How does clary sage bring on labour

Application by tapers were found to be useful as they could be removed if the effect was too strong. Another found it helped to increase the strength and frequency of contractions every time. One report of indirect use via a burner was not found to be helpful. Contraindications : considering the scarcity of research indicating the benefits or potential harms of using Clary sage in aromatherapy for childbirth, there is a surprising abundance of proposed contraindications to its use identified by this small survey.

Clary sage influence on others beside the birthing mother. Several times it was thought that Clary sage influenced the birth partners through relaxation, focus and clarity. Mothers of clients became calmer. No one thought it was of no use. The comments included that Clary sage is useful alongside therapeutic touch. One birth helper wrote that as an intervention it was gentle and helped support the birth helpers if used sensitively.

This was a small self-selected study of those who felt inclined to share their experiences by completing our survey. Numbers were low, and this is part is due to our lack of technical wizardry, as participants needed to click on a few links to access the survey. However, it does add up to many hours of experience of using Clary sage in labour and an overwhelmingly positive perception that this essential oil helps women in childbirth.

The results indicate that we could benefit from research into how Clary sage may influence the psychology and physiology of labour via both indirect and direct use.

Several contradictions are seen in the responses to our survey about which women are deemed suitable to use Clary sage and at which stages of pregnancy it should be used. Further research may yield more clarity on its affects by attempting to understand what, if any, contradictions should be advised with the use of clary sage.

Clary sage oil is very potent and should be used correctly to prevent hyper-stimulation or other side effects. There are several options on how to use clary sage oil to induce labour or during labour It is important to be aware that essential oils are a type of complementary medicine and are not as strictly regulated as pharmaceutical medicines. Essential oils are potent, just like medications and drugs, and should only be used in consultation with your health practitioner.

Some women experience hyper-stimulated contractions, headaches, nausea or skin irritation from clary sage oil. Stop using immediately if this occurs. The essential oil is distilled from the flowers and flowering tips and is not to be confused with Sage. Clary Sage is such a versatile oil with a high concentration of esters and has many properties such as anticonvulsant, antifungal, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, nerve tonic, sedative and warming.

This is why having it on a tissue or cloth and smelling it from time to time is far more effective and less likely to cause these side-effects. If the smell becomes overpowering you can always remove the tissue or the cloth containing the Clary Sage I keep it in a zip lock plastic bag — but less likely if you have used it on your body.

Many women are told that they can use Clary Sage to induce labour, however this is a common misconception and Clary Sage cannot be used to induce labour unless your body is ready to go into labour. Nothing can induce labour until your body is ready, unless of course you have a medical induction, and even then they are known to fail, causing distress in both mum and baby, which then may lead to other interventions or caesareans.

However, using Clary Sage prior to 38 weeks is not recommended just in case your body is in danger of going into premature labour. Research shows that inhalation of clary sage does create an increase in oxytocin levels; but the research also showed that this had no effect on uterine contractions. Research also highlighted that the higher levels of oxytocin created an increased pain relieving effect. Clary Sage helps you to have more effective contractions once you do start having them as it relaxes the mind, body and muscles.

This is what is needed for mums to go into labour in the first place — eliminating catecholamines adrenaline and stimulating endorphins and oxytocin.