In 2003 we met the incredibly talented Natalie Burgess of yoga and baby massage fame in Margaret River, Western Australia.
Natalie originally approached Moon Haven to formulate an unscented massage oil suitable for use in her yoga baby massage classes for new mums and their babes. We found that our unscented massage oil base to be the perfect combination of oils for both mother and babes skin.
Natalie was offering an incredible series of workshops dealing with yoga for pregnancy, labour and beyond. Armed with her beautifully written manual I set about putting together a suitable aromatherapy kit for use in the later stages of pregnancy, through labour and the post birth periods that would be suitable to offer to Natalie’s workshop participants.
The result was our Labour of Love Aromatherapy Birth Kit.
With two salves - Achy Breaky Rub for the aches and pains of the latter stages of pregnancy and the lower back aches of early labour and Calendula Salve to assist when performing Perineal Massage (I can feel you all cringe from here!) we were off to a good start.
With the help of Stacey (of Herb Girl fame) we set about formulating two essential oil blends - one to soothe and relax during the first anxious stages of labour and one to help with focusing and activating labour during the transition and the second stage right up until birth.
We also wanted the two blends to be able to be blended together so that the transition was smooth and not jarring. So that the oil burner did not need to be cleaned out but one oil could be placed on top of the other and still remain pleasant.
The resultant birth blends are
- Prelude for the first stages and after the birth
- In the Moment for the later stages of labour and the actual birth
Based on uplifitng Mandarin both blends are delightful on their own but come into their own when they are combined. As Prelude tapers off and In the Moment takes over the scents released are quite amazing.
We have had wonderful feedback from our testers I look forward to welcoming our new mums and their lovely babes into Moon Haven and listening to their birth stories. I will keep you all posted.
