Birth Kit

I bought a big bunch of new herbs and homeopathic remedies for my birth kit this week, in preparation for a birth I have due this month.

I was sorting out my birth kit, which until now I've had all my stuff in a regular backpack, with things arranged into smaller toiletry bags inside. It's a system that works, but it's not the most organised, to be honest, and I was looking at my big stack of homeopathics and tinctures, and thinking I need a good way to store them so that they're all easy to find and also keeping the herbs separate from the homeopathic stuff.

The plan was to put things in small tupperware containers, but when I was preparing my birth kit, of course all the containers were packed for the move, and naturally, I'd thrown away loads of the empty "useful" containers I'd been collecting...

So I started casting about the house for an idea, and happened upon the recycling box, thinking I might get lucky and find a big yogurt container or something, when inspiration struck!

Egg cartons! Perfect :D

I organised all my remedies into groups - pregnancy stuff, labour stuff, post labour stuff, and baby stuff, and then put each remedy into a segment of an egg carton - one carton for each group of remedies.

It meant there was a space for each remedy, and I could write on the top of the boxes exactly which remedy was in each place, and a few notes to remind me (and my assistants) what each thing is for, as a quick and easy reference. (Littletree even helped me decorate the cartons ;) )

The herbal tinctures all fit nicely into an old Halva box and we were good to go.

Feeling terribly chuffed with myself, I found a small plastic storage bin that we had been keeping potatoes in. I washed it out, and voila! the egg cartons fit perfectly, with enough room left for my stethoscope, fetascope, BP monitor, and other assorted bits and pieces.

I got another box for gloves and wound dressing stuff, and I'll bring a small backpack with my books (always bring Heart and Hands, Holistic Midwifery and the Labor Progress Handbook with me), change of clothes, toothbrush and snacks.

I'm feeling super-duper organised like never before, and loving it :) I even had the idea to set up my tent at the birthing mama's place (she lives in a little bamboo hut, so there's not much space there), so I'll have my sleeping bag and a private space to retreat to if needed already waiting for me when I'm called to the birth.

It makes sense since both birthing mama and myself live in a rural area with limited cell phone range at best, and long distances between villages; it's a realistic possibility that if I'm not at home when she calls, going home and collecting my stuff, and then driving to her place could take me upwards of three hours, so I'm loving the idea of having everything ready and waiting at her place. All I need to do is get there :D