One of the most asked questions by parents (especially dads) is “isn’t home birth messy?”
The short answer is not usually. Messy is not a word I associate with home birth.
We aim to leave the house as clean as it was when we arrived! Usually, we leave your house cleaner than when we arrived.
Any used disposable equipment is disposed of and all equipment the birth team brings is packed and taken home with us.
How do we keep your home clean?
Your midwives provide you with a small list of items to gather for your birth like bath towels, a roll of Viva paper towels, a waterproof bed liner, a couple trash bags, infant diapers and clothing, etc. Not all of these items are for keeping your home clean but yourself, your baby and other items we find useful.
Two of the biggest mess deterrents on your list are chux pads and adult disposable underwear like Depends.
We use the chux pads to place under you while your baby is being born or before birth if your water is broken. This keeps the fluids associated with birth off of your bed, other furniture and your floors. Occasionally a drop or two end up elsewhere but we clean that up as well.
The adult diapers really are heaven sent. I cannot stress enough how important they are. If you are one of the lucky ones who have their water break prior to birth you can wear a pair to help trap the leaking fluids while you move around your home. They also offer the best protection postpartum when you are bleeding and wish to keep your sheets and furniture blood free.
We have found that typical and heavy over night pads leak easier than adult underwear so there is less instance of getting your sheets messy. Plus, they tend to fit the postpartum belly well and offer good support.
Is it really that simple?
It really isn’t messy at all. While the main protectors are the chux pads and adult diapers there are other helpful items. A plastic mattress protector (or a cheap shower curtain under the fitted sheet) add another protective layer to your mattress. Viva paper towels are used as disposable wash clothes, facial tissue, cleaning rags, and whatever else we can think of. Bath towels are used to dry off, clean you and baby and then thrown in the wash before we leave. A plastic pool liner is used to keep the birth pool clean during a water birth.
Related: 12 Signs You Are In Labor
Is it messy after birth?
After the birth while you have family bonding time with your new baby, we quietly tidy up. It may sound like there is a lot of disposable waste after a birth but we only fill 1 to 2 bags of trash and only 1 or 2 loads of laundry are needed.
Your birth team drains and puts away the birth pool if you choose to have a water birth.
After you and your baby are stable we start to pack up our equipment. Most parents are unaware of the clean up we are doing in the back ground. When we leave, we take out the trash, our equipment and tuck you into bed.
