Labouring with aromas

by Pat Thomas

Soothing smells to help you through labour. Complementary therapist Pat Thomas, on how to use aromatherapy to relax

Essential oils are a simple, portable way of taking care of yourself. They can help relieve fear and depression, revive flagging spirits and enhance well being.

All of these things are particularly important in labour. The more anxious and fearful a woman is, the more difficult it is to cope and the greater her perception of pain. Several studies have shown that women respond well to the use of essential oils during labour. Benefits include less anxiety, pain, shorter labours, shorter hospital stays and less post-natal depression.

The largest study into the use of aromatherapy in labour involved 8000 women in Oxford over a period of eight years. It found that women who used aromatherapy in labour had fewer inductions, fewer caesareans, and a 30 per cent drop in the use of pain relieving drugs.

Aromatherpy is inexpensive, easy to administer and has no known adverse effect in labour. While it is not a magic charm, it is a simple way for a woman to control her immediate environment and maintain her self-confidence.

During labour there are a number of ways to use essential oils:

An inhalation. You can make an inhalation by putting a few drops of your chosen oil on a hankie. Wrap this in a plastic bag and keep it to hand to use when needed. Steam inhalations are effective and easy to make at home, but not very practical in hospital. You can now buy hand held inhalers, rather like coffee mugs with special tops. Take a flask of hot water to the hospital to make the inhalation.

A compress. Add between 8-10 drops of essential oil to half a cup of water. Soak a face cloth in the mixture and apply to your forehead.

A refreshing spray. Labour is a hot sweaty business. Keep yourself cool by mixing 100ml of water with 2-5 drops of your chosen essential oil. You can spray this directly onto your face or body or onto a pillow or bean bag.

Room scents. You can spread the scent of an essential oil through a room using an oil burner, or by placing one or two drops on a cool light bulb before turning the light on.

A massage. Always use essential oils diluted in a light carrier oil. Sunflower oil will do at a pinch. Alternatives are sweet almond, apricot kernel and grapeseed oils. In a tablespoon (15 mls) of base you could use up to 15 drops of essential oil. (1 drop of essential oil to 1 millilitre base oil.) During labour you may find that your sense of smell becomes very sensitive and many women use half this quantity and still feel the benefits.

In a bath. Mix your choice of essential oil in apricot kernel oil, or in a neutral, water-dispersing oil available from health food shops and natural toiletry stores. Alternatively, mix it into a small amount of whole milk. Pour this mixture into the bath. Aim to relax in the bath for at least 15 minutes.

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Labouring with aromas