Labor and Birth with Essential Oils

The picture above is me in labor about 5 minutes apart!  My 5 year old took the photo.  Let me start by saying...we almost didn't make it to the hospital in time.  We arrived at the hospital at 8:10 and delivered at 9pm!  It was so speedy that we forgot to call the midwife and a resident doctor caught our son while I stood which is something she probably had never done.

   When my due date came and went with my third pregnancy and my midwife mentioned the term “induction,” I began to research what I could do to induce naturally. During my second pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes. I induced with eggplant Parmesan, Evening Primrose oil, sex, walking, and acupuncture. By doing those things, I went into labor on my due date with my second child.

 With this last pregnancy, my third, I had a lot of work that I needed to complete. The main goal was finishing my book Going Green Before You Conceive! Instead of inducing, I decided to let nature take its course—that is until I reached 41 weeks. Then I decided to use Young Living Essential Oils in addition to the other methods that I had been successful with in the past. On Saturday, when I suspected that labor was approaching—I had a mild backache—a friend brought me Clary Sage oil. From what I researched, it said to use it with caution, because it could have different effects on different people.

I took a few whiffs of it in the afternoon and evening. I also consumed an eggplant parmesan dish with lots of herbs and spices and took Evening Primrose oil. When I woke up Sunday morning and nothing had happened, I applied Clary Sage to three pressure points known in Chinese Medicine to induce labor: points on my hand, leg, and shoulders.

That day, my daughter and I went for a swim! Before I left the house, I applied more Clary Sage oil on the pressure points and Peace and Calming on my chest and neck to relax. I mostly floated around the pool and walked back and forth in the pool. Still, nothing! For lunch, I ate foods I knew could induce labor: eggplant parmesan, pineapple with the core, and a lentil salad. Around 2:30 pm, I felt a little twinge in my back. A few intermittent back twinges later, I thought I might be going into labor, even though it didn’t feel like my previous labors. Instead, these contractions were very mild and erratic. It mostly felt like the baby was moving about stretching.

I called my Doula and began measuring contractions. When I noticed each contraction was about six minutes to seven minutes apart, I got excited. My family left the pool and ate dinner, and I packed my husband’s bag and took a quick shower. My Doula, Kathy, arrived at about 6:00 pm and, shortly after, I requested she insert a few acupuncture needles to calm me. I still was not in intense labor or feeling pain during contractions. On a scale of 1-10 they were maybe a 5 or 6. During this wait-time I kept applying Peace and Calming to relax, but when my Doula arrived, I began using Pan Away. Pan Away when in real labor.

For this third pregnancy, my husband and I choose a different hospital, Stony Brook University Hospital, was a better choice than the hospital I used last time because, it has a reputation for being very supportive for all natural, drug-free births. Although my last birth was all-natural and drug free, the nursing staff was not very supportive. This lack of support sparked me to change hospitals and see a midwife instead of an ob-gyn.. However, by choosing this hospital, we had an hour-long drive from our house. With my Doula following closely behind us, we drove. I filled the car with the smell of Stress Away, Peace and Calming, Pan Away, and Valor. Fifteen minutes from the hospital, we all piled into the same car. My Doula immediately deduced that I was transitioning quickly and my contractions were much closer together. Between contractions she and I applied oils!

As we approached the hospital, I felt the need to do the deep ‘aww’ sound that numbed my tummy during the last birth. No one knew I was a little worried that I might have this baby in the car. I was more nervous because I was not wearing my seat belt, but rather leaning backwards over the back seat. At two miles away it felt like I might have to push! During one contraction it actually felt like the baby was pushing and that my body wanted to push with him!

The oils I applied were especially helpful in calming my nerves and helping me maintain a level head.  For instance, when we finally got to the hospital, my nerves were mild, and my mind clear enough to know I did not want a wheelchair. I remembered that sitting does not help—gravity helps the baby descend. I also declined the hospital gown and opted for my lucky bra. Finally, I firmly decided to lean on the bed, still standing, with my chest and arms stretched out. This was the most comfortable position for me during my last birth and for this one as well. All this time, my husband set up my diffuser and spread Peace and Calming throughout my hospital room. This helped me feel ready to give birth.

When the nurse checked me while I was comfortably on all fours, she said I was almost fully dilated at nine and a half centimeters. I was shocked by how quickly I got to delivery and how minimized my pain felt. I attribute this partly to the Peace and Calming, Valor, Pan Away, and Stress Away I kept applying during the car ride between contractions. I also know the acupuncture needles, seven weeks of listening to hypnobirthing CDs, and the support of my Doula helped me transition quickly and calmly.

 With a few more contractions and pushing, my baby boy arrived at exactly 9:00 pm on August 17^th, 2014. We delayed the clamping until the cord stopped pulsing blood into his little body. He began breastfeeding soon after. I was so elated with my second all natural, drug-free vaginal birth! I had no tearing, no need for ice, and was pretty comfortable sitting on the bed!  We diffused Gentle Baby oil in our private room and alternated that with Peace and Calming to have a peaceful experience, bonding with the baby.

Though this hospital’s protocol after birth is to give a woman Pitocin—a standard drug given at most hospitals to stop bleeding and “help” the uterus contract—I declined. Pitocin is known to result in stronger uterus contractions after labor. Instead, breastfeeding and massaging the uterus are natural ways to induce uterus contractions and cease bleeding. But once I began to bleed more than the nurses and doctors liked, they began to push the Pitocin. Luckily, my doula consulted my Gentle Babies book and applied Frankincense to the tips of my big toes. Wouldn’t you know it, Frankincense oil in combination with massaging my uterus and breastfeeding got the bleeding to stop! I had my perfect birth. I might have used Pitocin should my other methods have failed, and I advise you to take the advice of the experts around you. But, for me, these methods luckily worked, naturally as God intended!