Essential Oils When Expecting

I started using Essential Oils regularly when I was 8 years old. My mother is a massage therapist and she was friends with a Young Living Rep working her way up the pyramid. For those who are newer to the game back in the day Young Living was the most reputable brand for the serious Aromatherapist as they were the first major brand to ensure pure grade therapeutic quality oils that were free of chemical additives, artificial scents and solvents. Nowadays the game has changed and there are so many more options it can be tough to navigate. Young Living is still alive and strong and EXPENSIVE and (oddly at times) very religious, going so far as to create blends for getting you closer to God, and they have been in business so long they have the longest list of blends on the market. Along the way the Young brothers had a quarrel and the splineter company Be Young Oils was born then a few years back some executives left YL and created the amazingly successful, albeit pyramid schemed Doterra brand. Featuring great blends with obscure and rare oils that are too much to own as a single note oil and a lot of household products at a steep but lower than YL price point. All the while NOW brand just kept getting better and better and stayed cheap and accessible. Gone are the days when you had to really wonder what is in your bottle, unless of course you grab some weird aroma blends on Amazon or Better Homes and Garden oil for your scent warmer at Wal-Mart, but I am hopeful this readership understands why those are not to be considered safe to put on or in your body! I have a few Doterra blends but I use NOW for my single note bliss and they are rolling out more and more choices as USDA organic as well that still cost less than a bottle of Doterra or YL oils.

As Essential Oils have become more prevalent in our supermarkets and in discussions of holistic living more of my pregnant clients often ask about the effectiveness of aromatherapy, or the use of essential oils, for pain management during their pregnancy and during labor and delivery.

As times change it can be easy to forget that some people do not even know about Essential Oil use although they recognize names like Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Eucalyptus and other more common plant names that are used in aromatherapy, they lack an understanding of how Essential Oils are any different than their favourite scented lotion.

So what is Aromatherapy?

It is the art and science of using naturally extracted aromatic essences

(Essential Oils) from plants to balance and harmonize the body, mind, and spirit every day or during stressful experiences. These pure plant essences should be delivered in their natural states and not hidden behind artificial scents and chemical carriers because the micro molecules in Essential Oils travel through your blood brain barrier and are powerful enough to have an instantaneous effect on your nervous and endocrine system and should be used with caution and education.

Labor and delivery can certainly fall into that latter category of stressful experiences, and research has shown that some fragrances can have a calming effect during childbirth and even reduce the perception of pain.

Fortunately these are some of the most common and inexpensive oils on the market! For this reason I encourage you to opt for that slightly pricey organic NOW brand Lavender that retails at $19 per 1oz VS $9.98 for the regular oil or take that time to spoil yourself and grab a Doterra comp for twice the price and third the size. Some people truly believe that spending more gets them something better. There is a discussion to be had on how the plants are run and for how many times that some "Oil Snobs" cite when defending their pricey oils but frankly a complete profile multiple run product creates less waste and a more plant vs floral scent that to me is more energetically restorative and more pleasing to my palate, but to each their own!

A National Institutes of Health1 study focused on the effect of aromatherapy on anxiety during labor using the essential oil of orange. One hundred women were randomly assigned to either a control group that had distilled water diffused in the room during labor or to an intervention group that received diffused orange essential oil. The study found that those receiving diffused orange essential oil had lower levels of anxiety during labor.

Stress can influence how we react to pain. By reducing stress, we can effectively ease pain – particularly when other pain management techniques are introduced. Pain management is among the core benefits of aromatherapy during labor.

Some of the most common oils Stress Reducing oils used for aromatherapy during labor and delivery are:

● Eucalyptus

● Lavender

● Citrus, such as Neroli

● Peppermint, which also can help control nausea

Essential oils can help reduce sensations of labor pain, as well as nausea,

vomiting, and headaches.

Some of the most common oils used to achieve Pain Management during labor with aromatherapy are:

● Chamomile

● Clary sage

● Ginger oil

● Lavender

● Lemongrass

An ancient favorite is lavender, and it’s backed by science. A review of clinical trial data2 found that when lavender is used during labor as aromatherapy, women reported less pain. Although it is important to note that some studies claim Lavender is contraindicated during the first trimester many definitive sources including The Complete German Commission E Monograph3 assure through research that this is not the case. Other studies have found that lavender can reduce pain, nausea, and dizziness after cesarean section, as well as pain, redness, and need for topical pain relief after episiotomy when used in a sitz bath.

Essential oils also might help women get better sleep. Many postpartum women have trouble sleeping due to stress. Research has shown that when people are well-rested they’re better able to manage pain and stress. A study using lavender4 was conducted with 158 mothers after delivery. Those in the first group inhaled lavender from a cotton ball for 10 deep breaths and slept with it next to their pillow until morning four times a week for eight weeks. The second group did the same actions but with a placebo. At the end of the study, the sleep quality of the mothers who used lavender improved significantly.

In Conlusion: Not all oils are created equal! Certain oils are safer and more effective than others. With an influx of essential oils on the internet – and likewise an increased volume of potentially unsafe, low-quality products – it’s important to talk to your midwife, doula, therapist or doctor if you’re interested in trying aromatherapy during pregnancy or delivery. We want you to be comfortable with your birth plan, and we’ll help you identify traditional and alternative relaxation and pain management techniques that can work for you.

One particular caution is to use essential oils in the way they’re intended. Some are safe to use right on the skin while others should be used only in a diffuser. I advise you to avoid oils that seem “off the beaten path” unless specifically prescribed by a trusted practitioner. When we don’t have a lot of data or research about an oil, it’s better to play it safe and avoid it than to run the risk of an adverse reaction to its ingredients.

Interested in using aromatherapy during your pregnancy labor and delivery?

I am more than happy to connect with you and create an aromatherapy plan conducive to your needs and intentions!

References:

1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4700683/

2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5192342/

3) Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A et al 1998 The complete German Commission E monographs: therapeutic guide to herbal medicines. American Botanical Council, Austin, Texas, p160

4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26023343

#pregnancy #prenatal #essentialoil #labor #delivery #doterra #youngliving #aromatherapy #massage #doula #midwive #wellness #healing