Imagine that you have a whole day to yourself in your home to relax and unwind. It’s raining and cold outside. Perfect weather for snuggling up inside with your favorite tea or warm drink, soft fluffy socks, and a cozy blanket.

What else would make you feel safe, relaxed and at ease? This is where we’ll start to make your delivery room feel more homey.

Lighting For A Cozier Delivery Room

Candles are my go to when I want to make a room feel more homey. The soft warm light and a wonderful scent can immediately put me in a better mood.

My absolute favorite candles in the world are made by Fontana Candle Company. Their beeswax and essential oil candles will seriously take you to another level of relaxation!

Flame candles are not allowed in hospitals or birthing centers but you can certainly start with them at home during early labor.

The battery candles that are available now feel like regular candles and give off the same warm light in a darkened room.

These beautiful candles with remote control are the ones I use with my clients in the hospital. You can replace the scent of a burning candle with essential oils, room sprays, or potpourri.

Fairy Lights, aka twinkle lights, Christmas lights, string lights, all of these terms apply but my favorite is fairy lights 🙂

I love all of these examples. I especially like the lights that operate by battery power because they have shorter strings than Christmas lights and the wire is easy to bend and stays where I want it to. These are the fairy lights I always have with me at a birth.

It’s also better to not be plugging a bunch of lights into all of the outlets, this may be frowned upon in some facilities.

I always make sure to put plenty of candles and lights in the bathroom so that the overhead lights don’t even need to be turned on.

Laboring in a smaller space like the bathroom can feel quiet and safe. Plus you’ve got the shower and or tub in there for hydrotherapy and of course the toilet, aka the birthing throne, which is a wonderful place to labor and to push.

Your body is entrained to release on the toilet so it’s the perfect place to have contractions while focusing on relaxing your pelvic floor muscles (think of doing a Kegel- only the active letting go part).

We walk around everyday with a moderate to severe level of tension in our pelvic floor, constantly holding it up, or having a feeling of holding it in.

When faced with the sensations of labor that sense of wanting to “hold it in” becomes even greater.

See if you can notice the tension you carry in your pelvic floor right now.

Allow your mind to tell your pelvic floor to let go. Pay close attention to the sensation of relaxing it.

The toilet is also a great place to be for pushing because the muscles you use to push your baby out are the ones you use to have a poo (think constipation).

So yes, light up the bathroom to make it fit for the birthing queen!

Adjust the lighting in your birthing room how you want it. Feel free to turn off the lights, if the medical staff needs to see better they can turn them on.

Often there are lights above the sink or behind the bed that you can leave on for a softer light.

It’s up to you how you want the room to be lit. Usually the softer, warmer the light can be, the better!

Aromatherapy To Make Your Delivery Room Smell Like Home

Aromatherapy is a traditional and historical practice of using essential oils from plants in order to enhance well-being. Eco. Modern Essentials has a delightful array of oils and diffusers to choose from.

The essential oils are usually mixed with a carrier oil such as grape seed, sweet almond or sesame oil. Essential oils may be massaged into the skin, given in a warm bath, or diffused into the air using a diffuser.

Always check first with the medical staff if anyone has an allergy before using any essential oils. At home, of course, use any or all of the scents that help you to relax.

My go to oil is lavender because it is very calming and soothing. We want different oils for different moods, lavender for relaxation, orange, grapefruit or lemon for an energy boost. Peppermint oil can help with nausea.

Other good scents for labor are jasmine, geranium, and rose. For home you can use an oil diffuser, that’s the easiest way to get the scents dispersed through the room.

Many hospitals do not want you to use a diffuser so instead you can put some drops of the oil on a moist washcloth or a cotton ball that you place nearby. You could also put some drops in the tub or shower for extra hydrotherapy relief!

Again, just be sure to ask the staff about any allergies that people may have.

The other way to induce relaxation and calming vibes is to use a room spray and lightly mist the air with whatever scent appeals to you, lavender is a great choice for this.

Just be sure to have a variety of options for scents because what you like early in labor may not be what you want later on. Your sense of smell becomes very heightened during labor.

A good tip on that front is to make sure anyone who is with you has deodorant and mints or gum. Support people may need coffee to keep them going but coffee breath in moms face as you lean in to breathe with her…no good!

Family Photos To Bring Home To Your Delivery Room

Hang pictures in your room of you and your partner as a reminder of the love you share that brought you here to this moment. Pictures of family and friends who can’t be with you will flood the room with their love and support from afar.

Maybe you have a photo of yourself accomplishing something really challenging…place it in a prominent spot in the room so that it can be a beacon of encouragement.

Or a picture from a moment that you felt really celebrated and loved. Pictures hold positive memories of our connections to others and help us to feel less alone.

If you have older children bring photos of them as babies, right when they were born if you have them. Remind yourself of the joy, and relief, you felt in those moments after they were born.

Birth Affirmations To Uplift Your Delivery Room

Hang a banner of birth affirmations in the room. Ask someone to read them to you during labor if you’re not able to yourself. Hearing positive words, even if you’re not feeling exactly positive in the moment, can still influence your brain… especially in the fuzzy oxytocin world of labor.

Symbols And Objects That Connect To Your Heart

Symbols can translate their meaning to us even when we don’t know the language. We connect with many symbols every day and don’t have to think about their meaning, we just know it and act accordingly.

Here is a lovely afternoon activity for both you and your partner to do. You’re each going to find three small objects, or symbols, that you can bring with you to make your delivery room feel more comfortable.

Think about your partner and your relationship. Find an object that best represents the bond between you. Don’t think too much about it, it doesn’t need to be perfect and you don’t need to purchase anything for it.

It’s not something you’ll need to explain to anyone else in the room so it can be something completely random (more then likely it will be).

Next, think about the amazing wonder growing inside of you. Pick an object that represents your baby.

Next you’ll find an item that represents yourself. Something that gets at the core of who you are as a person.

Think about the transition taking place, from maiden to mother, if you will; a leap into the unknown and a shift from one to two.

For your partner, also find an object that gets at the core of who you are. Think about all the ways you have supported this new being growing inside your partner’s belly.

How have you provided the strength and encouragement she has needed to get through pregnancy?

It is very surreal to experience pregnancy as the witness. In the moments of birth it all becomes real and you are no longer experiencing your baby from the outside.

If it is difficult to find tangible objects you could draw a picture or write a poem instead. Or do all of the above:). Just as long as there is a symbol in the end for the birthing mama to look at and immediately feel the love within it.

Once you both have picked your items wrap them up in a scarf or maybe the new baby blanket you just got and sit down and exchange your bundles. Each of you gets a chance to describe your objects to the other.

This is a fun and heartwarming chance to connect and reaffirm your bond. Talk about your hopes and dreams for your child. Remind each other who you are at your core and what is so amazing about you!

Bring all of these treasures with you to the birth and one glance at them will ignite in you all of the love, wonder and hope they’ve been assigned.

There is everything in there from skin care, food + snacks, beauty products, household items and so much more. Then after baby comes she’ll get items for her and baby both.

So much fun! She looks forward to opening her surprise box so much. It’s a really great way to celebrate mom and give her the gift of comfort and care.

Comfort Items That Make Birth More Cozy

Make sure you have all the things you need to be comfortable and cozy in your birth room.

Bring fuzzy socks, slippers, loose comfy pants, pajamas, robe, and layers because it’s difficult to get the temperature just right and you’ll be hot and cold as your hormones change throughout labor.

Bring your favorite throw blanket and pillow, anything that makes you feel snuggly and comforted!

It is possible to create a cozy, homier feeling in your delivery room. It just requires a bit of effort and creativity. I hope this article has given you some great ideas to start with!

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