My due date was March 17th, but with every check-up beginning later in February, I was told how big he was. Honestly it was starting to freak me out and I asked if we could schedule a c-section, for March 12th. I didn’t really feel like I needed to experience labor, though it was my goal not to have an epidural. No, I didn’t think I was super woman and I didn’t think I had anything to prove! I just felt like if I couldn’t even eat cold deli meat, or sushi, I couldn't take meds, etc. why was it okay to pump my body full of stuff the day of? Anyway, my doc didn’t even work on the 12th, so she suggested the 14th – to get us as close to the 17th as possible.
We all know this kind of thing is out of our control, so I don’t know why we try. Tee-hee! This is how my labor story goes…at about 12AM on March 12th (yay me!) I went into labor. We went to the hospital, they confirmed that I was having contractions and they sent me home to labor until the contractions were 2 minutes apart. We came back home and about 3PM both my mom and hubby, Steve, thought that we should go ahead back to the hospital before rush hour set in. My contractions were super duper close to 2 minutes apart, so away we went.
Back at the hospital we were admitted to a room and they decided to break my water to keep things moving along. About 20 minutes after, I was aloud to get out of bed. I had wanted to use the birthing ball, so up I went. Bounce-bounce! This is exactly what I wanted, to be active during labor. Nice! Just a few minutes of bouncing and SWOUSH! A whole bunch of fluid left my body and went all over the floor. Steve, who’s a character, ran to the door “Clean up on Isle one!” Announcing to the entire labor and delivery ward that we needed some assistance.
I made my way to the bathroom to clean myself up, I sat down on the toilet and oops – I couldn’t get up! My contractions had come full force and wouldn’t let up. After about 15 minutes, I eventually flung myself off the toilet and crawled on my hands and knees out of the bathroom.
I’ll try to make a very long story a little shorter. I ended up getting an epidural – it took over 45 minutes to administer because there were no breaks in my contractions, and it took them pinning me down to do it. I pushed for over 2 hours only to wind up in a c-section. It was borderline emergency, since both mine and the babies heart rate and blood pressure were causing issues.
After over 32 hours of laboring, welcome our son, Talon. Born March 13th at 8lbs 9ozs!
And that leads me to my topic – Child Birth - I wish I had oils when…
I obviously can’t say without a doubt that it would have helped my unique non-break-in-contractions-labor, but I probably would have tried it ALL! I can can say, knowing what works for my body now, that at least my mind and overall well being would have been on point.
Balance is a grounding blend. It promotes tranquility while bringing harmony to the mind and body as well as balances emotions. Motivate promotes feelings of confidence, courage and belief. Honestly, diffusing Balance and Motivate together are one of my go-to diffuser blends today – so I’m positive this would have been my highlighted blend to diffuse.
*For a normal size diffuser try 3 drops of each or if you want more of the pick-me-up - 2 drops of Balance and 4 drops of Motivate.
Once I was out of all the discomforts I had with the epidural in place, I would have switched up my diffuser blend to Serenity - the restful blend. It calms the senses and provides a tranquil and relaxing aroma.
MASSAGE/DISCOMFORT:
I would have requested my lovely hubby massage my lower back, shoulders and any other part of my body with AromaTouch®. This massage blend improves circulation and provides comforting and relaxing effects and can help decrease tension. Black Pepper and Basil would have been used too. I know what you’re thinking. Are we cooking or giving birth here? Hahaha, I get it! The scent of Black Pepper, odd as it may seem, can help to soothe anxious feelings. Basil can be used to promote mental focus and alertness, while the scent will also lessen the feelings of anxiousness. Together they can help provide the strength needed to endure hours of intense labor.
EVERYTHING:
Last, “the king of oils,” Frankincense. I would have been mixed it with everything. I probably would have bathed and drank a whole bottle too! That’s an exaggeration, of course, but it would have been a key oil I used for sure. Frank has soothing effect. He’s great for our skin, minds, cells, immunity, nerves – you name it! When inhaled or diffused, Frankincense promotes feelings of peace, relaxation, satisfaction, and overall wellness.
Thanks for sticking around. I'm certainly here to help with any additional questions, suggestions or help you might need. Feel free to reach out any time!
xoDanette