Clary Sage Essential Oil and Pain Relief During Labor

Tomorrow, I will be 40 weeks! Patiently waiting and enjoying these last few days of my Pregnancy. At my 40 week Pre-natal Appointment, I chatted a lot about herbs (Black and Blue Cohoshes and Cotton Root Bark) with my Midwife. She asked if I was planning on using "Clary Sage Essential during Labor."

I'm not very familiar with Essential Oils, so I hadn't considered it. Some of the other Midwives at the practice had just come back from a workshop where Clary Sage had been discussed.

Then I stumbled upon a Study of over 8,000 women in the U.K conducted over 8 years that showed that Clary Sage can be useful for pain management during Labor.

"The evidence from this study suggests that aromatherapy can be effective in reducing maternal anxiety, fear and/or pain during labour. The use of aromatherapy appeared to facilitate a further reduction in the use of systemic opioids in the study centre, from 6% in 1990 to 0.4% in 1997 (per woman). "

Sounds pretty promising.

Here is a post that explains various methods of application. Luckily, I enjoy the smell of Clary Sage - I know it can be pretty strong for some folks. Remember essential oils should be put in some type of carrier oil before putting it directly on your skin. I can't wait to try it in my tub!

If you've used during Labor, I love to hear your story!

****And, please remember to always get the okay from your Care Provider first. Thanks.