Essential Oils For Labor
A Hidden Secret

Top 7 Essential Oils for Labor

My favorite secret birth weapon is definitely using essential oils for labor.

Seriously. 

They can help with everything from those first labor jitters, to encouraging a slow labor, and yes.... even with labor discomfort. Read on for my faves I never go to a birth without.

Lavender Essential Oil- Lavender is super versatile. You can use it all throughout your labor to promote relaxation and ease muscle tension. It's great to use in massage during labor to help keep your emotions in check or put it in the diffuser to share the love with everyone else in the room too. Because it couldn't hurt for everyone else to chill a little either, right? 

Frankincense Essential Oil- I'm a little obsessed with this one. If I had to choose just one favorite oil overall, it's this bad boy. Frankincense is an amazing essential oil for labor....and for pretty much anything else you can freaking imagine. Use it to calm your emotions by inhaling the aroma. You can rub frankincense on your lower back or tummy to ease labor discomfort. Also, if you happen to tear in the nether regions, you can apply frankincense directly to the area to help with discomfort and to aid the skin in recovering more quickly.

Helichrysum Essential Oil- So... you know you're gonna be stretching quite a bit down there when the big day comes, right? Enter Helichrysum essential oil. This superhero is a star at supporting elasticity of the perineal area. Mix it with a little carrier oil and rub it on or use it in a compress (it's great mixed with ginger).  This is another oil I'm sure to use after birth if there's been any perineal damage. 

Peppermint Essential Oil- Peppermint is one of the must have essential oils for labor. It can help for all sorts of birthy things. It can be a lifesaver if you've got back labor (along with black pepper essential oil). If you're so lucky as to get hit with some nausea during labor, take a whiff of peppermint. It will help. And, when I'm supporting a mom at a birth, I almost always use it to give her an extra energy boost when things get tough. Here's another for you- if you have a hard time urinating after birth, put a couple drops of peppermint in the toilet. You're welcome ;)

Clary Sage Essential Oil- Clary Sage is, like, THE labor oil. If I could only take one oil to a birth, this would be it (Frankincense would be second). It encourages more effective contractions, so you can put a few drops on your inner ankles to keep labor moving along normally. This is also the go to oil to try to kick start labor. It's also a great one to ease labor discomfort. One more bonus- it helps initiate milk production, so it's great to use right after birth too. 

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil- I love this oil. It's like tranquility in a bottle. Get this- Roman soldiers used to use this before they'd go into battle to increase their courage. Plus, they had it on hand for first aid stuff too. Not bad. Sounds like it's a perfect fit for the birth room. This is one of the oils I use most during labor- to help calm the mind, give mom an extra confidence boost to push through when it gets hard, and even ease discomfort. 

Wild Orange Essential Oil- Everyone needs a happy oil right? This puppy is my go to for uplifting mood and energy. It's super yummy in the diffuser, especially mixed with peppermint. I also like to put this combo in a spray bottle and spray the pillows with it. Just a quick inhale of the aroma will give you an amazing pick-me-up. 

I've been using essential oils in my doula practice for over 8 years and they are always one of my clients' very favorite parts of my service. Trust me.... you WANT to use essential oils for labor. You will love them. 

For more tips on using essential oils for labor and more detailed info on how to use them safely and effectively, be sure to grab my free oil cheat sheet at the top of this page.

A word of caution....

Essential oils are not all the same. You can get them anywhere, but the oil industry isn't regulated, so it's full of... let's call it what it is... crap oil.

In years of study about essential oil safety, chemistry and quality, I am super picky about what oils I'll use on my own kids and recommend to my pregnant clients for them and their babies. 

If you don't have oils for your birth bag yet and want to get safe, high quality oils, click here and I'll send you a free labor blend I make exclusively for my clients' births, with your order.