Honey Straws and Tennis Balls?

We packed tennis balls because they were the BEST back massager. Honestly, beat any other back massage thing out there. And I second birthing balls and maybe some really calming music.

Music and morphine, not necessarily in that order!

:)

What worked for me? Drugs and bad humor ;)

I want to be a doula though, and while I had drugs during childbirth, I'm friends with lots of women who didn't. Humming and birthing balls seem to be the number one thing that soothes them. I'm not sure about the honey straws... any mom who ate any more than ice chips always got extremely nauseous and threw up, thus making them more uncomfortable. Music (their choice) helps a TON.

But like I said, for me, drugs and bad humor ;) My OBGYN is such a bad comic, but he tries, and I love him for it, LOL!

Chapstick,
I just wanted cold towels. That was my husbands job - keep 'em coming!

Very odd, but particular bath salts. I wanted the scent right next to my face while breathing. I think their made by angel baby?

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Well, first of all God bless you for trying to help women at their most vunerable time. My poor doula fanned me for what seemed like an eternity. I know her arm must have been falling off but I think I would have died if she had stopped. My midwife offered me a few drops of a "labor" tincture. I have no idea if it actually helped but psychologically it helped a lot to "take" something. Mostly it was their quiet confidence that all was well that kept me calm.

Popsicles and Recharge fitness drink. They didn't make me nauseas. I needed something to keep me energized.
Also I remember reading about this rope with knots hanging from the ceiling. birthing women hold on and pull, or just dangle from it as needed. They didn't have that at my birth center but I remember wishing that they did.
Music was nice during early labor. maybe keep an ipod dock, or at the very least a cd player in the room.

honey sticks are great to give a women before pushing starts, cliff bars to snack on if she gets hungry, sports drink, massage tool, massage oil (in her favorite scent), warm socks and therma care heating pads are good to stick on her back
L.

Could not have done without the exercise ball my midwife had me sit, rock, and bounce on through pitocin contractions. Had to have it draped with a towel since "fluids" still leaked out for awhile - replaced as necessary.

Loved the fact that she sat right next to me and soothingly talked me through each and every contraction towards the end. She helped me mediate by allowing me to use her voice as my focus point - reminding me to inhale slowly, exhale slowly, let go and relax, ect.

But just being able to move when I felt like it and not be "stuck" in the bed kept me from having to have an epidural with my third one. And for that I was soo thankful!

Having cold ginger ale and sprite/7up in the early stages of labor was nice. Oyster crackers (rather then saltines) that were easy to pop in my mouth to snack on was another nice treat - and less crumbly!

Aftercare you might want to add in the pose pads or "adult diapers" - stuff for bladder control . Loved that way more then the crappy dinky menstrual pads and "holder" I was always offered at the hospitals.

I stayed home until I felt that I could no longer handle it. Being at home, you have the freedom to do whatever you want . . . hot shower hitting your back, moving around, eating and drinking etc. Once you go to the hospital, they almost always give you an IV, and your freedom is now limited to the bed. The best for me was the birthing (yoga) ball. I would kneel on the floor and throw my upper body onto the ball. I found that moving was the only way I could get through contractions. Even at the hospital, I would move as much as I could in the bed. Also, once I was at the hospital, I taped up a picture of my husband (who could not be at the birth) this was a good focus for me (and could be a picture of anything, like the nursery). Good luck . . . it is ALL worth it in the end!