“Ok, Monika, you’ve done this 3 times before, you should totally know how this works and this is going to be a breeze!”
You know that self talk you give when you KNOW that labour is starting?

I NEVER assumed that this 4th birth would be one of my hardest.

My 3rd daughter was born in under 45 minutes from first contraction to placenta being passed. Let’s be honest here, I totally assumed I would set some of record and sneeze this 4th one out, which happens to be Cassandras favourite joke concerning my births.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. My sweet Iris was my 2nd longest birth and the most traumatic for all parties present.

We planned a beautiful, euphoric styled homebirth. My diffuser would be going with relaxing oils, we would sip tea between contractions and laugh this sweet daughter into the world. HA!

After a quick start, my midwife arrived and assessed me, and it seemed my labour had staled. I had only heard of such cruel jokes, I had never experienced it. So, after making this ‘relaxing’ cup of tea I had dreamed up, I had a genius epiphany. Now would be a great time to use the labour rollerball I had made. Not only would it help with pain management, it was also rumoured to help kickstart contractions and speed labour along.
Perfect, with a stalled labour, that was exactly what I needed.

So, I took out this roller and liberally applied it to my abdomen and uterine pressure points. And let’s just say it was no longer just a rumour that this worked, but it worked and FAST! Within 5 minutes my contractions had intensified to the umphth degree. My midwives helped me back to my bed to asses the situation, when the noticed my water was ready to be broken and I was almost completely dilated! Thank you trusty rollerball!
Now, here is where the fun starts.

I had forgotten to turn on the diffuser, you know the one I had loaded with relaxing, anxiety releasing oils…. And when my water was broken, there was meconium in it, causing a whole new degree of cautiousness to be needed and paramedics to be called should the babe swallow any upon passing through the birth canal. Hearing the word “PARAMEDICS” caused my, um, you know, SUPER rational mid-birth mama brain to… FREAK OUT! And there I had a panic attack, which put my body into shock and I couldn’t push, like literally, physically, could NOT push! The midwives tried everything in their power to get me to focus, to breath, to regain control of my body and get this baby out! The cord was around her neck because I had stalled pushing and she needed to come out, NOW! My husband went out to meet the paramedics and one of my midwives must have noticed the diffuser never got turned on and reached to rectify the situation. Within moments I was able to regain my mental faculties enough to expel that wee babe, screaming like a roaring lioness, which was strange as half of my births were completely silent, and the midwives were able to provide us with care. Cleaning the babe, and putting this mama on oxygen to help regulate my breathing.

It was hard. It was intense. And boy it was good to have my arousal of natural, safe and effective tools on hand.
So, if you are planning a natural birth and would love to incorporate some great oils to help you along, here are my top three suggestions.

1. The labour rollerball I mentioned.
Now, you may be thinking, MONIKA I do NOT want to have the same experience you did, why would I want this.
Well, firstly, it is great for lower back pain and contraction pain, so it is handy to have for that. Also, should you stall out as I did, you can use it to help, just maybe less liberally and make sure you are where you want to be already when you apply it.

2. Balance and Peace are great blends to have in the diffuser. They will help ease tension, aid in relaxation, alleviate anxious feelings and help you feel grounded, just, you know, remember to turn it on…..

3. Last, but not least, if you are one that gets over heated or energy starts to wane, make sure you have peppermint oil on hand. Add it to a cool cloth and place on back of neck and armpits to help you cool down. Or add some to your wrists and inhale deeply to help promote energy and alertness.

For more recipes and great tips make sure you head over to the exclusive Here to Homestead tab of my website.
https://monikaminnema.wixsite.com/nurturingnaturallyeo/from-here-to-homestead-exclusive
Password: heretohomestead

Blessings and Health,
Monika

Want to read more on the OILY LIFE? Check out these other posts by the wonderfully talented Monika Minnema.