Category: Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy in My Birth Bag

August 2, 2009 | Filed under: Aromatherapy, Labor Doula in Portland | Tagged | Comments (0)

As a Labor Doula, one of the items that I can’t leave for a birth without is my Essential Oils birth kit. Aromatherapy can really help soothe and comfort moms during labor, not to mention provide sweet relief in a sometimes stressful hospital room. Babies are also keenly aware of their environment and the state of their mom when they leave the womb. And I enjoy the healing scents as well.

For those that would like to learn more about Aromatherapy, below is a list of the oils that I frequently use during labor. I also bring 2 room spray misters with me to a birth, one Lavender scented for all around love and the other Rose Absolute to help build confidence and emotional strength.

Geranium
Circulatory oil, and if circulation is good then breathing will be good.
This is a great oil for the afterbirth because it  pulls together dilated tissues.

Jasmine
My personal power plant. Grounding and bringing back into my body.
I only use this for myself, not on mom.

Lavender
Calming and relaxing. Best to not mix Lavender and Neroli in the same birthing room.
Good for headache and fainting and shock. Also lovely for relaxing and just reminding mom that everything is okay.

Neroli
Works on the nervous system and facilitates easy breathing, especially during panting. Its calming effect increases oxygen supply to the blood and brain and helps avoid hyperventilation. It also inspires confidence. Works with anxiety, fear and apprehension. Best to not mix Lavender and Neroli in the same birthing room.

Nutmeg
Calms the nervous system and helps to alleviate anxiety. Great to use in combination with Rescue Remedy Flower Essence.

Peppermint
Drop in toilet bowl if mamma can’t pee. This will open sphincter. Also great postpartum if mom is having trouble taking that first pee.

Rose
Uterine relaxant and helps ligaments to soften, enabling the pelvic bones to expand. Rose is a natural antiseptic and a good cardiac tonic.

Rosemary & Orange
Use in combination to energize.

Sage
Sage is not an oil you want to use on a laboring mom or a baby because it is toxic.
If there is negative energy in the room, I simply open the bottle of Sage and leave it on a nearby table.

Ylang Ylang
Drop in bathtub to open sphincter like a Lotus flower.



Continue reading »

Essential Oils for Birth

January 18, 2009 | Filed under: Aromatherapy, Childbirth and Labor, Portland Doula | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Stephanie, a Labor Doula from the Portland Birth Collective, recommended some essential oils for my birth bag when attending a laboring woman. I purchased the oils she suggested, plus some additional ones that I use in my personal practice, while holding the intention of childbirth, then meditated on the scents and allowed imagery to come to me that would assist women during their work.

Here are some of the oils I in my birth bag. More to come later.
Lavender
Feminine. A pure waterfall. A gentle caress. A bed of satin.

Lavender is calming. Place drops around mamma.

Rosemary
Remember how it feels to climb a wall. Dancing in a dream. Running into the wind, feeling the sunshine on your back.
Rosemary and Orange are energizing. Sprinkle a few drops on the floor around the birthing mamma.
Sweet Orange
Clean and safe. Mouth watering sweet. Paradise.

Use in combination with Rosemary.

Ylang Ylang
Erotic beauty. Lotus flower opening gently in the calm of the pond.
Ylang Ylang is a good to drop in a bathtub when mamma’s cervix isn’t opening. Because it is a sensual oil, Ylang Ylang can help open the cervix like a Lotus.
To use during birth – remember to hold your intention:
Continue reading »