Clary Sage Oil for Labour
Has anyone recommended Clary Sage Oil for Labour to you? If you are full-term, you may be very ready for baby to make their appearance. Clary Sage Oil is an age-old recommendation for inducing labour – let me give you all the tea…
What is Clary Sage Oil?
Clary Sage Oil is a an essential oil made from the leaves and buds of the Clary Sage Plant.
What does Clary Sage Oil do?
Clary Sage is a utero tonic. This means that it can stimulate the uterus to contract and can be used to naturally induce labour. Whilst it hasn’t been studied much to say for sure it can begin labour, anecdotally many women swear it is what brought on their contractions.
In addition to potentially starting labour, Clary Sage can also be used during established labour if things seem to be slowing.
How do I use Clary Sage?
You can mix a few drops of Clary Sage Oil into a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or jojoba oil, and rub this onto your bump. It is important you use a carrier oil. Clary Sage should never be used directly onto your skin on its own.
You can also put a few drops in a cup of milk and then mix this into the bath before a relaxing soak.
Why mix Clary Sage in milk before adding it to the bath?
Any essential oil shouldn’t be put directly on your skin. If you put essential oils directly in the bath, as they are an oil, they sit on the surface of the water. So when you get in the bath, the blobs of oil on the surface will touch your skin. Mixing the oils in milk first will allow the oil to disperse through the bath water.
Can I use Clary Sage Oil for Labour with a VBAC?
If you have had a previous caesarean and are planning a VBAC, then you should not use Clary Sage Oil. Similarly, you should not use Clary Sage Oil if you have had any previous uterine surgery. Anything that is thought to increase contractions should be avoided (such as clary sage and raspberry leaf tea). This is due to a risk that the increase in contractions could cause the scar to rupture.
