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Sweet doula, your birth bag is one of those things that nobody talks about enough in a doula training and yet it is one of the most practical and personal parts of showing up well for your clients. What is in that bag tells a story about how prepared you are, how long you have been doing this, and how much you have thought about the families you serve.
The good news is you do not need to spend a fortune. The better news is that after a few births, you will know exactly what you reach for every time and what will end up sitting at the bottom of your bag untouched for two years.
Here is the high level and then we will deep dive:
- Comfort items and clothes for you, birth doula… including lots of snacks!
- Comfort tools for your clients: think TENs machine and wooden comb
- Your note book for charting (yes, insurance needs this now) plus your copy of Evidence or Coercion? The Birth Truth Tool for Doulas™
- Small pillow or knee pads or eye mask (for you or your client) annnnnd your charger!
Funny story for you… one of the co-founders of bebo mia who has since retired, Natasha is under 5 feet tall. Stay with us, this matters for this story. She started her doula business in Toronto and thought she needed everything under the sun INCLUDING a giant birth ball that she carried in a big red sack to protect it while she bussed to her clients. So you can imagine tiny Tash on the bus and subway with a hockey bag full of tools and a birth ball looking like a Santa sack. She doula-ed like this for a couple years before she met Bianca and Bianca showed Tash this tiny birth backpack and Tash changed her ways.
The moral of this story is that you can pack however you want, AND you do not need to have every tool. In fact, you can encourage your clients to have some of these as they will be good for care and comfort for pregnancy, birth and beyond.
So what do you NEED in your bag? Well, let us start with the basics and build from there.
Your physical comfort kit for you, birth doula
You are going to be at this birth for a while. Maybe six hours, maybe twenty-six. Your comfort matters, and it is not just for you but for your clients, because a doula who is hungry, sore, and running on empty is not at their best. We talk about this in depth in our blog on unwinding after a birth, but the preparation starts before you walk in the door.
Pack food that does not smell strong, because birth spaces are scent sensitive and a tuna sandwich at 3am will not make you popular. Think nuts, protein bars, dried fruit, a small sandwich in a sealed container.
ProTip: Pack more than you think you need because you will not always have time to leave the room.
Bring water. A big vessel for you to sip from. Hospitals are dry and being well hydrated helps you stay sharp. There are typically water and ice machines available in the lounge or hall so you can refill while you are there.
This one makes such a big difference depending on the birth… A change of clothes and an extra pair of socks and underwear. Bianca keeps a small drawstring bag in her birth bag with exactly these things plus deodorant, a toothbrush, face wipes, and moisturizer. She restocks it when she gets home from a birth so it is always ready. Birth can go long and putting on a fresh shirt at hour fifteen is genuinely restorative. Also, your clients may be in and out of the bath or shower, so you want dry clothes after being splashed or holding on to your wet client.
Safety alert, birth doulas!! This one is a non negotiable must…You need to have closed toe shoes that you only wear for birth work. If you have not read our blog on what doulas wear, the story about the open-toed Crocs and the Group B Strep infection will convince you to take this seriously. Go read that after this… it will haunt you!
Comfort tools for your client
Bianca Sprague, our bebo mia inc founder, is going to give you a run down for this section!
Bianca: This is where the bag gets interesting and it is really a choose your own adventure (gosh, those books were fun and stressful at the same time!). Every doula develops their own toolkit over time based on what they reach for most but here are the things that earn their space consistently.
At this point, I come with a small backpack and most of the items are for me. I have become a super Macgyver doula and I encourage my clients to purchase the items for themselves.
Here is what you could bring plus the notes I have for those of you who are also minimalist birth doulas like me.
My number one tool is my TENS machine. Like, it is the best thing in my kit! I always bring extra leads and pads and batteries just in case. You do not want your TENS to be out of commission when your client has started depending on it. This one is what I use, I have 3 of them, but it is hard to get in Canada now. They are just in the EU.
A rebozo or long scarf. Versatile, compact, useful for sifting, support, counterpressure, and about fifteen other things depending on the birth. Minimalists Doulas: you can use a hospital sheet or blanket for this… then it is one less thing to launder when you get home.
A massage tool or your hands, and something for grip like a little lotion or massage oil that is unscented. Counterpressure during labor is one of the most effective comfort measures available and it costs almost nothing. Minimalist doulas: I get my clients to bring olive oil for their perineal massage and second stage PLUS I use it if they want more massage type touch. So, I bring just my hands for this part!
A small portable speaker if your client wants music. Not all hospitals have great sound situations and having one ready means you do not scramble. Minimalist Doulas: This is something that I get my clients to bring. If they do not have one, then I throw my Bose waterproof speaker in my bag.
Hair ties, a small hair clip, a cool cloth or small spray bottle for misting. These sound tiny and they are genuinely appreciated at the peak of labor. I keep several new ones in my pocket of my scrub top or hip pouch ready if a client needs them.
A phone charger. Yours and one to offer your client or their support person. Nothing kills the vibe like a dead phone when someone is trying to time contractions or call their parents or bestie.
Snacks for your client’s birth partner too. Birth partners forget to eat and a hungry, lightheaded birth partner becomes your second job. Minimalist Doulas: This is something I very much get my clients to pack, I give them a list of recommended dry and fridge snacks I send many reminder to get them prepared for the big day.
I also keep a new chapstick and breathstrips in my scrub pockets for my clients if they need them or forgot theirs. With all that panting and breathing, their lips can get dry.
Your doula client documentation and advocacy tools
This is the part of the bag that most new doulas do not think about enough.
A notepad or your phone for noting times, what was said, what was offered, and what your client decided. This is not just for your own memory. It is a record that can matter if anything needs to be followed up after the birth. If you are working with insurance, they will need this for your paperwork (SOAP notes).
Your client’s birth preferences printed out. Bring your own copy. Hospitals lose things. I get my clients to print 5 copies! I always have it in the folder that I bring to the birth and I make my notes on the back of it.
And if you want to be genuinely prepared for the advocacy moments that catch even experienced doulas off guard, the Evidence or Coercion? Birth Truth Tool™ deserves a place in your workflow. It is not a physical item in your bag but it lives on any device and gives you real-time access to evidence-based information and ready-made scripts for over 50 documented coercive phrases. You can have it open in the birth space without anyone knowing what it is. Beta pricing is only $39 and it comes with a printable In-the-Moment Advocacy Card that absolutely belongs in your birth bag!
The things for you that nobody mentions
A small pillow or lumbar support if births tend to run long for you and you are managing any back issues. Some doulas bring a light blanket for if there is a slow period and they are able to rest. Minimalist doulas, you can also use hospital blankets in these moments. Comfort for the doula is not indulgent. It is how you stay present and functional for the whole stretch.
This one if for those postnatal doulas: An eye mask and ear plugs if you do overnight postpartum shifts. We talk about what overnight doula work actually involves here, including the conversation about whether and when doulas sleep on shift.
Cash for parking because hospital parking machines may not accept your tap or may be cash only. Just have some bills and change… because the world is weird.
A phone number list that is not dependent on your phone battery. Your backup doula’s number, the hospital’s direct line, your client’s emergency contact. Old school but worth it.
What you do not need in your birth bag
A massive rolling suitcase situation like Tash did, even though it was very well stocked! You are not moving in. A well-packed tote or medium backpack is enough for most births and means you can move freely and not block doorways or take up space that the medical team needs.
Anything that makes noise, smells strong, or requires a lot of setup. The birth space is your client’s space and your job is to support without disrupting.
Building your bag as you grow
The truth is that your birth bag evolves with your experience. The doulas who have been doing this for years have very specific, very curated kits that reflect exactly what they reach for in the room. You will get there too, and your training should be setting you up to understand not just what to pack but why each tool matters and how to use it.
If you did your training somewhere else and feel like you are still missing pieces of this foundation, the cert transfer program at bebo mia lets you bring your existing certification over and fill those gaps properly. No starting from scratch, no paying those hidden fees anymore, check it out here.
And if you are building your doula practice and thinking about all the other pieces that go into showing up professionally, this is a good practical starting point.
Your birth bag is ready. Go get them, sweet doula.
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If you want to chat about doula training or anything else, you know where we are, [email protected]
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