Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a great way to individualise your birth environment and to help you feel more relaxed.  Relaxation is key in labour, as this can help you release more oxytocin - the love hormone which helps labour progression.

The use of aromatherapy in labour and birth has been found to reduce the need for stronger forms of pain relief. One study found that the need for opioid pain relief reduced from 6% down to 0.4% (Burns et al, 2000).

Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that uses essential oils, derived from plants, for their therapeutic benefit.  The benefits are wide-ranging and can be physical, mental or emotional. Aromatherapy can be used in a variety of ways depending on individual circumstances and the desired benefits.  Aromatherapy is used in childbirth for its relaxing and stimulating effects in helping to ease the perception of pain, relieve anxiety, provide relief from nausea and promote emotional wellbeing.  Aromatherapy can be used either independently or in conjunction with massage.  Massage is the manipulation and application of pressure to soft tissues.  Massage is commonly applied to the hands, arms, shoulders, back and feet to help promote relaxation and physical wellbeing.  

It is used in childbirth to aid relaxation, improve natural endorphin secretion and lower the perception of pain.  The largest research study completed in Oxford by Burns et al (1999) provides evidence to support the use of aromatherapy in childbirth.  The study included 8085 participants and the authors found aromatherapy helped women during birth in the following ways:

• It offered them choice and empowerment to help them to cope.
• It appeared very effective when used for fear, stress and anxiety.
• It influenced the women’s perception of pain and reduced the uptake of epidurals and opiates.
• Some women, who used aromatherapy in induced labour, did not require syntocinon infusions.
• Aromatherapy was found to be useful in alleviating nausea and vomiting.
• Women in the aromatherapy group had a higher spontaneous birth rate and a lower emergency Lower Section Caesarean Section rate than the control group.  This cannot be solely attributed to the aromatherapy itself, as other factors such as feeling in control, feeling supported and nurtured by the midwife and increased relaxation may also be a contributory factor.

We have five main essential oils available for use by midwives who are trained in aromatherapy for childbirth. They are:

• Mandarin
• Peppermint
• Lavender
• Frankincense
• Clary Sage 

These oils can be blended or used singularly.  On the maternity ward if you are undergoing an induction of labour they can be used in a little pot that you can open and inhale as you wish.  Due to the fact you will be in shared bay, a diffuser cannot be used here as it may be contraindicated for other women.

Once you are in your own room on delivery suite, a diffuser can be used and oils can be blended for massage.  Your midwife can show your birthing partner some simple massage techniques using the oils. 

References

Burns et al, 2000. The use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice an observational study - PubMed (nih.gov)