Home birth - did you use essential oils to relax and did you find that helpful?

[robotcartrainhat]

Am planning a home water birth and I do find that being relaxed helps me deal with pain. (2nd birth and relaxation stuff surprisingly helped me massively with the first)
I dont really know much about things like essential oils. What have other people used during their births and was it worth doing/did it make any difference?
Which ones are best?
Which ones should be avoided?

Thanks!

I used lavender oil before and after, but not during, both DCs births at home. I found it a lovely way to relax with a few drops in a warm bath.

A word of warning though, 2nd DC birth was extraordinarily fast compared to DC1. It would have taken a general anaesthetic to relax me, never mind some essential oils. I say this as someone who was very psychologically prepared for the hard work and pain.

First time I had a blend which had lavender in and i think frankincense? Second time I NEEDED entonox, everything was progressing much quicker and don't think any oils would have helped much!

Thanks guys!

Im not against using gas and air if I need to... or going into hospital.
Had an epidural last time!
I just had a bad psychological reaction to my hospital birth, which was very long and involved a lot of intervention... so I wanted to at least try and do it a different way this time.
I know it may not work out that way in the end!!
But im certainly going to have a go.... So will be trying the lavender!

I used lavender in my last labour and it helped a lot. Though I did lots of long, deep breathing too, with the oil on a Muslin cloth.

Be very careful. Some essential oils are very dangerous if inhaled by babies/animals. They can interfere with their breathing. Personally I wouldn't want them around a newborn at all.

fartnisseverbeans yes I had read that so thats why I was asking about what people had safely used in their home births.
I dont intend to be using them once the baby actually arrives just during the initial labour... and the house will be well ventilated dont worry!

Oh okay, sorry for telling you stuff you already know - I hate it when people do that!

It was just in case, as lots of people seem to think they're perfectly safe and rub them on everything

I used clear sage on a light bulb so it diffuser into the room (homebirth), also had dh massage a few drops into my back with an almond carrier oil the night before I went into labour.
Lavender is also good.

I checked with my midwife before hand.

Clary sage!

sundaylunchhappy thats a great idea thanks!

robotcar also look at things like hypnobirthing if you're looking for ways to relax you during birth. Essential oils may be part of that but breathing techniques etc. also help.

You can also look on the Which? website for birth centres to see which birth centres near you offer aromatherapy as part of their offer. None of the ones near us do so I'm looking at this myself. I found the use of cardamon oil in a diffuser relaxing during an antenatal yoga class so am looking at that, so don't just go for the very common oils. might be worth a conversation with an aromatherapist to choose the best mix for you esp. if you want a carrier oil to use it for massage etc.