Since Ryser was born, I have gotten so many questions about what essential oils to use for labor, delivery and postpartum, so I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you how I prepared for a stress free and natural birth with essential oils.
If you have been following me for awhile, you know that one of my all time favorite products to use is essential oils. Before I started using oils in my daily routine, I didn’t pay close attention to what I was putting into my body and I was starting to see the effects. I was getting sick all the time and needed a solution! When I started using essential oils in 2017, I never knew how much of a positive impact they would have on my life and I have truly seen the benefits of using them!
After doing tons of research, I decided to use Young Living essential oils because of their Seed to Seal promise! Which means I can be certain there are no fillers, they have they own farms and make the oil directly from the source! If I was just using them to smell good and make my house smell good then it wouldn’t really mater where I got them from. But because I am using the oils for the health benefits I need to make sure each oil is completely pure and from the source! For an overview on what essential oils are and how to purchase them, check out my Essential Oils 101 blog post! Or you can email me at oils@ashleyterk.com and I would love to answer any questions you have about essential oils!!
When I got pregnant with Ryser, I knew I wanted to have a more natural delivery. I wanted to give my body the opportunity to do what it was made to do, and I wanted to feel the whole thing!
I was confident that my body would know what to do, but I was still so nervous about the whole process. I hated that it was a waiting game and I never knew when Ryser was coming! While I had to give up on knowing exactly when he would come, it did help me feel more at ease to make a birth plan which included bringing scripture cards and using essential oils! I planned to bring some of my favorite oils along to help calm my nerves, help ease the pain, and to help set the environment in the room.
Here are the top ways you can use Essential Oils to make your labor as calm and stress-free as possible:
1. Essential Oils for Fear & Relaxation
When you go into labor, there are so many different emotions coursing through you! I can still remember how David and I felt loading the car to go to the hospital knowing the next time we stepped foot in our home, there would be a new family member with us. Along with all the excitement and joy of giving birth, there is also a lot of fear, especially if it’s your first pregnancy. During the beginning stages of labor, I didn’t want to let my fears get in the way of what God had given me the opportunity to do!
Here are some of the oils I used first to relieve some of my fears and to help me relax for what I was about to endure.
Essential Oils for Fear – Peace and Calming Roller
I suggest using this on your chest, back of your neck, and wrists
Essential Oils for Relaxation – Relaxation massage oil by Young Living, Lavender and Stress Away oil.
The massage oil is a great option to use to help your body relax and get into the mindset of what is actually happening. Remember that labor is supposed to be a beautiful experience, and you are allowed to make yourself as relaxed as you can in order to get through it!
2. Essential Oils for Speeding up the Labor Process
If you’ve had the chance to read my experience with labor, you know that not everything went according to plan! (You can ready my full Birth Story post here!) Being in labor for almost 24 hours is a long time to feel you body changing and processing the fact you are about to have a baby! There were times during my labor where I would have done anything just to speed the process along.
Here are the specific essential oils you can use to increase blood flow and speed up the labor process:
Essential Oils for Speeding Up Labor – Clary Sage, Lavender and Geranium
I suggest applying these oils to
Essential Oils for the Transition Period to Help Contractions Go Faster –Basil
Basil is known to increase blood flow to your uterus, so it can also help to keep your contractions rolling!
3. Essential Oils for Calming the Mood
I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay calm during the labor process. The more stress and fear you feel, the harder the process will be for your body and for
Essential Oils for Calmness – Peace and Calming, Release, Lavender and Ylang Ylang
I suggest applying these oils to your chest, wrists, and the back of your neck. Other oils to use are Joy, Stress Away, and Valor. These are also applied to the body but you can be smelled directly or diffused in the room.
4. Essential Oils for Exhaustion and Relief
I’m going to be honest with you, being in labor is exhausting! You’re body is going through so much all at once. Besides the obvious of resting as best you can, using certain oils can help release some of the exhaustion and muscle pain you feel.
Essential Oils for Exhaustion – Peppermint
I suggest applying it to your neck, forehead
Essential Oils for Muscle Relief: Deep Relief Roller, Panaway, Ortho Ease Massage Oil and Copaiba
I know during my labor I had a ton of back pain that would not go away. I tried so many different positions just to feel comfortable for even a second. Using these muscle relief mixes can help ease some of the pain you are in!
5. Essential Oils for After Birth
Delivering your baby is one of the most incredible experiences you’ll have in life, and holding your son or daughter for the first time is something you’ll never forget! However, there can definitely be some nerves as you enter the next phase of taking care of your new baby and starting the recovery and postpartum journey.
Essential Oils for After Birth Nerves and Postpartum Depression: Progessence Plus, Release, Valor, Joy
These oils are great for making sure you are feeling confident and back to yourself after labor. They can help ease any nerves you may feel in the days following birth. I suggest using Progessence Plus on your wrists, 4 drops daily. This is what I did and never got postpartum depression! Praise!!!
Essential Oils for Bonding Between Mama + Baby: Gentle baby
Apply Gentle baby to your chest to help you and your baby bond even more than you already are!
For the moms-to-be out there who are in the middle of making your birth plan, I highly recommend using essential oils during the labor process! Whether you choose to have a natural birth or to get an epidural, essential oils are a great way for you to control key aspects of the labor process like your own stress, relaxation, pain level, and your room’s environment.. And an added benefit of using oils during labor is how great they smell! As you probably know, hospitals aren’t the most welcoming, comfortable place. Diffusing essential oils in the middle of the chaos will definitely help make the room feel more at peace, more comfortable, and even more like home.
I hope that this post on the best essential oils for labor has been helpful to you!
Are there any moms out there who have used essential oils for labor and postpartum? What was your experience? I would love to hear your stories!
Pin this Top Essential Oils for Labor Guide for later!
