If you follow Nap Time Musings and Fumings on Facebook at all, you know about my transition to using essential oils within this last year. I was never much of a health nut, and certainly not in the all natural, hippie sort of way. Essential oils seemed like just another one of those pyramid schemes that only worked for half the people that used them, and the other half just sold them for the money. However, throughout my pregnancy, I discovered time and time again that they were so much more than just an easy way for all these stay at home mamas to make extra cash. I was so convinced of the need for them in my home, that I decided to use them as my primary medicine during my third trimester, and during my labor and delivery as well. As long as there were no complications, I was bound and determined to have no other pain management, including an epidural.
Of course, not everything always goes as planned, and thanks to pitocin-induced contractions my plans slightly changed. I went into labor on July 6 when my water began leaking pretty consistently, however I was sent home because I wasn’t FEELING my contractions, and the nurse on duty was not convinced my water had broken. I was scheduled for induction the next morning, and I was insistent on simply having my water broken. By the next morning, my water had not stopped leaking, and we were en route with my box full of oils and my diffuser, ready to get this thing rolling.
Once we were settled in our room, my diffuser was running with Balance and Serenity, my crock pot was heating up with my Tummy Water, and all the rest of my rubs, mists and rollerballs were within my arms reach. The nurse and midwife on duty that morning were in agreement with my husband and I that my water had indeed broken the day before, but much to my dismay, they were all convinced that because my contractions weren’t coming strong enough or consistent enough to bring on labor and avoid infection, I needed a dose of pitocin to speed things up.
I went a few hours after the pitocin with absolutely positively NOTHING more happening, not even a twinge, despite the machine telling my I was having more contractions than before. I credit my Tummy Water with that one. You can find the recipe below, but I simply had water heating in a crock pot, with a blend of soothing and pain relieving oils, and about ten washcloths soaking in it at a time. I would place one on my belly at a time, and simply rotate them out when they cooled. And then it happened.
Out of NOWHERE, it was happening. I have gone through labor two other times, and neither time compared to the contractions I had with the pitocin, and I had no chance to adjust. They went from 0-10 in one round. I avoided epidural for about a half hour, and I’ll admit I finally caved, even though I was not happy about it. I did, however, continue to use my oils even more than I already had been, and I am happy to say that their effectiveness kept me from needing anymore than one dose of my epidural, and on top of that, kept me from experiencing any tearing, and I believe, aided in the epidural wearing off sooner than expected. I experienced no dizziness or nausea after the fact, and left the hospital not needing a single prescription for pain.
I have kept a list of all the blends and bottles I put together and used, and am so excited to share them with you now. I cannot tell you how much of a help these little miracles were, and how much they aided in my healing process after I left the hospital. If natural labor is something you want for you and your little one, look into using oils the way I did. I am forever convinced of their effectiveness, and hope to avoid synthetic medication in my family as often as realistically possible from here on out.
1. Deep Pain blended rub
Deep Blue Oil and Rub, Frankincense, Wintergreen, Coconut Oil
I used this blend for back labor and leg pain. During my contractions, once they actually began anyway, I had intense leg pain that wouldn’t stop, so intense that it almost drown out the pain in my belly. I applied this rub to my entire thigh, then put a Tummy Water Washcloth on top until the washcloth cooled. Amazingly, this blend almost entirely removed the leg pain within seconds, and was so soothing for my back labor, especially right before the epidural when I had to sit hunched over darn pillow for what seemed like FOOOOOOREVERRRR. 🙂
2. Massage Blended Rub for general pain relief
Aromatouch, Wintergreen, Serenity, Coconut Oil
Although I don’t have a specific story on the success of this blend, I believe it’s because I was applying it EVERYWHERE, all over myself, and especially after delivery, which is probably why my body was not achy and sore in the hours following the birth. The aroma was also so calming that it was relieving just to smell it!
3. Contracting Blended Rub, Tummy Water
Lavender, Frankinscence, Clarysage, Wintergreen, Coconut Oil
This blend was used both in a rub, and in the water I kept in the crock pot. The only difference was that I just didn’t use the coconut oil in the water. I used the rub directly on my belly during labor, and it was intensified by the warm washcloths that had been sitting in the Tummy Water. I continued to use both after my delivery to help with the cramping as my uterus continued contracting and shrinking for the next few days that we were in the hospital. Like the Massage Blend, the smell was so incredibly relaxing and soothing.
4. Peppermint Blend Rollerball
My nausea lifesaver!!! I was super nauseas for quite awhile, and had one good upchuck after my first dose of pitocin, however this little rollerball was fantastic in soothing the nausea throughout the entire laboring process, kept my body temperature under control, and after the epidural was removed, kept me from filling up trash cans! I consistently applied it to the back of my neck, inside of my wrists, upper lip (for constant aroma therapy), and along my spine.
5. Acute Pain Blend Rollerball
Peppermint, Deep Blue, FCO
I used this one after the whole deal was said and done. My ribs on my left side had stabbing pains, and my shoulders were exhausted. This applied atop my Past Tense blend and I had nearly instant relief.
6. Past Tense Blend Rollerball (doTerra)
Head and Neck aches be gone! Early on in my labor, I started getting tension pain all along my lower neck and shoulders. A quick little roll on of this baby and I was ready to go again.
7. Peri Care Blend Spray Bottle
Water, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Frankincense, Helichrysum, Melaleuca, Clarysage, Lavender
This is probably my favorite little bottle out of all of them. I used this for two weeks prior to delivery as often as possible, as well as during labor, and the final stage of delivery as her head was finally coming through. She had her daddy’s head, which made stretching even more imperative. This little bottle, along with my spray bottle of Frankincense and water, were life savers. Even though the longest part of my labor ended up being the actual delivery due to the size of her head, I never tore, and only needed one stitch at the bottom where my midwife clipped about an eighth of an inch. My bleeding had stopped entirely by the time I left the hospital, and I had no pain by the next morning!
8. Energy Blend Spray Bottle
Elevation, Peppermint, Wild Orange, Water
9. Elevation Spray Bottle
Elevation, Water
10. Balance Spray Bottle
Balance, Water
11. Serenity Spray Bottle
Serenity, Water
12. Frankinscense Spray Bottle
Frankincense, Water
13.. Peppermint
14. Frankinscense
15. Lavender
16. Helichrysm
17. Melaleuca
18. Clarysage
19. Wild Orange
20. Tangerine
21. Spearmint
22. Wintergreen
23. Deep Blue
24. Serenity
25. Elevation
26. Balance
27. Aromatouch
28. Eucalyptus
29. Deep Blue Rub
30. Tummy Water
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