The Doula Bag: Part 1 of 3

I got a new doula-bag a few months ago, and I am still excited about it. Being a full-time, fully-booked doula, I decided it was time to upgrade from my cumbersome suitcase to a nice bag that that I could love carrying around.

I opted for a bag that can be worn as a shoulder bag OR as a backpack. The backpack feature is nice because I’m also often toting around my birth pool and supplies (stay tuned for my next post to see what I do for that!).

In the front pocket, I have a few handy items:

• Flashlight
• Mirror
• Bendy Straws
• Ziploc bag of latex gloves

Inside the bag, I have the following:

• TENS machine, pads, and spare batteries
• Ice pack
• Some LED candles
• Rebozo
• A few handy compartmentalizing bags to further organize supplies

The herbs-etc bag, as seen above, contains:

• A few herbs for a postpartum tea (using only the herbs I am familiar with, no guessing games in using herbs and teas with clients!)
• A couple nice essential oils such as lavender and peppermint oil
• Packets of powdered coconut water and Emergen-C
• Chicken stock cubes and dehydrated miso soup packets

I also have some spare home birth supplies, for people who need some extras in a pinch, didn’t have time to prepare, or are changing to a home birth plan at the last minute. It contains:

• 2 garbage bags
• 2 plastic sheets
• A few underpads
• A ziploc bag

Most importantly, I’ve got my self-care bag. Here’s what is in it:

• Protein smoothie mix
• Energy bars
• Tea bags
• Toothbrush
• Allergy and headache medicine
• Fork and spoon
• Space to spare to toss in a packed meal when I run out the door.

Note: I have a few extra emergency self-care items in my car… stay tuned for a future post to see what those are.

There you have it: my doula bag unpacked. Come back to read parts 2 and 3: sign up for my newsletter so you don’t forget!

Want to be a doula? Check out our Doula Training Course.