This paper discusses the use of aromatherapy and massage for pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth. It explores how aromatherapy and massage may help reduce pain, nausea, anxiety and other discomforts experienced during the third trimester and labor. The paper reviews several studies that found aromatherapy improved moods and relaxation in pregnant women. However, more research is still needed as aromatherapy is not widely used or integrated in hospital settings. The paper concludes that while promising, aromatherapy and massage require further investigation but may help women feel more at ease during pregnancy and labor.

1. Running Head: COURSE PROJECT 1
Course Project- Clinical Question
Samantha Kiehne
Rasmussen College
Author Note
This paper is being submitted on January 8, 2016, for Angela Dosdall’s Professional
Nursing 2 Course.

2. COURSE PROJECT 2
Course Project
Conventional pharmacological therapies provided by a physician or a midwife are a very
normal part of having a child. Most women in the United States use some form of
pharmacological intervention to ease the discomfort and pain of pregnancy and childbirth. This
often helps the mother to feel more at peace knowing that she has some control over what she
experienced during her pregnancy and labor, which has become an important part of the
emotional journey women experience during that time. In recent years, other practices have
come into play to help a mother bond with her baby before it is born, help her bond with her
partner, and to ready her for the physical and emotional trials pregnancy and childbirth will
bring. This paper will discuss the importance aromatherapy and massage as well as how it can
aid pregnant women during pregnancy and childbirth.
PICOT
Aromatherapy is a non pharmacological intervention that has been used in the past and
has recently seen a rise in popularity. Aromatherapy oils such as Bergamot, Lavender, Clary
sage, Frankincense, Peppermint, Jasmine, and Rose are used during some deliveries to enhance
uterine contractions, reduce nausea, relieve fear, and many other beneficial effects. (Dhany et al,
2012). Aromatherapy, when combined with massage can offer many benefits to women in
labor when used alone or in conjunction with other types of analgesia (Dhany et al, 2012).
In pregnant women, how do those who use aromatherapy and massage compared with
those who use conventional therapies alone experience pregnancy discomfort and emotional
distress during their third trimester and childbirth?
Aromatherapy and Relief of Childbirth Symptoms

3. COURSE PROJECT 3
Pregnant women can experience a whole host of symptoms both before and during labor.
They will experience pain and discomfort, and some may experience headaches, nausea, fear,
and near the end of the childbirth process, helplessness. While medications can help with all of
these symptoms, some women may prefer a more holistic course of action that can be
implemented both before labor begins and after it has commenced. Essential oils used on 13
pregnant women in Japan caused them to feel more relaxed, less anxious, and less hostile
according to their profile of mood states. Parasympathetic nerve activity also appeared to
improve significantly (Igarashi, T., 2013). The essential oils appeared to improve mood, but
more research is required in this area as these methods are not used as frequently as
pharmacological interventions in hospitals, and are more common in birthing centers, which
attend to fewer laboring mothers at one time.
Integration of Evidence
To determine the validity of the evidence claiming that essential oils can reduce pain,
nausea, headaches, and enhance uterine contractions, there will need to be more studies done and
aromatherapy will have to become a more commonly used form of non pharmacological
analgesia. Even with the growing number of people using aromatherapy during pregnancy,
childbirth and in day to day life, it is not used common enough to warrant extensive research. It
is also not researched due to the fact that is has very little effect on one’s health and has no
obvious side effects (Igarashi, T., 2013). When using aromatherapy in a hospital or birth center
setting becomes a more common practice, it will be easier to see its effects on patients during
labor and childbirth and more studies can be done related to its pain and discomfort relief
properties. The research being done now is not very broad (Steel et al, 2011).
Implementation Methods

4. COURSE PROJECT 4
Many women are not aware of the properties of essential oils, especially in the United
States, where they are not widely used and they are not traditionally offered in hospital and clinic
settings. Massage and counter pressure are two non pharmacological methods used for the relief
of pain and discomfort in labor and delivery settings, but in most places aromatherapy must be
provided by the family if they wish to have it during the labor and delivery. Most hospitals do
not have the supplies on hand to accommodate providing aromatherapy to one pregnant mother,
much less several mothers. For this reason, it is not typically offered to the families. Hospitals
and birthing centers can be educated about the benefits of aromatherapy, and if they are equipped
to provide this service to all patients on the unit, they can experience some of the benefits of
having those supplies on hand (Igarashi, T., 2013).
Conclusion
Aromatherapy and massage for use as a non pharmacological analgesic is not yet a fully
researched concept, but it shows a lot of promise. To understand its effectiveness fully, more
research needs to be done and more clinics, hospitals, and birthing centers will have to integrate
this into their practice (Igarashi, T., 2013). Many patients are unaware that this is an option for
them, and even if they have heard of it, they are not fully aware of what benefits it may be able
to provide them. Aromatherapy and massage seemto have a positive impact on reducing rates
of intrapartum anesthesia (Dhany et al, 2012). The use of these alternative therapies alone or in
addition to conventional pharmacological therapies can help a pregnant woman feel more at
ease, experience less anxiety and discomfort both before and during labor, and has been shown
to increase parasympathetic nerve activity (Igarashi, T., 2013). The effects of massage and
aromatherapy are still being researched, but what has been discovered so far is very promising
and warrants further investigation.

5. COURSE PROJECT 5
References
Dhany, A. L., Mitchell, T., & Foy, C. (2012). Aromatherapy and massage intrapartum service
impact on use of analgesia and anesthesia in women in labor: A retrospective case note
analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(10), 932-938. Retrieved
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Igarashi, T. (2013). Physical and psychologic effects of aromatherapy inhalation on pregnant
women: A randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine,
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Steel, A., Adams, J., & Sibbritt, D. (2011). Complementary and alternative medicine in
pregnancy: A systematic review. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society., 17(4),
205-209. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from
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