if you used aromatherapy/essential oils in childbirth what did you use ?

[lighteningmcmama]

I've been reading juju sundins birth skills and she talks about using essential oils and I was just wondering which ones people used and whether you found it beneficial.

And before anyone comes on here telling me it's a load of rubbish and I'll be the first in line for an epidural, maybe I should state this is dc3 :o

I used lavender oil in early labour (put a few drops in boiling water.) I would have liked to inhale some on a tissue in later labour like juju advises but labour became too full on and I had forgotten to brief DH. Have heard Frankincense is very calming too, I didn't have a any to hand though.

I love that book. Good luck on DC3!

I use lavender throughout pregnancy for relaxation in bath, massage, oil burners etc. and intend to continue in labour. Also have clary sage to inhale for pain, massage if contractions slow.
I never got chance to use them with first in labour as had to go into hospital my 'au naturale' birth turned into a highly medicalised one! Planning a home birth with this one so we will see what happens

I have been told mandarin lifts the mood/atmosphere if things are progressing slowly. Was going to buy some Clary Sage on Sat for lower back massage to bring labour on. Apparently it affects the hormones, but it was £9 so decided to try cheaper options!

Gave birth in a MLU and they added a grapefruit/orange infusion to the pool, was lovely! I'm sure I remember them saying it was mixed with milk, or is that just daft?

Clary sage, it's got a lovely fresh, clean smell

Thanks all, some great ideas! I think I'll go to a health.food shop to test some of those out before I buy. Thank you

roozo no it's a thing! It disperses the essential oil so it mixes in with the bath.

During my first child's birth, I was very sick on gas and air. During my second, when I complained of feeling sick, the midwife asked if I would like some peppermint oil to smell. She sellotaped some onto my nightie strap, and the sick nauseous feeling went straightaway!

Don't test clary sage before you are due or in labour! It can stimulate contractions which is why it's useful in childbirth, so there's a risk it can kick things off

I used clary sage in early labour - I put it on a tissue rather than burned it / put it in the pool as it can be quite overwhelming and you may not want to smell it when contractions get strong. I do believed it helped speed things up. After that I used a mixture if lavender oil, camomile oil and frankincense oil. Lavender oil and tea tree oil in the bath after labour (mixed with milk) aids recovery too.

thank you. what does clary sage smell like? i don't know whether to buy it if i can't check beforehand if i like it lol. is it just like sage? also i'm unsure whether to buy because i don't know if i want to speed things up, as i need to be in hospital for 4 hours to get my 2 doses of antibiotics for group b strep, and with dc2 she was born within an hour of arriving!

but having said that, baby is currently back to back which means potentially slower labour....

I used a labour massage oil that was a mix of essential oils in a carrier oil. The main smell I remember was clary sage. DH rubbed it into my back when I was huffing the gas and air. It was very pleasant!

Clary sage is a clean, herbal smell. I think it's lovely. Not foody at all, not like the sage you put in a chicken.

I had it in a burner all the way through my labour, about 12 hrs and I didn't get fed up of it. I think it's helpful and relaxing to have a pleasant smell around. I was at home but if you are in hospital it could mask the smell that is always in hospitals!

Thanks all. I read on a blog this morning that smelling it to test it is safe, so I must just have a quick whiff if the health food shop have it! Thanks