Aromatherapy & Labour

Wondering how you're going to manage in labour? Googling tips and tricks? Have you seen the term 'aromatherapy' come up and thought, pffft... 

I've been there, and I'm a midwife! However, research shows us that we don't give our olfactory (the system that connects smells to the brain and forms memories) nearly enough credit! 

The Study

In 2023, a meta-analysis was conducted to study the effectiveness of aromatherapy for pain relief in labour. The study included 14 randomised controlled trials, with 2057 participants.

The Findings

Of the 14 trials, 11 of them included aromatherapy essential oils of Jasmine, Lavender, Rose, Bitter Orange, and Frankincense; which women inhaled or used with massage oil during labour. In these 11 trials, women perceived their pain to be reduced during the first stage (early labour into active labour), second stage (active pushing), and third stage (immediate postpartum) of the labour and birth process! 

Lavender oil has been highly regarded in each of these trials, stating that it "significantly lessens labour pain" (Kaya, et al., 2023). 

Aromatherapy is a great non-pharmacological option for women to utilise in the lead up, during, and post labour and birth! It should be noted that if you are hoping to use aromatherapy during labour, or help encourage the onset of labour, baby needs to be in a head-down position and a discussion with your healthcare professional prior to use is essential! 

References

Kaya, A., Yeşildere Sağlam, H., Karadağ, E., & Gürsoy, E. (2023). The effectiveness of aromatherapy in the management of labor pain: A meta-analysis. European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X, 20, 100255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurox.2023.100255