The essential oils described in this post refer only to therapeutic grade essential oils. I only recommend Young Living essential oils, as I am certain of their high quality.
Not too long ago, I shared with you how my daughter, Tiffany, used essential oils during her labor and delivery.
The “other grandma” (we call ourselves grandsisters!) was giving me blow-by-blow updates as labor progressed. We were both praising God for His gift of peppermint that day! He surely gives His children good gifts!
I also shared with you how Tiffany had prepared an essential oil “birth stash” ahead of time for all the various needs she may have during her home birth.
I’m including her personal list here, as well as some various helpful tips I’ve learned from other moms over the years (including my own experiences!). As usual, the information provided on The Common Scents Mom is for educational purposes only.
It is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is your responsibility to educate yourself and address any health or medical needs you may have with your physician. Please seek professional help when needed.
Tiffany’s Essential Oil Birth Stash in order of importance
Geranium
Lavender
Frankincense
Peppermint
Valor Blend
Clary Sage
Peace & Calming Blend
Deep Relief (roll on)
Lemon
Cypress
Bergamot
Spikenard
Thieves Blend
Gentle Baby Blend
Clara Derm Spray
Home Diffuser
Crock Pot or Instantpot
Ninxia Red
Ningxia Nitro
Occasional Nausea During a Normal Pregnancy
Ningxia Red, Orange, Lemon, Peppermint, Ginger, or Di-Gize blend
Perineum Care:
Regularly massage into perineum three weeks prior to labor:
8 drops Geranium
5 drops Lavender
1 oz. almond oilStretch and Massage vaginal opening during labor using:
- 2 drops Helichrysum
- 2 drops Geranium
- 2 drops Lavender
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1-2 T. olive or almond oil
The Frankincense also helped to sooth the “burning” feeling that sometimes comes when baby is crowning.
Cleansing Perineum After Birth:
6 oz. warm water
5 drops Lavender oil
5 drops helichrysum or frankincenseCleanse perineum area with entire contents of the bottle of warm lavender water after each trip to the bathroom. This is very soothing!
After Child Birth:
Soak clean wash cloth in water with five drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of geranium oil. Wring out cloth, place in a Ziploc, and refrigerate until well chilled. Apply to sore area. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
For Anal Soreness (there’s been a whole lot of pushing going on):
1 oz. almond oil (optional)
5 drops geranium oil
5 drops lavender oil
2 drops cypress oil
2 drops frankincenseGently cleanse area, and apply directly to area of discomfort twice per day, or after each bowel movement.
I used this recipe after my last two 8 lb. babies and it was the only thing that gave me major, instant relief (and I had tried everything). However, one mom told me that it was too strong for her sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, or if you find it burns, you can dilute it easily by diluting with a carrier oil or immediately applying plain almond or coconut oil (or another carrier oil) to the area. Helichrysum can also be used.
This oil blend can also be used in homemade suppositories. It is amazing!
Clara Derm Spray:
Especially suited for the vaginal area before and after childbirth.
Contains: Coconut oil, Myrrh, Tea Tree, Lavender, Frankincense, Roman Chamomile, Helichrysum.
Moving Things Along:
Clary Sage (Warning: Some people believe this may induce labor and don’t recommend it for use during pregnancy. Read our experience HERE.
Strengthen Contractions:
To help encourage regular and strengthened contractions, Tiffany applied Clary Sage around the inside of her ankles. Others have applied the essential oil, along with a carrier oil, directly to the abdomen.
Some have found it helpful to take one drop of Clary Sage internally in a glass of milk or almond milk every hour or so during labor. Still others prefer taking a few drops of Clary Sage in a capsule, which is what my daughter, Tiffany, did.
WARNING: Young Living is the only essential oil I would ever feel comfortable taking internally. Lower quality oils may actually be toxic. Know your product.
Alignment Help and Relaxation
Valor along inside and bottom of feet, and massaged into hips.
Managing the Discomforts of Pregnancy and Labor
Uterine Discomfort:
My personal favorite form of relief during my labors was this:
Keep by the bed, an InstantPot with a dozen wash cloths. I used to use a crockpot, but the Instant is now my BFF! I so, so wish I would have had this during my own labors – it would have made this process so much easier!
Place 1-2 drops of lavender and frankincense on each washcloth. Copaiba is also a great addition! Wet each wash cloth, wring out, roll up, and place in Instant Pot. Steam on lowest setting for 3 minutes with the vent closed. Best. Thing. Ever.
Have someone assigned to putting one of these steaming cloths across your belly during contractions.
As soon as it cools, replace with a new cloth. This can be a big job when mom is in transition, so having someone assigned to this is very helpful. It was a lifesaver for me (and I got rather demanding about it!) “New washcloth….NOWWWWW!”
Lavender is very helpful for dulling and easing uterine contractions; but, it is also good for relieving back and leg soreness too. In addition, it is a balancing and calming oil that can help to relax the body and ease nervousness.  It restores emotional balance, and has been said to strengthen contractions.
Copaiba contains betacaryophyllene. Look it up!
Frankincense
During transition, apply Frankincense to abdomen in a carrier oil or on warm washcloth as described above.
Soreness During Normal Labor:
Frankincense, Valor, Pan Away, or Deep Relief. Apply to sore areas of back, legs, or hips.
Deep Relief applied to the back of neck or temples (be careful not to get in eyes). Peppermint or lavender may also be good choices.
Emotional Stress/Tension
Bergamot:
Apply to forehead and temples, or on location for relaxation.Gentle Baby:
Diffuse in room (Tiffany and Ben diffused this during her entire labor and she said it was so soothing and relaxing.)Valor:
Rub into shoulders to stay relaxed. Apply to inside and bottom of feet to help focus and to calm anxious feelings.Spikenard, Peace & Calming, Sensation, Sacred Mountain:
Diffuse directly into air for a calming atmosphere. Dilute with carrier oil and massage to help with relaxation.
To Alleviate Nausea during labor:
Peppermint: Put one drop on tongue to alleviate nausea. Make sure husband or birth coach does this too. No laboring mama wants stinky breath in her face!
Rosewood: Inhale in a compress to alleviate nausea.
Sips of NingXia Red, NingXia Zing, NingXia Nitro, or water with Vitality Drops
Miscellaneous Aches and Discomforts of Childbirth and Postpartum:
Light Headed: If feeling light-headed or dizzy:
Peppermint – Apply behind the ears. Put a drop on tissue and inhale slowly.Tinkle Time: If having a hard time urinating after labor:
Peppermint –Â Put a few drops in the toilet before being seated.
Chilled: Warm a blanket in the dryer and wrap mama. Diffuse lavender. This also refreshes the air.
Contractions experienced after labor: After labor, apply a warm, wet washcloth with a few drops of Frankincense and lavender to the abdomen to sooth the discomfort.
Stretch Marks – Myrrh mixed in your hand with a little Sandalwood Boswelli Firming Cream. Also, Animal Scents or Rosewood Ointment mixed with a little myrrh can be helpful (but a little sticky).
Occasional Difficulty Sleeping after Baby – Peace and Calming, Harmony, Sandalwood, or Lavender diffused into the air. Also a drop or two of lavender on the blankets or sheets make for a peaceful sleep for mommy and baby (test fabric first). RutaVala or Vetiver rubbed into feet. Sleep Essence taken by mouth.
This Post Has 29 Comments
Thank you so much for sharing this Stacy. As a doula I always appreciate a few more tricks in my bag. I have used peppermint for energy and orange for nausea. These are great new ideas for me and my clients.
I also used Pan-Away with a carrier oil on my abdomen for after birth pains!! It worked great to help reduce the cramping! I have never recovered from a baby so fast & I recover pretty quickly. Great tips!
Great post Stacy! I’ve never needed much for my labors and births (occasionally a few therapeutic grade/ YL essential oils, and herbs), but I love your thorough list.
I have used Clary Sage (and Dragon Time when out of Clary Sage) to help get a very stubborn labor going, for both myself and several others. Peppermint and Gentle Baby are also used a lot. And a few others.
I love massaging my babes with Peace and Calming.
I used some of these very same oils during my last labor for my tenth child. I did find that they were so helpful. I am now expecting my eleventh and appreciate the extended list that you have here. I will definitely be utilizing many of them!
Blessings~
Great post! I’m expecting my seventh in a few months, and I think I’ll be trying some of these! Thanks!
This is a great list! I was wondering if you have a list of what oils you can use during pregnancy? I’m sure some are safe and others are not. I’m very interested in having this information as well as the information you posted for labor and birth. Thank you.
For a goat with a “plugged” udder, I massaged peppermint oil into the udder to help the milk flow. The oil caused my hand to feel very warm.
About the baby turning after peppermint oil is used, is the baby trying to move away from the sensation of heat?
What a wonderful resource. Posterior labors can be so painful-I had three posterior babies out of 5, and with one the Dr. had to manually turn the head with his hands-not fun:)
Dear Stacy,
Thank you for sharing this helpful list. I will certainly share it with expecting moms! 🙂
I was wondering if you knew of any specific essential oils for menopause, hot flashes, etc. I would really appreciate any tips you could give. Thank you so much!
~Janet
Hi Janet,
Yes, there is an oil blend that i just ordered from Young Living that is supposed to be helpful for balancing hormones. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’ll let you know. You can find it here: http://yoursacredcalling.com/commonscentsmom/essential-oils/dragon-time/
You may want to find an integrative doctor who could test your progesterone levels. It may be that you need some help getting balanced. My friend Loretta has a website with lots of info on it:
Thank you so much, Stacy! God bless you!
Wow! Ive delivered 11 babies, naturally with a midwife and I never knew this stuff! Im totally bookmarking this page! Thanks!
Stacy,
I’m curious…how & where was the peppermint oil administered to assist your daughter w/ the breech baby? And, did she have any trouble w/ milk supply & getting to nurse after the birth? Because I use peppermint oil to decrease milk supply when needed & it is extremely affective at doing so! So, I wondered if it posed any problems w/ your daughter’s supply?
Thank you!
Her baby was posterior – not breech. But, she applied it to her lower back and she didn’t have any problem nursing at all. Lilyana nursed like a pro from the beginning!
Your post about essential oils for childbirth was such a blessing to find! I just had baby number 9 last night and it was my very first baby to not be born posterior! Toward the end of labor, we used the peppermint oil and baby turned and came out anterior! So excited to try some of the other suggestions with this new little one! Thanks for posting all of it!
Good Morning: Hi Im Gail a born again Married Mom; for about 20 years Ive used the book Back to Eden to learn about herbs and what to try when things have gone wrong, they have save me many trips to see a Doctor; received your link because Ive sent a request to join the group Patriach Wives, in the mean time Ive been reading your Herb link, This would be prefect for me as Ive used many herbs (teas and drops) would be wonderful to sell what Ive given people in case they want to get more for themself, is there any informaion about this? the cost of this? Thank You Gail
Hi Gail – I would suggest checking out THIS PAGE
This is beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!
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Hi! I am 35 and 5 days…have polyhydramnios (afi of 33) and my baby is breech…any suggestions?
Oh, I should add that basically the only thing I left out because I didn’t feel I could afford so much was myrhh and clary sage. I don’t usually have any problems with “stalled labor”- my last two, maybe even three were fast and furious- 5 hours start to finish at most! Any reason why I should consider adding these two?
Stacy,
Thank you so much for all this info. I’m expecting my six child and at 27 weeks my placenta has not moved up. Are there any oils to help move the placenta higher?
Thank you!
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Hi there,
What wonderful information! Thank you so much for all your efforts to share this with others 🙂
For the turning of babies, either breech or posterior, are you using the peppermint oil neat? Or are you blending it with a carrier oil?
Thank you so much for that clarification!
It would be wonderful if someone could reply to this girl’s comment, even though her time has passed. I have the same issue and trying to do a vbac. Please help, if you can!
Hello,
I’m curious about the use of oil to turn a baby. Do you apply the peppermint oil where you want them to go? Do they move toward it? I’m 37.5 weeks and baby is in right occiput posterior presentation (so I need her to turn as well as move to the left side). Where do you suggest I apply the oil?
Thank you in advance,
Alma
no, the baby moves AWAY from the oil. The reason peppermint works to turn breech babies is because it goes through and makes it feel “cold” on their heads. They want their heads to be warm so they flip away from it. As far as getting baby from ROP to and ideal position, I wouldn’t know where to apply peppermint…I’d be afraid to because I’m afraid it might make them even more malpositioned (like flipping to breech or something). I currently have an ROP baby, too. I’m 40 weeks and 5 days :/ try to do the spinning babies suggestions on the spinning babies website. You still have time…only 5% or so of posterior babies remain that way through birth. MOST of them rotate in labor if not before.
Great post! Would it be alright to combine about ten drops of lavender with about ten drops of frankincense in the crock pot with wash cloths during labor? Or would that not be as effective?
Elizabeth – this should work great! I have used frank and lavender with wonderful results!
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