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West Suffolk midwives use aromatherapy and massage during labour

30 June 2004

Midwives in West Suffolk are using aromatherapy and massage to help women relax during labour.

Pregnant women are now given the choice of benefiting from essential oils and massage when they give birth. A mixture of rose, frankincense and lavender is used during labour to aid relaxation. After birth, a lavender and mandarin mixture is added to the mother’s bath to help with the healing process.

“Complementary therapies such as aromatherapy can be used together with conventional care to enhance well-being and improve health,” said midwife Sheila Cornwell. “Since the 1980s these therapies have become much more popular, and the NHS now acknowledges their therapeutic value. In 1993 the World Health Organisation recommended a return to more natural methods of pain relief in labour, and using complementary therapies helps with this aim.”

From their base at the West Suffolk Hospital, all midwives working throughout west Suffolk are being trained in the use of aromatherapy and massage. Around half of the 120 midwives have already been trained; by the end of the year, all will be qualified to provide this service.

“As more women are using complementary therapies during pregnancy and childbirth, it is the role of the midwife to ensure that these therapies are used safely,” said Sheila. “We want to make childbirth as natural an experience as possible, and offering aromatherapy and massage to expectant mothers is part of this process. Fathers are not forgotten as they too can have a role by performing massage on their partner during childbirth.”

 

 

   
West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust