# When labour happens and coverings?



## Becyboo__x

This likly has already been answered somewhere..

But this is my first home birth attempt .. I'm wondering what I actually need to prepare for it? I got told everything by my midwife when she did my home birth visit at home but would prefer to hear from those who have done it.. 

I got told about waterproof sheets/dust covers for the carpet and lots of towels I'm not at all prepared for this :lol: and I really should be :dohh: I worry more when it happens everything will be upside down at home :lol: even though I'm tidying/cleaning all the time anyway I'm assuming they will understand :lol: 

Mainly it's about covering things what's the best to get and what did you get?


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## MindUtopia

I personally got some cheap value shower curtains from Argos and also some cheap towels from Argos too (maybe 4?). I planned a water birth, but actually ended up deciding to have a dry land birth, so in that case, a couple nice soft blankets would have be good to lay on top of the shower curtains. I honestly didn't really even use any of the towels. Maybe 1 or 2? And if I did, it got put in the wash after and was clean again. I was literally using those Argos towels for the next two years for things around the house, so I'm not really sure what they were intended for. Maybe more crucial if you are having a water birth and need to dry off. A bed mat (like a puppy pad) is also good for having right under you when baby is born to catch anything solid that might come out too so then the midwife can clear it out of the way quickly, but they will bring some with them. It's more if you want some extras. I did find them helpful for sitting on after. I didn't get up to take a shower until probably later that night or the next day, so pretty much sat on the bed mat until then. 

As for your house, try not to worry too much. They'll have attended births in all sorts of places. I know midwives who have been to births in caravans parked in a lay by and on narrow boats and in all sorts of weird places. So as long as your house is safe (like you aren't a hoarder with rubbish piled 8 feet high) and there is a good accessible place for you to be and somewhere for them to sit where they are out of the way and not bothering you too much, that will be fine.


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