Essential oils for labor and delivery is taking the world by storm, for good reason. They are a great way to improve and nurture wellness. Essential oils have a big part in promoting energy and motivation as well as relieving pain when a mother is in labor.
If you’ve been interested in essential oils and how they might help your childbirth experience, here are some of the best essential oils for labor and delivery for you.
How Essential Oils Work to Relieve Pain
The truth is no one knows how exactly essential oil works. Studies believe that essential oils might work by uncovering the limbic system to molecules that boost that system. It is part of the brain that’s responsible for the memories and emotions. By boosting that part of the mind, it’s considered that the essential oils may reduce depression and anxiety that helps decrease the pain feeling. Thus, essential oils might work by improving the production of your body’s natural anxiety-relieving properties. Essential oils are an important part of the feeding process. The creator of modern nursing, in the 1850s during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale used aromatherapy lavender oil on injured warriors.
Lavender oil
This is one of the most popular essential oils for labor and delivery with calming properties. Relaxation is vital during childbirth and has a big role in how fast the delivery advances. Dispersing lavender oil during giving birth or directly inhaling it can help new moms save her energy and relax her nerves. The smell is amazing too!
Roman chamomile oil
This aromatherapy oil is an excellent refresher. Roman Chamomile can provide relief and revitalization during childbearing when a cold, wet washcloth is placed on a mother’s forehead.
Peppermint oil
Considered amongst the best essential oils for labor and delivery. It provides great alleviation when applied to hurt areas such as the neck, back, and legs. It can treat nausea as well. By simply inhaling the oil aroma it can curb an upset stomach. The coldness of the oil is an excellent way to keep new moms focused and rejuvenated.
Gentle baby oil
A soothing and relaxing oil that creates a feeling of serenity. It can remedy the anxiety and stress as well as boost the relationship between the mom and baby. Put an ample amount of oil into your hands and massage over your low back, tummy or feet.
Rose oil
This is probably one of the most expensive essential oils for labor and delivery out there. Maybe the reason is that it takes many roses to create one bottle of aromatherapy oil. Fun fact, for a 5ml bottle, 10,000 roses are needed. However, if you can afford the price, this essential oil can be helpful during your labor.
By infusing the oil, mom can feel more refreshed and happier and more optimistic about the whole childbirth process. Rose is an amazing powerful stimulant and inhaling in its aroma can help eradicate the fatigue during birthing.
Remember: Don’t use rose essential oil in mixtures if you are nursing or during your labor. You must only use it as recommended by your doctor during the pregnancy and labor process.
Frankincense oil
Frankincense is a soothing essential oil that can be effectively used when you’re about to give birth. You can either breathe in from the bottle to stay relax or drop on each of the palms and inhale when you’re feeling uneasy.
Frankincense also treats pain – of course, expectant moms want that during their birthing. Rub the oil in mom’s belly, lower back, pelvis or any other parts of the body that aches to give a soothing and chilling effect.
Lemon oil
When you are in labor and about to deliver, there are numerous kinds of fluids that come out in our body. This fact is not to scare any pregnant mothers, it’s the truth, and these fluids usually comes in different odor.
Aside from that, it’s common for expectant moms to get sick or vomit during labor. If that happens, be calm as it’s normal. However, if you can prevent throwing up or nausea, it can help everything become hassle-free. This is where the lemon oil come to being.
Lemon essential oil is perfect for calming the nerves and relaxing the stomach. If you feel nauseated, or to avoid getting sick, put a few drops of lemon aromatherapy oil in the cotton ball, or bottle cap and inhale the scent whenever you can. If your husband is also feeling nauseous, it might be good for him as well to take a few inhales of the lemon oil scent.
Lemon is an amazing antiseptic, and so, it can help purify and clean the air. If you infuse the lemon oil, you can eliminate some of the odors that might be staying around in your place during labor and after giving birth.
Myrrh oil
This essential oil is great for the newborn but using myrrh to the umbilical cord is an ideal way to have to heal it faster.
Ylang Ylang and Geranium oil
The mixture of these two essential oils for labor and delivery is a lifeguard for moms after birthing. Combining these two with coconut oil and rubbing it into mom’s belly after delivery can contract the uterus and slows down the bleeding. Also, Ylang Ylang and Geranium helps tighten the tummy skin post-delivery.
Marjoram oil
Between the cramps, pushing, and post-delivery spasms, labor, and birthing are an excruciating and most difficult experience. While hospitals give epidurals and pain medication to make you comfortable, you will still experience some discomfort. By using marjoram oil, moms can ease the pain and discomfort they are feeling.
If a pregnant mom is suffering spasms during labor, infuse the marjoram oil with your carrier oil and put it on her lower tummy. Any mom can do the same thing if they feel spasms after childbirth, especially when they start breastfeeding.
Rubbing the marjoram oil on the lower abdomen will help alleviate the muscles and have easier delivery or post-delivery cramps.
In the review of 585 pregnant mothers, 68% discovered essential oils for labor and delivery to be an effective treatment in the childbirth process and improve health and wellness.
