Labor. The word is exactly what it implies. It is just plain hard work that is also painful. It is the work that a mother's body does in order to help her baby be born into the world. Things have been done the same way since time began.

Today many very modern day mid-wives and even hospitals are using aromatherapy to help the birthing process along....to ease the pain and to lighten the work load. The essential oils that are used during labor are used for two very distinctly different purposes. They are used to stimulate the uterus to contract which helps to facilitate the birth of the child and they are also used to relax the mother which helps to ease her pain.  

During labor essential oils that have suspended in carrier oil are massaged into the back of the mother as she lies on her side or into her feet. The essential oils that are used are bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, jasmine, lavender, mandarin, marjoram, neroli, palmarosa, peppermint, petitgrain, rose otto, and yalang yalang. These can also be dropped onto a tissue or cotton ball and inhaled. Compresses can also be made using these oils as a delivery system.

There are specific formulas for mixing these oils and they are always mixed with a carrier oil and are never used undiluted.

After the baby is born, essential oils are used to diminish stress, anxiety and post-partum depression. Remember that essential oils are never used internally. They are not used to make tea. The dry herbs from which the oils are derived are used to make tea or to be used internally in capsule form.

Everybody knows that breast milk is the best possible nutrition for babies. There are hundreds of commercial baby milk products on the market many of which attempt to imitate mother's mild but none of them even come close.

If a mother chooses to breast feed her baby, there are essential oils that can help as well as dried herbs that can help.

Dry herbs that can be used to enhance the flow of milk are fennel, clary sage, jasmine and lemon grass. These herbs can be chewed or they can be made into teas.

The essential oils that can be massages into the breasts to enhance milk flow are fennel, clary sage, jasmine and lemon grass. These essential oils should not be put on the nipples. Almond oil can be used on the nipples to prevent drying and cracking but it should be completely cleaned off before the baby nurses.

When it is time to decrease the milk supply or stop the flow of milk completely, cypress, mint and sage can be put into a carrier oil and applied to the breasts.

If depression or after-baby-blues is present an aromatherapy massage using bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, grapefruit, mandarin, melissa, neroli, or rose weekly can chase the blues away and a few drops in bath water can help them to stay away between aromatherapy massages.