When you're expecting a child, there comes a time when you have to think about what to pack for the maternity stay. For some, this can seem like a real headache, so we tend to rely on the many lists we've found here and there on the internet.
Today I'd like to take a step away from the classic maternity suitcase by listing all the little natural products you could pack to look after yourself and your baby if, like me, you're all about natural care and plants.
An article by Marion Pezard
Rose hydrosol
To refresh your face while immersing yourself in a gentle bubble, ask the person accompanying you to regularly offer you a few sprays of rose hydrosol over your face during labour. Rose hydrosol is the plant of choice for the transitions in our lives as women, so what better time to use it than during childbirth! And if you don't like the smell, you can replace it with an orange blossom or lavender hydrosol, as long as it evokes a positive and comforting fantasy when you smell it.
Calendula oily macerate
This oily base will be very useful for massaging baby during the first few days and even afterwards. Massage is a very important moment, both for the bond it creates between parent and child, and for the transmission, via the skin, of a microbiota that is essential for the baby's immunity.
This oily macerate can also be used by your partner to massage the lower back during labour, by adding one or more of the essential oils suggested below.
Balsam fir, Scots pine or Atlas cedar essential oil
If you feel like it, choose one of these essential oils by smell and apply it to a small cloth to breathe in whenever you feel the need during work.
They all have different actions, but one thing in common: they help to anchor you and tone and energise you. This can be very useful during the considerable physical effort involved in giving birth.
Balsam Fir
Scots pine
Atlas Cedar
Laurel, ylang-ylang and petitgrain bigaradier essential oils
During labour, when you have the opportunity to be mobile, which is recommended as long as you're not receiving analgesia or being asked by medical staff to lie down, you may feel the need to have your lower back massaged depending on the positions you adopt to relieve yourself.
I suggest you take a small bowl and a tablespoon with you to make the following mixture:
- 1 tablespoon of calendula oily macerate (or other vegetable oil of your choice)
- 2 drops of noble laurel essential oil, which is the plant of courage and will help to soothe the feeling of contractions.
- 1 drop of ylang-ylang essential oil, which relieves fatigue and prevents exhaustion.
- 2 drops of petit grain bigaradier essential oil for comfort and soothing, and to help dilate the cervix.
You can repeat this mixture several times throughout labour, and if necessary add a drop of clove essential oil to encourage contractions and help make them more effective.
Laurel
Ylang-ylang
Petitgrain
Passion flower or motherwort mother tincture
Dr Aviva Romm, who is highly regarded in the field of natural women's health, recommends Passionflower mother tincture to ease the anxiety associated with childbirth. She recommends taking 1 to 3ml in a glass of water every 30 to 60 minutes, up to a maximum of 15ml per 24 hours.
You can also turn to motherwort mother tincture, which is quite versatile as it has an action on pain, soothes the nervous system and stimulates contractions. Use 20 to 30 drops in water every 10 minutes for up to 1 hour.
Mother tincture of calendula
The calendula mother tincture has the advantage of being both soothing and healing, making it very useful for any small scars.
You can now make your own blend of plants to take care of scratches, scars or even your baby's umbilical cord.
In a 100ml pump or pipette bottle, mix 10ml calendula mother tincture, 10ml aloe vera gel, 40ml witch hazel hydrosol and 40ml water, ideally filtered.
Simply shake the bottle well and apply a small amount to a clean cotton pad or compress to pamper the desired area for the first few days or weeks after birth.
Witch hazel & real lavender hydrosols
Have you ever heard of the vaginal douche? It seems to me that they've rightly become an essential part of maternity bags in recent years. It's usually filled with water and used during the first few trips to the toilet to prevent the urine from burning the sore area in the early days after giving birth.
I suggest you use the soothing, decongesting and healing benefits of plants instead of water!
You can therefore add the following ingredients in equal parts.
- Witch hazel hydrosol
- True lavender hydrosol
Feel free to prepare the mixture in advance and keep it in a cool, airtight bottle for even more soothing benefits.
Witch Hazel Hydrosol - Organic
Soothes sensitive skin
Star of Bethlehem Bach Flower
If there's one Bach flower that's perfect for this suspended moment, it's ‘Star of Bethlehem’. It's known for its comfort, the flexibility and adaptability it brings, and emotional and mental serenity. You can take 4 drops under the tongue 4 times a day, spray it around you like an aura spray, or slip a few drops into baby's first bath, for example. This floral elixir is also available in an alcohol-free version.
Cold packs and hot water bottles
And don't forget to bring small cold packs to put on the perineum after giving birth, to soothe the area with a drip bath. The equivalent also exists for the breasts in the event of inflammation linked to lactation or other possible pains during breastfeeding.
And of course, don't forget your hot water bottle, which will come in very handy when the uterus is in trenches, when it contracts back to its original size, and which can be painful, depending on the woman.
Now all you have to do is pick out the ideas that suit you best, and remember to breathe deeply through your nose, telling yourself that everything is going to be fine and that your baby will soon be here, in your arms. As always, I would remind you that this advice is not a substitute for treatment or medical advice, and I wish you the most wonderful childbirth!
