Peppermint Hammer Persuasive Speech
Sometimes in labour your lips can become very dry, and your nose blocked or stuffed up (perhaps only on one side) - I recommend using a (non-petroleum based) peppermint lip balm as this addresses both the issue of dry lips, and the peppermint essential oil helps to open up your nasal passages, making breathing easier. This can also help if you are feeling nauseous in labour, as the peppermint essential oil can help lift the queasy sensation.
It is also quite common to feel very hot in labour, and a facial spritz is a quick and easy way to help you to cool down. I can recommend the use of hydrosols such as rose or lavender floral waters; they will feel good on your skin, and their fragrances will be uplifting and refreshing. You can spray the lavender or rose hydrosol liberally over your face and chest to help cool you down and keep your skin feeling moist and hydrated. If you would like to enjoy only the benefits of their fragrance, simply mist them into the air about you.
BIRTHING
As baby is crowning, it can be helpful to use a warm compress against your perineum. It will help the …show more content…
skin to stretch more easily around the baby’s emerging head, lessening the chance of perineal tearing.
Add a tablespoon of sweet almond oil to a bowl of warm water and soak a flannel in it. Wring out the flannel and apply it directly to the perineum. Continue doing this for as long as this feels comfortable until the baby is born.
There is no need to use essential oils here as it is too close to baby’s emerging face.
POST-PARTUM
After the baby is born, a woman’s body seems to survive on happy hormones for a while, and we often feel like we are Superwoman (which we are!), and that we could easily run a marathon. We are so delighted with our new baby and spend most of our time just looking at them and holding them and kissing them - wrapped up in the euphoria of newborn love.
However, after having given birth, you may have vaginal bruising, pelvic floor tears, and stitches, or haemorrhoids to contend with, and if you have given birth by C-section, your wound will also be painful and bruised as it recovers from the surgery. Then, the pregnancy and birth hormones start to subside, and we experience what are commonly known as the baby blues. This tends to happen about two or three days after the baby’s arrival and can last from a few days to a couple of weeks. These feelings can coincide with the feeling of exhaustion from having survived on very little sleep over the previous few days, or being overwhelmed as the realisation of your new responsibility sinks in. You may feel extremely tearful and emotional, without really understanding why. This is all very normal and nothing to get too concerned about (I know it all feels a bit overwhelming when you’re in it, and I do not mean to be dismissive of it in any way). However, having helpful, supportive, and positive people around you who will help with the practicalities of life with a new-born is extremely important. They will be able to do the everyday household stuff like making meals, doing laundry, and perhaps looking after other children, thereby allowing you to rest and spend time with your new baby. However, if you experience prolonged periods of feeling like you’re not able to cope, and think that it may be more like post natal depression, please do not feel you must hide your feelings or pretend that everything is ok. Please make sure to tell your public health nurse, GP or a close confidante, so that you can get proper help and support.
POST-PARTUM SORE/TENDER BITS
Suggested Essential Oils to ease post-partum sore/tender bits Frankincense
Geranium
Lavender
Roman chamomile
Rosewood
Vetiver
Blend Use 50ml of sweet almond oil and add the following:
Frankincense 2 drops
Geranium 2 drops
Lavender 3 drops
Roman chamomile 2 drops
Rosewood 2 drops
Vetiver 1 drop
Bath Use 10-15mls of your chosen blend and add it to a warm, drawn bath. Disperse the oil with your hand, get in, and relax for about 20 minutes. Remember to be extra careful getting into and out of the bath tub as the oils can make the surface extremely slippery. Furthermore, your legs may feel a little wobbly for a few days after the birth, so it’s important for a loved one to be there to help you.
Sitz Bath If you don’t feel like getting into a full bath, a Sitz bath is perfect to help ease vaginal or perineal bruising.
Add 10ml of your blend to a Sitz bath filled with warm water and disperse it through the water. Rest your bottom in it and relax for about 10 minutes. Pat the area dry with a clean towel.
POST-PARTUM HAEMORRHOIDS
Sometimes haemorrhoids appear as a result of strained pushing in labour. Please refer back to Chapter 5 for how to treat them.
BREASTS AND BREASTFEEDING
Your breasts will be experiencing dramatic changes too as your milk comes in to replace the initial colostrum, and it’s important to look after them, attending to any discomfort straight away so as not to let the situation worsen.
Some women have little to no trouble when nursing their baby, but for others, it may take a while to get comfortable with breastfeeding, and to establish a good latch position for baby to feed. Please do be patient as it will be really worthwhile and rewarding when breastfeeding is established and comfortable. Hiring the support of a lactation consultant is money very well spent, even if it is not your first time breastfeeding, as each baby is different and may require their latch to be checked. Studies have shown that women enjoy a longer, more positive breastfeeding journey if they have the right support in establishing it properly at the
start.
In the case of painful breasts or nipples, here are some blends that may prove helpful. However, bearing in mind that your baby will be much more sensitive to the likes of essential oils, we are using the lower dilution of 0.25%, compared to the 1% dilution that we have previously been working with.
A good idea is to apply the oils after an episode of breastfeeding. However, I do realise that this may be challenging as your new-born will most likely breastfeed very regularly. Nonetheless, please make sure to remove the excess of oil from your breasts and nipples before having your baby close to your skin, or when breastfeeding.
SORE/CRACKED NIPPLES
When breastfeeding, your nipples can become very sore and cracked if your baby’s latch is in any way incorrect. Sometimes, the baby will not open his or her mouth wide enough to grasp the breast and nipple properly, at times only sucking on your nipple, and this creates a lipstick-like shape, which can be extremely painful. It is important to get baby’s latch right from the start if breastfeeding is to be comfortable.
Suggested Essential Oils for Sore/Cracked Nipples Lavender
Roman chamomile
Blend Melt 25ml coconut oil (solid) in a bain marie so that it turns to liquid. As it is cooling and beginning to solidify slightly again, add 25ml calendula oil, and then the following essential oils, and stir well:
Lavender 2 drops
Roman chamomile 2 drops
Store in a dark-coloured jar.
Topical application Apply a small amount to each sore/cracked nipple after breastfeeding. Remove any excess before your baby re-latches.
BREAST ENGORGEMENT
When your milk comes in properly, normally a couple of days after your baby is born, it can lead to your breasts becoming engorged. This means that your breasts can feel stretched, hot, hard, and very sensitive. A cool compress can offer some welcome relief.
Suggested Essential Oils for Breast Engorgement Geranium
Lavender
Mandarin
Roman chamomile
Blend Grapeseed oil 50ml
Geranium 1 drop
Lavender 1 drop
Mandarin 1 drop
Roman chamomile 1 drop
Compress Add 10ml of your blend to a bowl/basin of cool water and mix it through with your hand. Soak a face flannel in the oil/water, wring out, and then apply directly to the breasts. Leave on for about 5 minutes on each breast. Rinse and repeat. You can do one breast at a time, or have two flannels and use them on both breasts at the same time. It may help to be in a semi-reclined or seated position so that you can relax with the compress applied.
MASTITIS
Mastitis occurs when your breast tissue becomes inflamed, perhaps as a result of a milk duct that has not cleared, or of an infection that has entered your breast tissue through a damaged nipple. It is extremely painful and can be accompanied by fever, and flu-like symptoms, making you feel very unwell. It is important to contact your GP, public health nurse or midwife in case you require antibiotics. Essential oils can help with the inflammation and potentially the infection.
It is also quite common to feel very hot in labour, and a facial spritz is a quick and easy way to help you to cool down. I can recommend the use of hydrosols such as rose or lavender floral waters; they will feel good on your skin, and their fragrances will be uplifting and refreshing. You can spray the lavender or rose hydrosol liberally over your face and chest to help cool you down and keep your skin feeling moist and hydrated. If you would like to enjoy only the benefits of their fragrance, simply mist them into the air about you.
BIRTHING
As baby is crowning, it can be helpful to use a warm compress against your perineum. It will help the …show more content…
skin to stretch more easily around the baby’s emerging head, lessening the chance of perineal tearing.
Add a tablespoon of sweet almond oil to a bowl of warm water and soak a flannel in it. Wring out the flannel and apply it directly to the perineum. Continue doing this for as long as this feels comfortable until the baby is born.
There is no need to use essential oils here as it is too close to baby’s emerging face.
POST-PARTUM
After the baby is born, a woman’s body seems to survive on happy hormones for a while, and we often feel like we are Superwoman (which we are!), and that we could easily run a marathon. We are so delighted with our new baby and spend most of our time just looking at them and holding them and kissing them - wrapped up in the euphoria of newborn love.
However, after having given birth, you may have vaginal bruising, pelvic floor tears, and stitches, or haemorrhoids to contend with, and if you have given birth by C-section, your wound will also be painful and bruised as it recovers from the surgery. Then, the pregnancy and birth hormones start to subside, and we experience what are commonly known as the baby blues. This tends to happen about two or three days after the baby’s arrival and can last from a few days to a couple of weeks. These feelings can coincide with the feeling of exhaustion from having survived on very little sleep over the previous few days, or being overwhelmed as the realisation of your new responsibility sinks in. You may feel extremely tearful and emotional, without really understanding why. This is all very normal and nothing to get too concerned about (I know it all feels a bit overwhelming when you’re in it, and I do not mean to be dismissive of it in any way). However, having helpful, supportive, and positive people around you who will help with the practicalities of life with a new-born is extremely important. They will be able to do the everyday household stuff like making meals, doing laundry, and perhaps looking after other children, thereby allowing you to rest and spend time with your new baby. However, if you experience prolonged periods of feeling like you’re not able to cope, and think that it may be more like post natal depression, please do not feel you must hide your feelings or pretend that everything is ok. Please make sure to tell your public health nurse, GP or a close confidante, so that you can get proper help and support.
POST-PARTUM SORE/TENDER BITS
Suggested Essential Oils to ease post-partum sore/tender bits Frankincense
Geranium
Lavender
Roman chamomile
Rosewood
Vetiver
Blend Use 50ml of sweet almond oil and add the following:
Frankincense 2 drops
Geranium 2 drops
Lavender 3 drops
Roman chamomile 2 drops
Rosewood 2 drops
Vetiver 1 drop
Bath Use 10-15mls of your chosen blend and add it to a warm, drawn bath. Disperse the oil with your hand, get in, and relax for about 20 minutes. Remember to be extra careful getting into and out of the bath tub as the oils can make the surface extremely slippery. Furthermore, your legs may feel a little wobbly for a few days after the birth, so it’s important for a loved one to be there to help you.
Sitz Bath If you don’t feel like getting into a full bath, a Sitz bath is perfect to help ease vaginal or perineal bruising.
Add 10ml of your blend to a Sitz bath filled with warm water and disperse it through the water. Rest your bottom in it and relax for about 10 minutes. Pat the area dry with a clean towel.
POST-PARTUM HAEMORRHOIDS
Sometimes haemorrhoids appear as a result of strained pushing in labour. Please refer back to Chapter 5 for how to treat them.
BREASTS AND BREASTFEEDING
Your breasts will be experiencing dramatic changes too as your milk comes in to replace the initial colostrum, and it’s important to look after them, attending to any discomfort straight away so as not to let the situation worsen.
Some women have little to no trouble when nursing their baby, but for others, it may take a while to get comfortable with breastfeeding, and to establish a good latch position for baby to feed. Please do be patient as it will be really worthwhile and rewarding when breastfeeding is established and comfortable. Hiring the support of a lactation consultant is money very well spent, even if it is not your first time breastfeeding, as each baby is different and may require their latch to be checked. Studies have shown that women enjoy a longer, more positive breastfeeding journey if they have the right support in establishing it properly at the
start.
In the case of painful breasts or nipples, here are some blends that may prove helpful. However, bearing in mind that your baby will be much more sensitive to the likes of essential oils, we are using the lower dilution of 0.25%, compared to the 1% dilution that we have previously been working with.
A good idea is to apply the oils after an episode of breastfeeding. However, I do realise that this may be challenging as your new-born will most likely breastfeed very regularly. Nonetheless, please make sure to remove the excess of oil from your breasts and nipples before having your baby close to your skin, or when breastfeeding.
SORE/CRACKED NIPPLES
When breastfeeding, your nipples can become very sore and cracked if your baby’s latch is in any way incorrect. Sometimes, the baby will not open his or her mouth wide enough to grasp the breast and nipple properly, at times only sucking on your nipple, and this creates a lipstick-like shape, which can be extremely painful. It is important to get baby’s latch right from the start if breastfeeding is to be comfortable.
Suggested Essential Oils for Sore/Cracked Nipples Lavender
Roman chamomile
Blend Melt 25ml coconut oil (solid) in a bain marie so that it turns to liquid. As it is cooling and beginning to solidify slightly again, add 25ml calendula oil, and then the following essential oils, and stir well:
Lavender 2 drops
Roman chamomile 2 drops
Store in a dark-coloured jar.
Topical application Apply a small amount to each sore/cracked nipple after breastfeeding. Remove any excess before your baby re-latches.
BREAST ENGORGEMENT
When your milk comes in properly, normally a couple of days after your baby is born, it can lead to your breasts becoming engorged. This means that your breasts can feel stretched, hot, hard, and very sensitive. A cool compress can offer some welcome relief.
Suggested Essential Oils for Breast Engorgement Geranium
Lavender
Mandarin
Roman chamomile
Blend Grapeseed oil 50ml
Geranium 1 drop
Lavender 1 drop
Mandarin 1 drop
Roman chamomile 1 drop
Compress Add 10ml of your blend to a bowl/basin of cool water and mix it through with your hand. Soak a face flannel in the oil/water, wring out, and then apply directly to the breasts. Leave on for about 5 minutes on each breast. Rinse and repeat. You can do one breast at a time, or have two flannels and use them on both breasts at the same time. It may help to be in a semi-reclined or seated position so that you can relax with the compress applied.
MASTITIS
Mastitis occurs when your breast tissue becomes inflamed, perhaps as a result of a milk duct that has not cleared, or of an infection that has entered your breast tissue through a damaged nipple. It is extremely painful and can be accompanied by fever, and flu-like symptoms, making you feel very unwell. It is important to contact your GP, public health nurse or midwife in case you require antibiotics. Essential oils can help with the inflammation and potentially the infection.