Aurora, born in water on June 17th, 2011

We are often asked what equipment we bring to a homebirth. Clients want to better understand the level of care we can provide and fellow homebirth midwives are interested in gathering ideas for potentially improving upon their own equipment. However, the primary reason we share this particular page is because it is still widely perceived that homebirth midwives do little more than boil water at births attended outside the hospital. This misconception is a perfect example as to how grossly naive our community is about Nurse Midwifery care, particularly the homebirth midwife.

The Nurse Midwife carries her own full set of supplies. The birth assistants, as well, has her own supplies, although not nearly to the extent of the Nurse Midwife. 

Midwives will ask first, "What type of bags do you use?" While the practice owns IronDuck bags, which are exceptionally sturdy and crafted specifically for emergency response teams as they cater nicely to our needs, Penny prefers bags from ColoradoCases as she finds them to be lighter and overall easier to pack supplies within. Suitcases with rollers are also common among homebirth midwives.

Although it is hard to see all the supplies and equipment we carry within our larger bag, tucked away are urinary catheters, foley bag, sharps box, IV equipment, homeopathy supplies, medication box, syringes, needles, suture kit, sterile speculum, sutures, additional sterile instruments, sterile towels, CaviWipes, IV fluids, primary and secondary intravenous lines, heplocks, aromatherapy, sterile and clean gloves, herbs, batteries, hibiclense, bulb syringes, cord clamps, newborn arm immobilizer, amniohooks, intubation blades and handles for all size newborns, intubation tubing, DeLee suction, Infant LMA, CO2 detector, and equipment for collecting labs.

Within our assessment bags, we carry equipment for drawing laboratory specimens for both adults and newborns, breastfeeding supplies, sterile and clean gloves, regular and large adult sphygomomanometer, lubrication, blood sugar monitor, urine dip sticks, tape measures, herbs, umbilical clamp remover, penlight, adult and newborn stethoscopes, dopplers, adult rescue mask, gestational wheel, silver nitrate sticks, sterile Q-tips, reflex hammer, thermometer, nitrozine paper, and writing pens.

The Nurse Midwife carries two oxygen tanks to each birth. One bag is packed with adult supplies for mother, and the other for newborn. 

Within the pediatric bag we have a D tank, regulator, newborn bag and mask, neonatal blood pressure cuff, Thermowarmer, non-rebreather oxygen mask, oral airways, oxygen tubing, DeLee suction, 8F feeding tube, syringes of all sizes, pulse oximeter, and an umbilical line kit.

Within the adult oxygen bag we also have a D tank and regulator, as well as, adult combitube and non-rebreather masks and oral airways.  

The Nurse Midwife is equipped to intubate if necessary or visualize vocal cords and suction in the event of a non-vigorous baby born with meconium present. Penny Lane CNM is an instructor for the American Academy of Pediatrics Neonatal Resuscitation Program and teaches NRP to out-of-hospital providers, including instruction on medication administration and umbilical line placement.

Penny has a birth stool and as beautiful as it is, she has stopped carrying it to births as mothers tended not to use it. They seemed to find their own furniture and spa more comfortable, so it stays within the office and the midwife uses it to sit upon during exams. 

Our practice utilizes electronic medical records (EHR) so our client's data is accessible at all times, in any environment. If a client is transferred into the hospital or needs a medical consultation with another provider, we can access those records and make them available immediately via our iPAD. Several members of the birth team carry their own iPADs for accessing and documenting client's health records.

Gretchen, one of our nurses, charting fetal heart tones during active labor.