Essential oils are all the rage right now and a lot of people are wanting to learn how to use them during births. I have been using essential oils for a decade now and as a doula I can say that it’s important to know that if used correctly and diluted properly, essential oils can really be safe during the birthing process. Whether mom has a medicated birth or a natural birth, essential oils can help with emotions, pain and preventing tearing
Top Tips:
- Â Lavender is a really good relaxer and can really help if it is used before labor starts. It is best to take a warm bath with just a couple of drops of Lavender because it can stop or slow down preterm labor.
- It’s good to have Sweet Basil on-hand during births because Basil is really good for lower back pain. I just dilute 2-3 drops of Basil oil into 10 drops of a carrier oil (like coconut oil) and massage that onto the lower back. Sweet Basil also has anti-inflammatory properties which really helps ease the joints.
- A main concern during births is tearing and that’s where Helichrysum is handy. Helichrysum is amazing when it comes to supporting soft tissues and skin. Mix 1 drop of Helichrysum with 10 drops of any carrier oil and massage it into the perineum during crowning. It will really help make that area more elastic and less likely to tear.
Boosters:
- Anti-Anxiety: If mom is familiar with essential oils then there is usually a go-to oil for her. My go-to oil is Pure Tranquility but if you are not sure, some good ones are Lavender, Ylang-Ylang, Frankincense, Copaiba and Orange. These oils are great with anxiety and can even boost spirits and happiness.
- Energy: If mom needs a surge of energy without caffeine, a mixture of tangerine, orange and clove can be really helpful to a mom who’s almost done but completely exhausted. Just enough booster to give those final pushes.
- Rejuvenator and Balancer: If labor is in full force and you want to keep the pain at a lower level, a mixture of Lavender, Tangerine and Copaiba can help. Just mix those three and massage the feet and lower back. This mixture can rejuvenate and make mom feel empowered that she feels like can “do this.”
- Birthing After Care: By combining 5 drops of each of these oils; Lavender, Grapefruit, Orange and Chamomile and 10 drops of Helichrysum, then fill the rest of the spray bottle with Witch Hazel and applying that to the perineal area can decrease healing times significantly.
Tips on How To Use Oils During Births:
- Never diffuse oils in a birthing room. Once you’ve diffused that particular essential oil, it will be nearly impossible to get rid of the smell all at once, and sometimes mom gets suddenly annoyed by a scent she loved a few minutes ago. Suddenly she can become overwhelmed by all the stimuli going on during birthing.
- Use paper towel or cotton ball. Instead of diffusing, you can put a couple of drops of oil on a cotton ball or paper towel and once mom wants no more of that scent, you can easily get rid of it by throwing it out or by placing it in a Ziploc bag. This way, the oils will not linger during the times that it isn’t wanted/needed.
- Once the baby is born, get all the oils out. Oils are strong in smell and there are a lot of biological things happening; bonding, breastfeeding and mom and baby smelling each other’s pheromones, etc. It’s really important for babies to smell mom and her milk and it can be super confusing if we’ve got all these oils going on.
Which essential oils are your go-to and what does it contribute to the birthing process? Comment below!