Packing Your Green Bags
As your pregnancy progresses, you will want to start thinking about the items you will take to the hospital or birthing center with you when you go in to labor. By the time you are about seven months pregnant, it is a good idea to gather these items in one location so that you can quickly access them when the time comes.
Look over your green birth plan to see which items, like nontoxic lotions and organic cotton bedding, you have decided to bring along. Use this checklist to help you make sure that you have everything you need.
PAPERWORK
- Green birth plan
- Health insurance card
FOR YOU
FOR YOUR PARTNER
- Cell phone and charger
- Prepaid calling card (cell phones are often prohibited in hospitals)
- Digital camera and/or video camera with rechargeable batteries and chargers
- Cash for parking meters, vending machines, and payphones
- Phone list
- Healthy snacks and treats
FOR BABY
- Organic cotton T-shirts or onesies
- Organic cotton baby bedding and blankets (check with the hospital first to make sure these are allowed)
- Nontoxic soaps, lotions, and creams
- Eco-friendly diapers
- Organic socks, booties, and cap
- Organic going-home outfit
- Infant car seat
- BPA-free baby bottles and organic formula (if you choose to use formula instead of breastfeeding)
POSTPARTUM
- Comfy organic nightgown
- Nursing bras (if breastfeeding)
- Comfy, organic going-home outfit
EXTRAS
- iPod or CD player
- DVD player
- Laptop (some hospitals now have wireless Internet for instant labor updates)
- Extra pillows
- Birthing ball
This list is just a guide. Feel free to add to it as you see fit. The important thing is to make sure that you gather all of the items you may need ahead of time so that when your labor begins you can easily grab them or have a friend pick them up for you.
Putting It All Together
Talk over your green birth plan with your partner, health care provider, and doula and make sure that everyone understands your preferences for a green and healthy delivery of your baby. If you will have your baby in a hospital or birthing center, make sure you know what you will be allowed to bring for your big day. By your eighth month, you should have these items packed up together and ready to go for the big day!
