Essential oils for birth - recommendations

[HK171]

Hi all,

First baby due in September and starting to buy a few bits. I'm going to order an essential oil diffuser to have in the birthing room and wondered if anyone had recommendations for the oils to use with it? A lot of the sets online are your standard lavender/ lemongrass/ peppermint sort of thing but would love to hear of any others that smell great!

Clary sage smells vile but can help with labour. Unfortunately you can’t smell it until your in labour.

I'd check first that you'll be allowed to use it.

I honestly wouldn’t bother. Though the home birth midwife who put me in a taxi when I needed to transfer to hospital for all the drugs gave me a cotton ball infused with frankincense. Smelled nice enough, didn’t help the labour at all.

You may not be allowed a diffuser, but the best thing I did ( or DP rather) was freeze wet flannels with drops of peppermint oil on them. Take them in a plastic bag and they're great to have on your forehead/neck to cool you down, and the peppermint can stop you feeling sick. I had some with orange oil as well to feel energised and some with lavender to keep calm.

I was in a birthing pool room at a birthing centre and we were told we weren't allowed to bring our own in but the midwife had one which was PAT tested etc that we could use if we wanted. In early labour I used smells but used my husbands perfume thing as that's the smell I found most comforting didn't use oils. In the birthing room midwife put one on but no idea what it was. Personally I would just go for what scent you like and find comforting.

I will say while I wasn't fussed on the scent I loved that her diffuser glowed with coloured light. I had almost all lights in the room off except for a single spotlight for the midwife and the diffuser which glowed red. Loved that.

If you're planning on having your baby at a hospital or MLU check with them first. Lots of places have their own diffusers already so you won't need your own. I had lemon for my second labour. It was nice, but I don't think it made much of a difference relaxation wise.