Aromatherapy/Essential Oils for Labour?

[PigglePuggle]

If you have used oils during labour, would you say they had a positive effect, and would you recommend them?

Also, do the NHS supply them or do you take your own?

What for?

I had lavender on a cotton tissue to sniff during contractions. Had to bring my own.

(Wouldn’t have expected NHS to supply)

@threegoodthings apparently they can help with pain relief and speeding things up

@lickenchugget thank you - I had assumed that would be the case but when I googled I found a PDF from a different NHS trust saying they prefer you to use the ones they supply which I thought was odd

Some NHS trusts run an aromatherapy service. Normally only in midwife led unit settings (not the labour ward). Always best to consult with a qualified aromatherapist as they can have strong effects and are not recommended in some circumstances.

@Potatomashed thank you! This is what I was reading, it’s quite a minefield. I’m only 29 weeks so still have a while to go, just trying to be organised!

My hospital provide them. They really helped me with my labours.
Variety of uses from inhalation in the room to DH massaging on my back.
The midwives are trained on what blend to apply.
Clary sage really helped in my 2nd but I remember rose and jasmine first time round.

@SweetPeaPods thank you! I forgot to discuss with my midwife at my last appointment but have made a note to ask at the next one

I was given some kind of lemon balm on a tissue by my midwife. No idea if it helped but was a distraction for 2 mins ;) it certainly diddnt do any harm!

these kind of posts worry me because I think you’re going to be shocked by labour! It’s not a spa day.

@Confusedandperplexed Oh really? I thought I was going to get a pedicure and a facial 😂

Obviously I’m not stupid, I’m just trying to arm myself with as many techniques for remaining calm and relaxed for as long as I can

@PigglePuggle Ignore her. I've had 3 births and the more relaxed you are I find they go quicker and you're more in control.
This one I'm going to the birth centre to have her there and they do massages, aromatherapy etc and have lots of mood lighting. Sounds like a lovely "spa day" to me 😂.

My labour with my first son who was 8.5 weeks premmie was quite long and I had had all the drugs I could have apart from an epidural (the thought of having an epidural is more scary to me than pain!) And one of the lovely midwives in the room asked me if I'd like an aromatherapy massage. It was amazing completely unplanned but it really helped to soothe me and distract me. Perhaps you could ask your midwife of the hospital or birthing unit you're planning on using if that's something they could do or your partner could do? Maybe there is a midwife there who is trained to do them.

Also this was in a really big hospital as it was a premmie birth. I had my second in a midwife led unit who I'm sure would have offered it but the birth was very fast second time around.

@PaisleyP thank you, that’s what I’ve been reading and at the moment I don’t feel nervous at all so I want to hold on to that for as long as I can! Ohhh that sounds even nicer than some spa days I’ve had haha! Good luck!

@Cotswoldmama ah that sounds lovely, I’ve made a note to ask at my next midwife appointment. Thank you :)

I have used clary sage in the room with all 4 of my children, & have had lavender on my wrist. Both are supposedly good to enhance contractions and for relaxation. Both smells immediately calm me.

Yep that was me on my first pregnancy.
I knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park but I bought into the idea that hypnobirthing and oils and music etc will make a difference.

they didn’t and they kind of left me unprepared for the pain, I thought it might be manageable or controllable to an extent. It wasn’t.

im not going to bother with these when I give birth now, but I’ll do another hypnobirthing course in the last 2 months, to help me with the wait and the long long days before labour but with no expectations it might help during actual labour.