supports deep breathing, which can assist with relaxation during contractions.
How to Use: Add frankincense to a diffuser, or use it with a carrier oil to massage the lower back or temples.
Ylang Ylang
Ylang ylang has an uplifting and soothing scent, promoting relaxation and reducing feelings of stress. It’s a great oil to use during the transition phase of labour.
How to Use: Use in a diffuser or mix with a carrier oil and apply to the wrists or chest.
Peppermint
Peppermint oil is excellent for relieving nausea, headaches, and muscle tension. It also provides an energizing lift if you feel fatigued during a long labour.
How to Use: Inhale peppermint oil directly from the bottle or diffuse it in the room.
There are some wonderful labour and birth essential oil blends available, but I personally like to have the separate essential oils available to use depending on the situation and how you are feeling in the moment. It can also be nice to purchase the individual oils and make your own massage oil, room spray, or diffuser blends that are completely personalised to you.
Snacks and Drinks for Energy and Hydration
Labour can be a physically demanding process, so it's essential to keep your energy levels up. Here are some healthy snacks and drinks to include:
Snacks
Dates: Dates are rich in natural sugars and can provide an energy boost during labour. They’re also known to help with cervical dilation in late pregnancy. De-seed medjool dates and add a small dollop of almond butter in the middle for a great labour-friendly snack!
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds provide a good mix of healthy fats, protein, and fibre to keep you satisfied. A trail mix can be an easy snack to have on hand for during labour and even for post-birth, too. There are some great, healthy trail mixes available to buy, or you can make your own, too.
Energy balls: Made with oats, nut butter, honey, and dried fruit, energy balls are a quick and easy source of energy.
Fresh fruit: Apples, bananas, and berries provide natural sugars and hydration.
Protein bars: Opt for whole-food-based bars to keep your energy stable.
Drinks
Coconut water: Coconut water is a great source of natural electrolytes to keep you hydrated.
Herbal teas: Bring a thermos of raspberry leaf tea and/or chamomile tea for uterine support and nervous system support.
Electrolyte drinks: Choose sugar-free, natural electrolyte drinks to replenish lost minerals during labour.
Other Natural Remedies and Tools for Comfort
Your holistic birth kit should also include tools and remedies for comfort and relaxation. Here are some of my favourite natural options for pain relief and comfort during labour.
TENS Machine
A TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machine can help manage pain during labour by delivering small electrical impulses to the body, blocking pain signals and encouraging the release of endorphins.
How to Use: Follow the device's instructions for placement on your back during labour. There are some great TENS machines made specifically for birth and labour that are available for purchase or hire.
Heat Pack
A heat pack can provide relief from back pain, cramping, or tension during labour and is particularly helpful during early labour. You can also add small amounts of essential oils like lavender oil into some heat bags for extra relaxing vibes.
How to Use: Apply to the lower back, abdomen, or anywhere you experience discomfort.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps relax muscles and ease tension, making it an excellent addition to your birth kit. A magnesium spray is particularly helpful for reducing leg cramps and general muscle discomfort and can be used throughout your labour.
How to Use: Apply magnesium spray to areas of tension or see your naturopath for a high quality magnesium supplement.
Setting The Mood
Creating a calming, positive space for your labour and birth can be a really powerful way to set the tone for how your labour goes. This is where you can absolutely get creative and choose whatever calls to you! The following ideas are just some of my favourites, and things that I have used in my own births.
Birth Affirmation Cards
Birth affirmations are positive, empowering statements that can help you stay focused and calm during labour. You can create your own cards with affirmations like "My body knows how to birth my baby" or "I trust the process of birth." Choose a deck that is beautiful and meaningful to you.
How to Use: Display your birth affirmation cards where you can see them during labour for encouragement and focus.
Other Mood Setting Supplies
Fairy lights or battery-operated tealights: These create a soft, soothing light in your birthing space. If you are birthing from home, these can easily be set up well in advance so you don’t need to think about it once things get going.
Portable speaker for music: Music can help set the tone for your birth experience. Create a playlist of calming, empowering songs to play during labour. Just make sure it’s charged!
Don’t Forget Your Birth Plan
A written and laminated copy of your birth plan ensures that your preferences are communicated clearly to your birth team. Include key details such as your preferences for pain management, birthing positions, and any special requests. It doesn’t need to be artistic, but I would recommend keeping the info concise and, if possible, keep it to one page. That way you can stick it on the wall like a poster for easy reference. You may also choose to have an abbreviated version to stick on the wall, and a longer version of a few pages readily available, too.
How to Use: Keep the birth plan visible for your support team to refer to throughout your labour. Having a clear, detailed and concise plan can help to reduce the number of questions your support team need to ask you, helping you to stay “in the zone”.
Packing and Organizing Your Birth Kit
Once you’ve gathered all your supplies, it’s time to organize them into your kit. Follow these simple steps:
Prepare Your Remedies: Make teas, tinctures, or compresses in advance, and label them clearly.
Organize by Category: Group items into categories like snacks, essential oils, and comfort tools for easy access. Using individual zip bags can be a good idea if you have them, so you can easily pull things out without having to dismantle your whole bag!
Pack in a Portable Bag: Use a small, easy-to-carry bag or container to store everything. Ensure it's accessible, whether you're giving birth at home or in a hospital - babies don’t always gives us much warning they’re on their way!
Final Thoughts
No matter what you decide to pack in your birth kit, choosing to make your own kit means every thing in there is meaningful and useful to you, and will help you to have the positive, empowering birth experience you deserve to have.
Did you pack a birth kit before your birth? Or, if you’re currently pregnant, what do you plan on packing in your bags?
About the Author
Lizzie Stow is a clinical naturopath from Newcastle, Australia.
To find out more about Lizzie, click here.
To book an appointment with Lizzie click here.