aromatherapy and birth
Your senses are really powerful in birth. Thinking about your 5 senses when planning your birth is a great way to ensure you are boosting your oxytocin and creating a beautiful, safe and cosy birth environment. Did you know that smell is more closely linked to your memories than any other sense? Our sense of smell is ‘deeply tied to our cognitive centers, our emotional centers, and our memory centers’ (Datta, 2024). Using scent is a great way to support your visualisations and to distract yourself during your surges. But how can you best do this? Here are my top 5 tips for utilising the power of scent in your pregnancy and birth.
Firstly, choose a scent you LOVE. Whether that’s a candle you’ve had for years or a brand new massage oil you’ve treated yourself to, make sure you love it. All my clients receive a stunning, locally-made (in Leeds) aromatherapy roller from MeYu aromatherapy. Made using lavender, bergamot and roman chamomile, this roller helps to reduce tension and increase relaxation. It also smells divine!
Building an anchor during your pregnancy is an amazing way to do this. The more you use a scent, the more strongly you will associate it with being relaxed, calm and in control. At the end of all my hypnobirthing sessions and pregnancy relaxation classes, I end with a guided relaxation. During these relaxations, I use my diffuser, which has the same scent as my client’s rollers. This strengthens the association between the scent and deep relaxation. Every time my clients practise hypnobirthing techniques, they use their scent to further deepen this anchor so that when they smell it, they immediately begin to feel relaxed.
Think carefully about how you will use your scent in labour. Hospitals and birth centres do not allow candles (due to the fire hazard) and most home birth teams will also ask for no naked flames so if you have a particular candle you love, try get a room spray in the same scent. I personally loved Liquid Yoga Space Spray when I was pregnant.
Make sure your birth partner knows where the scent is located so they can get it out and use it during labour.
Continue using your scent post-partum too! Don’t forget to harness the feelings of calm and relaxation when your baby is here - you will both benefit.
There are lots of benefits to using scent during your pregnancy and birth.
I recently went on an aromatherapy training session for birth workers with MeYu Aromatherapy and learnt some great tips for aromatherapy in pregnancy and birth. Different essential oils do different things and there is a lot of misinformation out there about their use in birth. If you have any questions about specific oils, Caroline from Meyu Aromatherapy is a fully certified clinical aromatherapist and I would recommend getting in touch with her if you want to know more. She is able to mix bespoke blends so can fully cater to your needs.
Want to learn more about hypnobirthing and its amazing benefits? Get in touch now or have a look at my upcoming group courses.
Yours,
Rhi x
