The Impact of Essential Oils in Birthing: A Mother's Journey Across Three Deliveries

Essential Oils for Labor and Delivery: My Real Birth Story

If you're looking for the essential oils that actually help during labor and delivery, here's the short version: lavender for relaxation, clary sage for contractions, peppermint for nausea and energy, frankincense and rose for pain, and rosemary for back labor and circulation. Below, I walk through exactly how and why I used each one, plus everything else I packed and prepped for my birth.

I've delivered three babies, and it's amazing how much you learn from each experience... and how much personal growth I recognized in myself between them. They were all such different experiences, and oh, how I wish I had known about essential oils when my first son was born.

By the time I was ready to deliver my third child, I'd figured out something important: controlling my own birthing environment mattered. A lot. With my first two deliveries, I saw the negative effects of having too many people in and out of the room, and I learned firsthand how much my labor was affected by my surroundings.

Knowing what I know now, it genuinely amazes me that hospitals and staff don't do more to make delivery rooms peaceful for laboring mothers, especially when there's so much proven science showing our bodies function better when we feel safe and comfortable.

Creating a Calm Birth Environment (and Why Your Birth Plan Matters)

Did you know you can request a calmer room simply by putting it in your birth plan? A clear, concise birth plan does two things: it protects the environment you need, and it signals to hospital staff that you're an educated mother-to-be who cares about the details of this experience for you and your baby.

A few things worth outlining in yours:

Who you'd like in the room, and when
A request to dim the lights to promote a more relaxing environment
Any music, oils, or comfort measures you plan to use

Essential Oils I Used During the Delivery of My Daughter

Here are the essential oils I personally used during my daughter's delivery, and exactly how each one helped me relax, supported more effective uterine contractions, relieved pain, improved circulation, eased nausea, and even helped my ligaments soften so my pelvis could expand.

A quick safety note before you dive in: some of these oils (clary sage and rosemary especially) aren't recommended for use before labor begins, since they're associated with stimulating contractions. I avoided them during pregnancy and only used them once I was actively in labor. Always run your birth plan and any essential oil use by your OB or midwife first. This post is just my own experience, not medical advice.

Lavender

Very versatile, a must-have for your labor and delivery bag. Promotes relaxation and helps relieve pain. I also brought it to help heal any bruising my baby might get during birth.

Jasmine

I love the smell of jasmine. It's a great one because it stimulates more effective uterine contractions and helps relieve pain.

Clary Sage

I steered clear of clary sage during pregnancy because it can induce labor, but once I was actually in labor, I used it for its calming effect when I was anxious and my muscles were tense from pain. I also brought it in case my labor stalled.

That's actually what happened. I had a slight stall from all the commotion and bright lights of the hospital, but once I got my music going and started breathing in my relaxing blend, labor continued to progress.

I'd also read that clary sage can be used once you reach your due date if you're hoping to start the labor process naturally. My midwife wanted to induce me since my daughter was a week past her due date. I was scheduled to go in on the 13th, so I started using clary sage the day before, and I went into labor that night. I'm not sure if the oil is what did it or if she was just ready to come, but I'm glad I didn't have to be induced.

Rosemary

Good for relieving back pain and improving blood circulation.

Peppermint

Helps with muscle soreness and pain. Breathe it in for an energy boost and/or to help with nausea during labor. I used peppermint oil topically and aromatically during labor because, from what I'd read, it wouldn't affect milk supply unless consumed.

Frankincense

Pain relieving, calming, a mild sedative.

Rose

Relaxing, and it softens ligaments, which helps your pelvis expand more easily for baby to pass through. I added a few drops to my baths, which I took as often as possible, or you can apply it with a carrier oil for massage.

Geranium

Calming, creates a serene environment. Also helpful for exhaustion and hemorrhoids.

Myrrh

I didn't personally use myrrh, but I've read it can help get a stalled labor going again, and if applied to the umbilical cord stump after baby is born, it may help it dry and fall off faster.

How I Prepared for Delivery

1. Relaxation and hypnobirthing music and books. I'd intended to take hypnobirthing classes but never got around to it, so I leaned on music and books instead. I listened often to practice my breathing and mentally prepare, and if this method appeals to you, I'd recommend starting as early as possible. Links to what I used are at the bottom of this post. I brought a bluetooth speaker and headphones to the hospital, but ended up using the speaker for most of it. It actually helped to have my husband and the staff hear it with me, since it encouraged the methods I was trying to use.

2. A perineal massage blend in a dropper bottle. If you're unsure how to do perineal massage, your doula, doctor, and/or midwife can walk you through it. I applied oil as often as I remembered during pregnancy to help prevent tearing, then again during labor and after delivery. I mostly used grapeseed and avocado oil as my carriers, but if I did it again, I'd probably use rosehip seed oil for its skin benefits. My hospital blend was avocado oil, clary sage, geranium, frankincense, and helichrysum. You can use whatever carrier you like with one or a combination of those oils. Frankincense and helichrysum were my favorites for pain and healing, and frankincense is especially great during labor since it helps prevent swelling for you and baby as they come through the birth canal (a compress works well too).

3. A jar of bath salts for the hospital. You may not be interested in laboring in the bath, but it was a lifesaver for me. Check with your hospital first, since some don't allow it (or only allow it up to a certain point), and not every room has a tub. My jar had epsom salts with lavender and rose essential oils. If you're hoping to help labor along, add jasmine.

4. A back and shoulder massage blend. My blend was avocado oil, peppermint, and jasmine.

5. A diffuser and a diffuser necklace. I packed a diffuser for the room and wore a diffuser necklace during labor. For energy, try a boost blend, vetiver, or wild orange. Bring extra necklace pads so you can switch to something more relaxing later, like a love and peace blend, lavender, jasmine, geranium, or ylang ylang. You can also just keep your oils nearby and ask someone to hand you whichever bottle sounds good in the moment, or use premade personal inhalers.

6. Peppermint oil for back labor. A few drops applied with pressure helped when I started having back labor. Frankincense is a good alternative if you'd rather skip peppermint.

7. An after-delivery healing blend. Coconut oil, helichrysum, frankincense, and lavender, massaged into areas to help with stretch marks and healing, and to ease postpartum contractions and cramping.

8. Postpartum cooling pads. I read about soaking feminine pads in a solution of witch hazel, a carrier oil, 10 drops lavender, and 10 drops frankincense, then freezing them to help with pain and healing during postpartum recovery.

FAQ: Essential Oils for Labor and Delivery

What essential oils help during labor? Lavender, clary sage, jasmine, frankincense, rose, rosemary, peppermint, geranium, and myrrh are the ones I used or researched for labor and delivery. Each supports something different, from relaxation and pain relief to circulation and contraction strength.

Can essential oils help induce labor? Clary sage and myrrh are commonly mentioned for supporting a stalled or overdue labor, but there's no guarantee they'll induce labor on their own. Always talk to your OB or midwife before using any oil to try to start labor, especially past your due date.

Are essential oils safe to use during pregnancy? Not all of them, and not at every stage. Oils like clary sage and rosemary are generally avoided before labor begins because they're associated with stimulating contractions. Talk to your provider about which oils are safe for your specific pregnancy before you use anything.

How do I use essential oils during labor? Aromatically (diffuser, necklace, or straight from the bottle), topically with a carrier oil for massage, or added to a warm bath. I used all three depending on what I needed in the moment.

Music and Books I Used to Prepare

Of course you'll be busy once your little one arrives, but once life finds a normal rhythm, I'd love to hear how everything went for you. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Here are the music and book resources I used to prepare:

This post shares my personal experience with essential oils during pregnancy and childbirth. It's not medical advice. Please talk to your doctor or midwife before using essential oils during pregnancy or labor.

May 11, 2016 | View: 17774 | Categories: USING ESSENTIAL OILS | By: Stephanie Wilkinson