Episode Summary
On this episode, we opened our doula bags and walked through what we actually carry to births. Birth bags are one of the most common questions we get from clients, from new doulas on social media, and from people in training. So we decided to talk through what stays in the bag, what has fallen out of rotation over the years, and what we keep there for ourselves rather than for clients.
We talked about pocket chargers, mesh cubes for emergency medications, TENS units we lend to clients before labor begins, our favorite small massage tools, twinkle lights and flameless candles for ambiance, a Hokusai wave folding fan, foldable frisbees that double as disposable fans for sweaty postpartum afternoons, aromatherapy stickers for the operating room, name tags and lanyards, business cards, and a few personal touches that make us laugh. We also walked through how the bag itself matters, why a washable backpack with a few well organized pockets beats a wagon of supplies, and why we will not set our bags on hospital floors.
The longer we do this work, the smaller our bags get. Our best tools are still our hands and our brains. Everything else is supporting cast. Listen in for the current packing list, the items that surprised us, and the ones we have left behind. Then write in and tell us what you carry that we did not.
Listen to This Episode
Episode Time Stamps
00:00 Why doula bags come up so often
01:19 Pocket chargers and tech for the doula
04:19 Mesh cubes and emergency medications
06:00 When the bag gets smaller as the doula gets more experienced
07:09 Backpacks, washable bags, and the hellhole pocket
08:32 Business cards, spare ID, and provider networking
09:46 Why we will not set bags on hospital floors
10:47 Twinkle lights, flameless candles, and ambient lighting
14:21 Spare birth ball plugs and a mini electric blower
15:53 The magic rabbit and the prenatal show and tell
16:50 Wisps disposable toothbrushes and Listerine strips
18:55 TENS units and lending them to clients at 36 weeks
20:42 Metal massage tool and a mini version for the desk
22:01 The Hokusai wave fan and foldable frisbees as client fans
24:35 Why brain and hands are the most useful tools
26:51 Carrying less because the hospital has more
27:25 Hospital peanut balls and birth balls that miss the mark
30:54 Hospital essential oil clips and their surprising price tag
31:30 Aromatherapy nose rings and stickers in the OR
35:14 Name tags, lanyards, and credential displays
38:34 Branded shirts as conversation starters
39:18 The postpartum doula bag and modeling client gear
42:20 What did we miss? Tell us what you carry
42:52 Clean your bag, clean the hellholes
Key Takeaways
1. The longer you doula, the smaller your bag gets. Newer doulas tend to carry everything they have seen on TikTok or in a training. With years of births behind us, we both reach for fewer items and lean harder on skill and judgment. If a tool is not earning its space in the bag, we leave it home.
2. Half of what is in our bags is for us. Experienced doulas know the bag is not only a client kit. Pocket phone chargers, migraine meds, Blistex, fingernail clippers, and snacks all live in our bags so we can keep showing up for long inductions and middle of the night calls.
3. Mesh cubes are the system that actually works. Clear mesh cubes let us see what is inside without dumping the bag out in front of a client in active labor. Emergency meds, tech, and TENS supplies each get their own labeled cube or zip case.
4. Backpacks beat shoulder bags every time. A washable backpack keeps our hands free for the client, keeps the bag off hospital floors, and keeps us from setting it down and walking away from it during a fast active labor walk in.
5. Business cards and a spare ID belong in your bag. New nurses and providers will ask for your information, often during or right after a birth. Carry the cards. Time it well. Hand them over once the moment is calm, not while someone is pushing.
6. Hospital equipment is not always plug and play. A peanut ball covered in dust, a five foot exercise ball, a fan that needs charging. Just because the hospital has a tool does not mean the tool is usable in the moment. Know what is on hand at each facility, and know when to bring your own.
7. Your brain and your hands are still the most useful items you carry. Every prop, gadget, and aromatherapy sticker is a bonus. The work of being present, reading the room, and helping a client problem solve is what they actually hired you for.
Mentioned in This Episode
Pocket phone charger blocks (one for the doula, one for the partner)
Compact tech adapter kit with multiple cords
Clear mesh organizing cubes for meds, tech, and tools
Wisps disposable toothbrushes
Listerine PocketPaks breath strips
TENS units, with carry case, leads, spare batteries, and a spare unit for emergencies
Cooling metal massage tool
Mini handheld massage tool for desk and quick use
Folding hand fan with a Hokusai wave design
Foldable frisbees, used as disposable fans for clients
Rechargeable flameless candles with remote
Battery operated twinkle lights
LED tea lights
Mini electric blower for inflating birth balls and peanut balls
Bergamot aromatherapy stickers
Peppermint aromatherapy nose rings
Custom name tag with magnetic backing and credential display
Branded shirts as conversation starters
Baby wrap for postpartum visits
Grippy socks for working in client homes
Read the Full Transcript
This transcript was auto generated from the recording. Speaker labels and timestamps are included. There may be small transcription errors.
DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 0:01 Hey, Hillary. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 0:02 Hey, Robin. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 0:05 So I have a fun topic today. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 0:06 Okay. I'm excited. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 0:08 I want to talk about birth bags. Oh, okay. And I know this is a little. It may seem silly or it may seem very basic, but as a doula trainer, everybody asks about birth bags. My clients ask about bags, social media, all about birth bags. So I'm going to talk a lot about birth bags and I would love to hear what you have to say about, like, as postpartum doula. What your version? Yeah. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 0:40 When you say birth bag, are you meaning what I take to a birth or what my clients take to a birth? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 0:46 What you take to a birth sometimes called a doula bag. Like, birth bag just has nice alliteration. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 0:51 I know you appreciate the alliteration. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 0:53 Appreciate an alliteration. So. Because I actually call it a doula bag, more often than not. It's my dual. But I would love to hear, like, what is your favorite thing in your birth bag? Can we start there? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 1:08 My favorite thing? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 1:10 Yeah. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 1:12 Okay. Well, I personally am obsessed with. I have. I'm just going to show you. I have this charger block that is in my birth bag. I don't even know what brand it is anymore. Do we need to talk about brands? No, I, I love it because it's. It fits in my pocket. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 1:32 And so I can just, you know, plug my phone in subtly and put it in my pocket. I think one of the things newer doulas don't think about is stuff for them. And at this point in my Julie career, at least half the things in my bag are for me. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 1:47 Only half. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 1:48 I mean, maybe more. I mean, so. And I always. I mean, I, I really do. Like, one of the things that are. My prenatal appointment with birth doula clients is actually I go through my doula bag and show them everything that's in there. So I'm like, listen, there are no surprises. There are no magic tricks in here. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 2:08 The best tools that I have are my hands and my brain. These are just like extra things that I have. And so I, I show them, you know, like, here's my box of granola bars that I like that I keep in there. And anyway, ye. That's my. That's probably my most favorite thing is this pocket charger for my phone. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 2:30 And that's nice because it does look like you'll fit in your. In your pocket. So I'm going to show and tell something tech. Since you started with tech, you do like tech. I do like tech. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 2:39 More than me. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 2:41 Well, but this is, this has been super handy and this is both for me and for the client. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 2:47 Okay. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 2:48 And it looks pretty innocuous, right? It looks like a little compact. Right. Like I'm gonna powder or a birth control pack. It is. Oh. Basically like any kind of adapter kit you would want that I've needed one of these weird adapters or needed the, like the cord. And so this is just. I don't have to have every single thing ever. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 3:15 I can just throw this in. It's light, it doesn't take a lot of weight. And yeah, that has been super handy. So I really love that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 3:25 Oh, I want to tell you, I have a different charger that has. That's bigger, that has different cords on it with the different like. And that one actually plugs into the wall to charge itself. That's really nice. I like that. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 3:40 I think I have that one. I think I got it after seeing yours, so. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 3:44 But you know, a little. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 3:46 You can't lose the cords. That's what I love about that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 3:48 Yes, exactly. You can't lose the cords. And I don'. Have to have like a adapter to plug it into the wall and charge it so. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 3:54 Well. And partners will forget theirs and their phones dying. It's a three day induction and they were like, oh, but my battery will last all day. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 4:03 Right. Like we're partners that don't regularly take 8 million pictures. All of a sudden they're taking video and you're like, oh, yeah, you're good. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 4:11 Drain in your battery. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 4:12 Exactly. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 4:13 And their phone's blowing up because everybody's DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 4:15 like, where's the baby? Yeah, have you had the baby yet? We need an update. Oh, my gosh. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 4:19 Forget about it for sure. So something that I have in my birth bag, speaking of, like the. For me, and this kind of goes a little bit to the systems is I love to have like little mesh cubes and I've got a bunch. Well, so I can see what's in them, but it's also contained. And so this is like emergency meds, right? So I've got my migraine meds. I can see my Blistex in here. I've got a couple different chapstick varieties in here. My Sudafed got ibuprofen, but it's like DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 4:55 I have some Zofran in mine. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 4:57 I probably have Zofran in here. Right. Drop this in. And I know, like, I've got emergency. I've got fingernail clippers in here. I have weak nails and I'll break them. And now I'm trying to rub your back. And I've got, like, this dagger DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 5:13 edge, DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 5:13 and I don't want to, like, scratch you, so I love carrying things in little cubes like this because it's so handy. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 5:21 I mean, I do. I do have a couple, like, bags like that. Like, one of my. My clients got me this one, which is very cute. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 5:29 That is. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 5:30 It's very nice. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 5:31 What do you keep in there? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 5:33 This is for my TENS unit. So it has the pads and. Yeah. And then the TENS unit in there. It's actually, I. I usually keep my charging block in there, too, because it's like my tech bag or whatever. That's about the limit of the amount of tech I have in my whole bag, to be honest. I mean, the. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 5:53 The truth of the matter is, and I think you'll agree, the longer I'm a doula, the less things I actually carry in my bag. I don't know if that's you too. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 6:03 Oh, it's absolutely me. I just. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 6:06 I think back to our friend Lauren. Do you remember our friend Lauren who had, like, this giant suitcase? It was like. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 6:17 Like a wagon at one point. She had a wagon that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 6:21 And I love Lauren, and Lauren is incredibly knowledgeable, a fantastic doula. And I was just like, girl, I cannot fathom. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 6:30 I want to take as few things as possible. I want to take as light as possible. Yeah, I. Yeah. One of the things that I love, and we can even talk about this a little bit, is bags themselves. Early my doula bag. So you can tell you've had that DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 6:49 same bag since you trained me to be a doula in 2014. Look at all the little pockets and the burs. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 6:56 And. Right. And it's a backpack. So if I go into a hospital and meet you in the parking lot or come into you in the hall or whatever, and I need to stop and do a contraction with you. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 7:09 Right, You've done it. Put it on the floor in the. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 7:12 Yeah, I don't want to put it on the floor. So it is on my back. I'm not accidentally leaving it somewhere. Right. I am thinking about a couple of times where I, like, meet up with my client in the parking lot or in the triage or wherever we are. We're like, walking in waiting room. That's what I meant. We're walking in and they are about to have the baby. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 7:32 Right. It is clearly obvious to anybody who has ever seen anyone give birth. Like, nobody is stop and go with this person. And, you know, it's like having my backpack on keeps me from sitting it down and walking away from it. Perfectly capable of Doing because I usually am like carrying the pregnant person around. Right. Slow dancing our way to the. So having it as a backpack has been really helpful to me to keep it off the floor. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 8:01 But it is also indestructible. Throw it in the washer. You know, a lot of pockets. So I know this is my pocket, this is my paperwork pocket, this is my client pocket so that I can have a little bit of organization. Now. It could be a hell hole in that pocket. I'm not saying that, but, like, it is like, this is the hell hole that has all the things for my client. This is the health and then the front part, which is really small. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 8:32 So less possible to be a hellhole. That is where I keep a spare ID and a spare, like a spare set of business cards. Never know when. Oh, that's true about your business cards. So I think that's probably one of the things I would tell newer doulas who may not think about putting that in their doula bag. But it is not, it is not inappropriate to, as you're working with a new nurse or you're working with a new provider. Like, maybe not, like, hand it over in front between someone's legs while they're pushing, like, timing, like, hey, it was really great working with you to see you again. You know, contact information. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 9:12 I mean, yeah, I do that a lot of times with thank you note afterwards. But yeah, it's similar. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 9:18 Well, they're asking. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 9:20 Yeah, I agreed. I've definitely been asked at the birth. Even, like, somebody's mom. My client's mom too, I think. So. One thing that I think when we're picking out what bag to have, actually, one of the things I really like is like, can I wipe it off when I get home? Does it have a million, like, little nooks and crannies? Like, I don't want that in my life. Like, I want to be able to wipe it down. Because one of my doula icks is when people set things on the hospital floor. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 9:51 I'm like, just, no, don't do that. And I've. I've literally said to my clients, like, listen, you see this nurse? She does not wear those shoes into her car. Like, she does not. No, no, no, no. Because you know why? She knows better. And I'm saying she. I've yet to encounter a male labor and delivery nurse. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 10:10 Like, that's just not. Yeah, that's awesome. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 10:15 And male midwives, like, nurse midwives. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 10:18 Amazing. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 10:18 I get seen a male cpm. I'm sure there is some. But I. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 10:22 That Would be cool. Yeah. Interesting. Okay, so. Yay. But as far as doula bags go, you know, I want to be able to wipe it down. Same with shoes, right? Like, I'm going to wipe the crap out when I. When I get out of there and trade them out, but. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 10:38 Well, I know one of the things that. That most doulas have is some alternative light source. Do you have light source? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 10:47 I do. Well, I have, like, twinkle lights. Of course. Our friend Victoria actually turned me onto the twinkle lights, but the ones that I've been using the most lately, I think you. You said these are pricey. I don't know, but I have these flameless candles. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:05 Oh, those are. Are they the remote control kind? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 11:08 Yeah, they have a remote control that I can use. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:11 So it has gotten so good. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 11:14 Maybe I'm bougie. Does this make me a bougie doula? I don't know. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:18 No. I'm gonna show you something bougier. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 11:20 Oh, okay. I'm excited. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:22 So Victoria also convinced me the twinkle lights were cute. And at a time where you could buy a string for like 6 bucks at target, you just walk in and buy them. And I could never figure out how to unwind them, rewind them, anything like that. So I would have a twinkle light nest. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 11:42 I know what you're going to show. And I actually, like, thought, oh, I should get some of them. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:48 This has been my answer. So it is rechargeable. So you see, it turns on from here and then. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 11:56 So fancy. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 11:58 But the best part. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 12:01 Nice. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 12:03 And I didn't know this until recently, but you can also hook your. Like, you could use this as a charger if you needed to. So it is like all. So you can, like, open that little port and charge out of it, but the charge will last a whole labor. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 12:23 So. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 12:24 So it's rechargeable and reusable. So, you know, not quite $6. But also, I don't have to buy a new one every time, so were DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 12:36 you buying a new one every time? I definitely have not been. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 12:39 I mean, they were still knotted. I mean, not every time, but it would be like. There is a nest of lights. Isn't. Was not the calm serene. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 12:53 Yeah, that's. And. And I used to. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 12:55 I move around as a nest. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 12:57 I used to carry, like, the tea lights. The led like, tea lights as well. Those are really nice for. I would like to, like, line them up on the mirror in the bathroom if, like, people are in the shower. Those are really nice, I think. Yes, exactly. I think the. The part that I like about the Lighting is like, you're making ambiance, right? You're making it feel cozy. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 13:26 You're making it a little more. If you want to be Dutch about it. Right. Making it a little more cozy and comfy. Cozy. Like, good feeling. And that's the point. Right. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 13:38 You're helping with the. The oxytocin flow. That. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 13:43 So what's something weird in your doula bag? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 13:46 Something weird? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 13:48 Yeah. Do you have anything weird in your doula bag? I don't know. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 13:51 Do I have anything weird? The problem is, like, at this point, I've been a duelist so long, I don't know what's weird anymore. I'm like, is. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:03 Well, while you're looking, let me. I'll show you something weird. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:06 I mean, I have wisps. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:08 No, you stole my thunder. That's. No, that's. That wasn't my weird thing. Okay. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:13 I was like, I don't feel like DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:14 that's weird that I'm just well known for my wisps. But I have these two things. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:19 Oh, yeah. For birth balls. Long enough. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:21 Yeah. You know what this is? This is a spare plug for a birth ball or a peanut ball. And this tool that gets it out without breaking your nails. Right. So when it's stuck in there, DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:34 you DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:34 lift it up like that and then. Oh, yeah. Now on that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:43 Oh, yes, I know what this is. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:44 This is something that I've added in the last couple of years. It is a mini blower. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 14:51 Such a good Vanna White impression, by the way. Like, look at this. You're gonna be on prices. Right? Next. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 14:57 Yeah. You know me. So. Right. You can either inflate or deflate. Yeah. Without using your hands, without using your feet. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:06 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 15:06 It just plugs into the wall or even a computer. Now, I will say this will blow up a 65 centimeter ball in, you know, two minutes, which is great. But it is loud. Loud, loud. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:21 Oh, yeah. So you gotta take a walk in the hall. Right? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 15:24 Right. Like, or, you know, I'm gonna go to the waiting room. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:29 Yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 15:30 Very rarely, like, during COVID I had to use it, like, in the room. And I'd be like, but it is loud. But it is also very efficient. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:38 Yeah, I carry. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 15:42 Oh, yep. Cute bags. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:44 That's not weird, though. I think maybe the only weird thing I have is this. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 15:51 Tell me about that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 15:53 It's literally a prop for my post for my prenatal visit, so. Because I literally make a joke every single time and steal the joke. I don't care. But, like, so I'm with my clients, and I'M like, you know, pulling out all the things and one of the, the last things I do say, like. And just a reminder, I don't have any magic rabbits or tricks in my bag. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 16:17 Wait, I do. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 16:18 Oh wait, I do. And then I pull this out. Like that's, it's very like my personality. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 16:23 That is really funny. I like that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 16:25 Also, she's very soft. I like her. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 16:31 You have a magic rabbit in her hat. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 16:32 Sure. I should like knit her sweater. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 16:35 Oh, you should. Or a hat. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 16:37 Yeah, rabbit hats are a little harder. But yeah, I should knit her. And that's just a funny joke that I like. It's not that funny. It's maybe kind of a, you know, dad joke. That's all right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 16:50 Well, so in keeping with the wisps. So like, yeah, I know I have the wisps. One of the things I'll say is recently somebody said like, oh, try some other, like try this other brand. And so I did. So I tried these, which are a little more individually packaged, which was nice, but I just didn't like this one as much. So yeah, these are disposable toothbrushes, which are nice. But the other thing that I have sort of in the same vein, but I use it a little bit differently. Whether it is I've been drinking coffee, which is not my normal, but I've been known to do it, particularly in the middle of night, is I love these little Listerine strips. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 17:42 And the Listerine strips are also good if anybody's been throwing up with the exception of like if I have these little small packets of them. Right. But they're teeny tiny, like you can probably barely see it, but it's just like a little, a little bit bigger than a postage stamp. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 17:57 Those will melt though, I will warn you. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 18:00 Oh really? I've never had. But anyway, they melt your mouth and Yeah, a little tangy and spicy and I'm like, I'm awake. Yeah, two o' clock in the morning or coffee breath. These are good, you know, because they will spice up your life. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 18:17 You've clearly never had to have your doula bag in your car at a 12 hour softball in July. You know what I'm saying? Oh yeah, no, so those will melt. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 18:26 So you just have to be careful. And I've never had that as a. I mean, my bag lived in my car forever. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 18:32 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I, I had the melt on me. I've seen a lot of things melt that probably shouldn't also melt, but that's another story. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 18:41 Maybe manage to start storing a Deeper, darker place maybe. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 18:46 But I. What's the thing that you use the most in your doula bag besides your phone charger? Because obviously. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 18:55 So it is honestly my tens. And so my tens because I have a bunch of them because I, you know, give one to each client, right. Got them with these. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 19:06 Give them the 10. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 19:07 I don't give them, but like they have it and then I get it. So they have it. So I like at around 36 weeks, I will drop off a tens unit. We've gone over it. Yeah. They know how to use it. Oh yeah, I can start it without me. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 19:23 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 19:24 And honestly that keeps them comfortable longer so they don't need me physically with them as soon. It keeps them home longer if that's their goal. It delays the epidural longer if that's their goal. But mine all have these like nice little cases that can wash down. But like mine has like, I know this one's mine, right? Because it's got fun little thing, but you know, and then this has like the tens unit has spare batteries, that has a spare set of leads that has like all the things. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 19:53 So instructions. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 19:55 Yeah, instructions like a call robin if you know, like a little mini. So it's got pads. So like all the things you could want. This one is mine. So they've got one, I've got one. Sometimes mine is for me. Sometimes this one is like the spare. So I, you know, I've had people who went into labor at work and like the tens was at home and so they show up like we, they go straight to the hospital and you know, I go there and I'm like, hey, where's the tens? They're like, right, the tens at home. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 20:31 Okay, Right. I don't ever want to be tens. So I carry, I carry a spare one. So I use that and then for a massage tool. This is my go to and I like it because it comes apart so it's easily cleanable. It's metal, so it conducts heat and cold. And I honestly will leave this upside down in a thing of ice. Now I will tell you, just sitting in my room, which is, you know, I don't know, 70 something degrees. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 21:03 This is cool to the touch, but I like it because it's hard to tell, but this moves. And you know, I can use my wrist if I want. I can use my arm if I want. Right. I can use what. So that gives me a little bit more time and strength and energy to be able to do massage. And recently I added. Isn't this cute? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 21:29 This thing is Adorable. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 21:31 And it is a mini version. And so you can hold it with your fingers. And this is really good for, like, you get. And so this is my desk, one that I use for me, but nice. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 21:45 So you're teaching. You're just, like, getting the knots out. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 21:49 Two things that I use a lot. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 21:51 That's fantastic. Literally, the thing that I always go back to is my fan. It's so simple. I purposely got it with the hokusai wave on it. Right. Because. Well, because it's beautiful, number one. But also, like, we always talk about that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 22:11 That metaphor. Right. The labor contractions are like waves. They're going to keep coming. Yeah. And I. I have used. I know you're a tech girly. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 22:22 I have used electronic fans. Like, electric fans. Like, they run out and this. You know, I just. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 22:32 I literally, like. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 22:33 I know when someone's getting into transition, I like, just stick it in my pocket and then I'll whip this out. And it. I have not. It has never failed me. My. My fan. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 22:46 So I love fans, but I give people a fan. Sure. I. One of the things I do at prenatals is we start building their thing. And so I make a rice sock. I literally have right now have, like, a shoe box size full of, like, white rice. Oh, yeah. This tube sock open. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 23:06 And I'm talking about it while I'm pouring rice in this. Take me to your microwave. Right. And so that. A couple of black combs. And then I buy foldable frisbees. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 23:21 Oh, yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 23:22 It makes them really cheap, so they look like this. And then when you take them out. Now, I will say I've purchased different kinds, so some are pretty, some are plain. Right. I've even seen people do this with their logo because this is. This is a disposable item. They get to keep that. Like, your fan is yours. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 23:45 Like, this is something. So three days postpartum, they're like, I'm sweating to death. Right. Give me that fan. Like, the number of times people tell me the fan. Right. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 23:58 Well. And you always whip it out, and they're just like, oh, that's exactly what I needed. Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 24:02 Then folds right back up. So, yeah, I love the fans, but that. I use foldable Frisbees. If you look for foldable fans, they're way more expensive. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 24:13 Fascinating. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 24:14 Yep. So I use both of the frisbees. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 24:17 Well, it's like the. Is it a party or is it a wedding? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 24:22 Like, whatever it is. Like, we got you. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 24:25 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 24:26 So, yeah. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 24:28 But I think. And then again, I didn't start out with all of these things. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 24:35 Oh, boss. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 24:35 No, I think that's the thing about new doulas is they want to have all the things, you know, all the shiny objects and truly the most. Again, I said this earlier, but my, my brain and my hands are the biggest tools that I with my clients. And that's a. But that's also. That's hard when you're trying to like advertise your services and like talk to people about what you do. That is. That is a hard thing to explain to people about like the benefits of being. Of having a doula on your team. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 25:14 Okay, cool. What tools are you bringing? Like, well, I got this big brain right here. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 25:21 Well, and we've talked about it before, right. Part of it is a confidence thing. I can tell you how confident you are as a doula with, you know, I'm going to give myself a 95% confidence interval based on how much stuff you bring and who's it for. Right. If you bring a ton of stuff and it's all yours. Less about you. But if you bring a ton of stuff and you've got every new trick in the book and everything that you saw on Tik Tok or. Right. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 25:51 Or in the eight trainings you took me for. Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 25:54 And. And that's not to knock it like there are. But we also have some unit taskers. Right. It only does this one thing and it's like part of it is as a doula. I. Can we say we MacGyver. Does anyone know what that means anymore? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 26:10 They redid that series. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 26:11 Did they? Okay, good. I never saw the series but like I get in the lexicon anyway, so. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 26:17 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 26:17 We're going to MacGyver it. We're going to figure it out. I don't need shawl. I'm going to use a sheet. Right. You know, it's like all these things and not to. If you want to care one, great. But I also became the very lazy doula. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 26:30 Right. I want to bring as well as like, I don't want to lug that stuff around. And part of this, like I want you to remember this is so hilarious because it's like now like I literally would carry a boombox with like brand fangled CDs. Like they were. They weren't even like cassettes. And I'm just imagining you. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 26:50 Yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 26:51 Literally you have to carry it like on your shoulder because you got birth ball in the other arm. Just see me walking in the hospital with all my backpack and this and this and like now the fact that I can Carry everything on my phone is just, like, amazing and also, you know, like, wonderful. So that has taken the need for me. I don't have to bring a birth ball anymore. I don't have to bring a peanut ball. I don't have, like, yeah, okay. Wagon to bring all that stuff. Most of, I think. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 27:23 Yes. And Right. So, like, knowing what is actually available at the hospital is important. Right. So when we talk about, like, yeah, they have peanut balls. Cool. I fairly recently went to a birth at this hospital. The nurse was so excited to show me the peanut butter. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 27:39 Oh, my gosh, we have peanut balls now. And I want. And I was like, cool, cool. So she opens the cabinet. You've heard this story, but you have. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 27:47 I'm thinking my own story, but go ahead. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 27:49 She opens the cabinet. It is covered in like a layer of dust and half inflated. And then it took him an hour to get a maintenance guy to come so I could show him how to inflate it. And I was like, I love that you have this tool. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:06 Yay. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:07 Let's figure it out together. That was a whole. That. I was like, okay, yes. If you aren't using it, it's not super helpful. That, like a half inflated peanut ball covered in dust. Not actually helpful. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:22 I went to a birth, and this was probably 20 years ago, at least in your state. And DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:32 which, for the record, you crossed a bridge. Like. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:34 No, no, this is. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:36 Oh, like further north. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:37 Yeah. I can't name the small town because there's. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:39 Oh, no, it's fine. It was. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:43 It was like 50 plus miles from my house. Let me just say that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:46 There you go. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:47 It was further away. I go to this hospital and I had a ball in the car. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 28:52 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 28:53 And the nurse was like, oh, like, that's why I was laughing, because I was like, I've heard this story. Meaning, like a nurse. So excited. Like, we have. We have birth. I was like, awesome. Because I'd been saying to my client, let me run to the car and get my birth ball. She was like, oh, that'd be great. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 29:07 And they're just like, oh, hey, like, you don't need that. So the nurse goes to get the birth ball, and it's clean and just properly inflated. But this lady rolls in a ball that is five foot tall. W. Yes. I mean, like. And I'm just looking at it like, girl, what. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 29:25 What am I supposed to do with it? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 29:26 And I. And I'm trying to be so nice and so thankful. And so I said to her, you know, with my eyes probably half as big as the Ball. Like, wow. Like, that is awesome. Can you show me how to use. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 29:41 Tell me what you. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 29:43 I don't know what. Like, I'm like, like, like, how do we get on this ball? And so she just deflated. She was just like, oh, I thought you would show me how. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 29:56 Like, I've seen that. Like, we had a peanut ball once that they brought in. Literally, like, my client could have sat on it and not. Her feet not touch the floor because it was so big, like, straddling it. And I was like, okay. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 30:10 It literally came up to my neck. I was. So I said to her, I said, hey, I have my ball in the car and I know how to use that one. Let me go get mine. And when I brought mine in, she was like, oh, like, that makes so much more sense. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 30:24 Much more sense. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 30:25 Right? So 65 centimeters, not 6ft, 5 inches. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 30:31 I feel like, what do you even use? Except for, like, a gym class? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 30:34 I don't even know, like, walking down people. I was like, bowling with people. I don't. I really don't know. Like, it was. It was like, I have no idea why they would buy it. And I just, like, yeah, I just remember that. And just thinking. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 30:52 I mean. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 30:54 Yeah. But so I will say that there have been some really cool things that I found at hospitals as well. Like, there was. I remember I showed you afterwards because the nurse handed me to, like, extra. She had these little, like, essential oil packs that, like, clipped onto my clients this gown. And I was so excited and. Because my client really loved them. And then I get home, and I was like, holy cow, these are like $20 each. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 31:21 They're crazy expensive. But you had something that you tried, and you were like, yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 31:28 And it was just. I have another thing. I have stickers. But I also. I just tried this recently, and it is like a little nose ring. It is clear. So in case you don't want to think about sitting around with a nose ring. They're teeny, but then, right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 31:49 You just wear it like that. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 31:54 I can so tell you teach online, too, by the way, because how you. The camera is so good. So. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 32:00 Right. So, like, you can't relate. Like, if you're sitting here now, it's a little. Like, it's tickly for a second. Like, you got to get used to DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 32:09 it, but used to being there. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 32:11 Yeah. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 32:11 You said it wasn't for you, so I tried to. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 32:14 I got peppermint because a lavender. I don't get along. Yeah. But I got the peppermint because of headaches. Like, I thought, oh, like, I'll try it. And, you know, if I'm at a birth and I have a headache, like, this would be an easy thing to try and. But my skin's really sensitive and didn't do real well with keeping it in for a long period of time. But for a short period of time, like, could this work? If you're going into the OR and you're just going to be there 30 or 45 minutes, like, you could do that. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 32:42 I do have stickers. My kids like the stickers, and I think they've run off with them again. I literally keep buying them just to have here. Not, like, thankfully, they don't know I have them in my birth bag, but they come in, like, a little foil pack. Now, what I will tell you about the stickers is it's about 15 bucks for a pack of stickers. And it's like 15 stickers. But the stickers are so intense, you really only need about a quarter of a sticker. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 33:08 Oh, interesting. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 33:09 And it's not scratching stiff. But I was sitting here teaching one day, and I was teaching about, like, being dual in the or, and I was like, some tricks, like, and I'm. I said, you know, one things that gets people sometimes is the smell in the or. And so I said, you know, here's cool trick. You can take these little aromatherapy stickers, and, you know, you can just put one on the outside of the mask. You can put one on your shoulder, like. And as I was sitting there, I have bergamot ones that I love that smell. So, you know, I was like, oh, like, I would like to smell this while I'm teaching. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 33:43 So I surreptitiously, like, take off one of the stickers and, like, put it on my water bottle while I'm sitting here. And it was so intense, like, in DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 33:53 15 minutes, I was like, look, I'm DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 33:55 gonna throw up if I don't get rid of this sticker. So I learned at that point, like, you want to cut those real, because if you put that anywhere else, hospitals sometimes have stickers, too, like that, that they will put on. Just, like, put them on the gown. But that can be really helpful for either you or the partner or the client. The. The aromatherapy stickers are another way to do it. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 34:21 Yeah, well, and I always try to make clear, like, listen, I. I'm using this because the property. I know that peppermint is gonna help. It helps with nausea. It's gonna help you with your. Maybe a headache. I'll put a couple drops in the toilet for People sometimes. Nice and cooling. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 34:39 But I am not an aromatherapist. Like, I'm not. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 34:43 Or smell good. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 34:45 Exactly. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 34:46 Like, I am not. Like, we're not ingesting it or putting it on their body or anything. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 34:50 Absolutely never. Also, because. Not me. Right, Terry. Right. We know people. But I think. I think, you know, people skirt that line sometimes. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:03 So I just want to make that clear. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:04 Like, let's talk about name tags. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:07 Oh, you just want me to show off my. My pool. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:11 Yeah. Show me your name tag. Okay. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:14 So this is my. My name tag. So the pull is a lovely little brain. And that's my name tag. Very pretty. My new logo. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:26 Where'd you get that done? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:29 Where did I get it? I. Well, I had a graphic designer make it. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:32 No, I meant the badge. Oh. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:36 Like, where did I get it printed? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:38 Yes. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:39 Oh, I want to say it was like. It was. Oh, no, I don't remember the website. I feel terrible. It was a lanyard something. Yeah. I'm sorry. I don't remember. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 35:49 I know you are a big zazzle girl. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 35:52 Well, I. Zazzle was something that you could do easily and inexpensively, particularly during the pandemic. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 36:00 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 36:04 As I'm weeding through, like, 53,000. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 36:09 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 36:10 That's gel pack. I was like, what is this? I need to. My birth bag's ready for its cleaning, so I have what I will say I was looking for my current, like, donut name tag. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 36:22 Oh, yeah, yeah, Donut. Oh, my goodness. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 36:26 You'll get. Yeah, really throwback. So you'll get, like, a name tag, and you can wear it. And these are awesome. And the new ones have magnets, and they're really pretty with a new logo or logo, which is lovely. During the pandemic, one of the things that everybody was supposed to have where I am is they wanted you to have your, like, certification. And so our hospital, like, they have this where it hangs down, where it says md, cnm, whatever. So I had. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:02 With my photo in my name, and then when you flip it over. Right. It was my certification. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:09 Certification? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:09 Yeah, with, like, a pull badge. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:11 Right. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:12 So that I could, you know, show it to the guy at the door. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:15 Did I send you a brain? I have extras. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:18 Well, I just redid it. Like, I just redid mine this year. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:21 Oh, that's a cute picture, too. Yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:24 And, you know, I did the same thing on the back so that I have it if I need it. I don't get asked for that, but. Right again, this is just. This is 10 bucks. That includes shipping. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:35 Yeah. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 37:35 Find it yourselves. And this is Something that I think just helps you feel on your own just a little more like, hey, I belong here. But it also shows to other people, like, hey, right. I am not just the BFF right here with a role. So I think that name tags are an important thing. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 37:59 I like name tags, although sometimes I'll, like, leave a birth and go to my kids, like, concert and they'll walk up to me and be like, hi, Hillary. And I'm like, what? Oh, your name tag or a doula? DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 38:12 Like, yeah, right. Oh, yeah. I actually was sitting at Panera the other day with. With my name tag on, and it was fine because got to give out my business card. Yeah. So, hey, just wear your wear. Wear it around. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 38:28 Yeah. I mean, we used to do custom shirts, but yeah, the name tags are easier. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 38:34 Like, yeah, well. And, you know, I love wearing shirts as a way to get people and ask me questions. That way I don't have to start the conversation. And if you're even semi interested, you're going to come over and be like, doula. What is that? Or, oh, I'll do what now? So it's a great conversation starter in a way to, you know, drum up business for sure. So. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 38:55 Yay. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 38:56 The thing about your doula bag is that it's really personal and you have to take what you have to take. But before we end, tell me a little bit about what you take when you go to a postpartum visit. I've worked as a postpartum doula. I just basically took my water bottle and sanitizer. What do you take? DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 39:18 So it depends on the family, of course. So I always take my water bottle because, listen, I drink a lot of water. I. I just. Yeah, I always. And hand sanitizer. I mean, no, I'm just usually washing my hands at this. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 39:34 I recorded this whole thing. It's. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 39:39 Mine says recording. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 39:42 Mine says record. Did you hit record? Oh, I see it up at the top. Okay. You must have hit the record. I was like, oh, my gosh. Okay, now you just have to edit. Sorry. It's okay. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 39:51 No, okay, take a pause. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 39:54 I'm fine. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 39:55 Okay. So it depends on the family. I do always take my water bottle. I'm always wearing. I always. I'll take socks because I don't wear socks a lot, but I wear socks in people's houses. So I'll take soc with, like, grippies on the bottom. And I will take. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 40:16 I do have a couple of, like, baby wraps that I'll wear if people don't have their own sometimes, depending on the baby Right. So some babies really just want to be held all of the time. I would really rather that their parents are holding them. But, you know, it's hard to hold a baby while you're in the shower or. And. Or, you know, taking a nap or whatever. So. So, yeah, so sometimes I'll. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 40:39 I'll wear a baby wrap, but for the most part, I'm using what. And part of that is actually modeling, like, how to use some of the things that they have, because, oh, my gosh, I cannot tell you the number of people who get so many, like, random wing dings. And they're like, I don't know what this thing is for. And I was like, oh, that's for butt paste. Like, let's talk about what you actually use that for. Like, it's not. So you don't get it on your fingers. Like, you. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 41:05 Anyway, there's a thing. It's a thing. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 41:07 Okay. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 41:08 Yeah. They have, like, suction cups on the bottom, and they, like. Yeah. So that you can. Instead of getting it on your fingers, you can use that to, like, spread it on the baby. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 41:17 That's a spatula, basically. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 41:19 Yeah. But with a suction cup on the bottom. So. Oh, my gosh, Robin. The. The number of things that people get, and they're just like, do a whole show on that. And. Yeah, honestly, we could. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 41:35 I mean, because I'm a lot of times more recently, I'm, like, helping clients edit their registries. Like, okay, this is not a good thing to get, and let me tell you why. It's actually one of the fun things about, like, educating clients. It's postpartum doula. Like, okay, yeah, no, this is not actually important. Or this is not a good product. Yes, I know they still sell it, but let me tell you, there was a recall. And anyway, that was the whole situation. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 42:00 But as far as what I take with me, very little in the end. Yeah, socks. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 42:09 And I wouldn't have thought about the socks. So that is definitely, definitely a good one. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 42:14 I'm a flip flop girly. In the summer, I wear flip flops all the time. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 42:20 So, so bad for my fear that as you're listening to this, write in and tell us, what did we miss? Like, what. What. What should we be carrying that we're not? Like, what is the hot item that. That we don't have that we didn't talk about? Or maybe you disagree with us. You hate something we love or you love something we hate? Tell us why we're wrong. We would love to hear what you do, because I love learning from other doulas and seeing what they do. That's how I learned about some of these things. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 42:47 Same. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 42:49 So. And what do you do? Make sure you clean your birth bag. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 42:52 Oh my gosh. Please, please. Clean your compost. Clean the hell holes out DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 43:00 real. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 43:01 I think that's good. DR. ROBIN ELISE WEISS 43:04 Well, till next time. Hillary. DR. HILLARY MELCHIORS 43:07 Later.