Essential Oils For Labour And Birth
8 clever and practical ways to include essential oils in your birth
Essential oils can be really beneficial to the birthing process. They can enhance a positive experience, assist with pain relief, settle nerves and relax you. As well as creating a beautiful birth environment for your support team.
Smelling Clary Sage immediately takes me back to sniffing oils from a tissue in the back of our car holding my beautiful student midwives hand on the way to the hospital- Janet
Here’s a list of ways you can support your labour and birth with essential oils
1. Drop oils directly onto a tissue or handkerchief for you to sniff and inhale when you need a pick me up.
2. Drop oils onto a pendant diffuser or lava bead bracelet to have a continuous aroma of comforting oils.
3. Use an electric diffuser, mix oils with water and diffuse into large areas- perfect for birth suites or home birthing.
4. Add oils to a room spritzer to spray and refocus the birth environment. Here’s a simple recipe.
Labour and Birth Room Spray
- 1 tablespoon vodka
- 6 tablespoons filtered water
- 10-40 drops of essential oils (peppermint, jasmine, citrus, lavender, etc)
Mix into a glass spray bottle, shake before spritzing.
5. Massage directly onto your skin in a suitable base oil.
6. In the shower- Drop a few drops of your favourite oil into the corner of the shower to inhale in the mist of the shower while you labour under the water. Be careful not to make the floor slippy while doing this.
Or you could try making shower fizzers for birth using this recipe
Labour Shower Fizzers
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup citric acid
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 60-90 drops of your favourite essential oils
- Silicone mould/ silicone ice cube tray
Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl, add essential oils gradually until mixture resembles sand. Pack the mixture into your chosen silicon mould and allow up to 8 hrs to dry. Gently remove from mould and store in an airtight container.
7. On the way to hospital- drop a few drops of oils onto a wooden peg and clip to your AC vent to fill the car with amazing aromas.
8. Use a Car diffuser en route to the hospital to stay in the zone.
Things to consider
- Essential oils can support and enhance labour and birth and while most essential oils are safe for use, always check with your health professionals.
- Your sense of smell will be heightened during labour so you may find your usual favourite oils are too strong.
- Always buy your essential oils from a reputable source and ensure the highest quality.
