Hey all! So in preparation for my own homebirth, I'm making sure all of my favorite and most essential (haha get it) birth supplies are in order and set out for my birth team. These 5 oils are definitely my go to when attending a birth and I hope they are helpful tools in my own labor and birth coming up! When I was pregnant with my first son, I was clueless about essential oils and they were definitely not a part of my birth toolbox, but over the years I have researched oils and seen first hand just how helpful and amazing they can be when used correctly and appropriately in a labor and birth setting.
Here is how I'm hoping to use these oils during labor and birth! I plan on printing out a little sheet of paper with simple instruction for my birth team (yikes, should do that today!).
Peppermint: Helps relieve nausea, headaches, and back pain. Can be used to give a little kick of energy and helps your brain focus at the task at hand! It helps relieve anxiety and hypertension. Be sure to use with a carrier oil when applied to the skin! Peppermint can also be diffused or just sniffed from the bottle for aromatherapy benefits. Avoid use after the baby is born, as peppermint has been linked to reduction of breast milk production.
Clary Sage: This would be a wonderful oil to have diffusing throughout the whole labor! DO NOT start the use of this oil until labor is already established! Do not use this oil in pregnancy or as a way to induce labor. Clary sage helps your uterus contract, so it would be a great oil to have on hand in case labor stalls or if you need a little extra help with getting your placenta out. I'm planning on having it diffused throughout my labor to help my uterus stay working strong as well as rubbed on my abdomen after the baby is born to help my placenta release.
Wild Orange: Anything with citrus is going to be invigorating, refreshing and energy giving. Wild orange can be used on its own or mixed with peppermint to give energy, or mixed with lavender to reduce anxiety.
Lemon: Lemon can also be sued in the same way you would use wild orange. The citrus scent is invigorating and refreshing, and maybe you're just more in the mood for a lemon scent over an orange scent! Or mix the two oils for a wonderful citrus scent to revive your mind and mood!
Lavender: This is probably the most popular oil to use in labor (and in normal everyday life!). Lavender can be used to relax and balance your mind and body. When smelled at the peaks of difficult contractions, lavender can help calm and relax you. Lavender can be mixed with other oils to increase the potency of other oils and can even ease your after birth pains.
Deep Blue: This is an oil that I'm adding to my own birth kit that I don't usually give to friends and clients mainly due to the cost of the oil. This is a pretty expensive yet VERY potent oil that can be used to relieve back labor! Hallelujah! It's a mix by doTERRA, it smells a lot like Vicks, and is a mix of different oils that go deep into the muscles to help them relax and release. My back labor with Oliver was a nightmare, so I'm excited to have this oil on hand for this labor just in case back labor decides to rear its very ugly head again.
Maybe you notices me saying that some of these oils should be used with a "carrier oil". If you don't know what that is, it just means that the essential oil should be used with a non essential oil such as olive oil or coconut oil to dilute the potency or "heat" of the essential oil. Essential oils cannot be mixed with water, only another oil, so it's good to have these "carrier oils" on hand to help you use the essential oils safely. As a general rule, all oils can and maybe should be used with a carrier oil anytime that the essential is applied to the skin. The carrier oil that I prefer to use is coconut oil because of how great it is for the skin as well as its lack of its own odor. You could use any coconut oil from your grocery store, but I specifically got this lovely bottle of fractionated coconut oil from doTERRA which is connected it its own squirty top. Fractionated just means that the oil will stay in its "melted" sort of state and will not go back to becoming a solid as coconut oil often does at room temperature. I love to use essential oils mixed with carrier oils for massages for the laboring woman. I hope that members of my own birth team will do the same for me :-)
Well, there ya go! Information on the oils that I love to use during labor and birth and am hoping to use at my own birth coming up! If you are planning on using oils yourself, be sure to become as informed as possible! Essential oils are not just simple fragrances, but actual potent medicines. When used in moderation, appropriately and safely, essential oils can be a huge benefit to you in the birthing room. But when used blindly and recklessly, essential oils could be dangerous, so PLEASE be sure to be smart and informed!
Do you have any other favorite oils that you love to use in pregnancy, labor, birth and even the postpartum time?? Let me know!
xoxo, elyse