lotions/oils

jesscardona · 08-17-2006, 05:06 PM

I have a Bath and Body Works gift card, and I was going to use it, but I wanted to ahead and buy some lotion or oils to have for massage..
what would be best that is not to strong for mom's?

SarahMcKay · 08-17-2006, 05:13 PM

I've found that lavender scents are tolerated best.

AmandaB · 08-17-2006, 05:44 PM

I would recommend this that say for all skin types. Look for all natural oils, grapeseed, oil, almond, things like that. I find most women enjoy lavendar ... it hate it, buut I will do just about anything to please my clients

DL · 08-17-2006, 07:39 PM

I don't know if they still have them, but the last time I was at B&BW a few months ago, they had organic essential oils. I bought one bottle of lavender and 1 bottle of peppermint. I've only had one mom so far that didn't like the lavender, but she liked the peppermint.

Ceci · 08-17-2006, 09:55 PM

What a great question, I was just at Whole Foods today trying to decide the same thing. I ended up going with a bottle of lavender oil (main bonus was that it was in a plastic bottle) and with a bottle of Burt's Bees baby bee apricot kernel oil. I usually ask moms at the prenatal if there are any scents that they hate or love and if there is any lotion that they are really attached to. I always bring mine as back-up but we mostly end up using mom's lotion.

douladot · 08-18-2006, 06:42 AM

I use a bottle of lavender/almond oil and I use the essential peppermint oil infused in my rice socks. It helps with nausea!!

AussieDoula · 08-18-2006, 09:19 AM

I would just use a plain, unscented lotion and then mist the room/lightbulbs with essential oils if you wanted scent.
You want to steer clear of any oils or products that contain nuts (due to allergy reasons - not just for mama but for her baby and anyone else in the room who may have allergies).
Essential oils are tricky, because if they are applied to the massage creams and oils and rubbed onto the skin, they - just like everything else - can cross over into the placenta. You really need to know your stuff when it comes to EOs if you are using them directly on the skin. Use them for aromatherapy instead and spray some on a pillow or add in a rice sock like douladot suggested.
Erin (Kalamazoo Doula) made a good point a while back about oils being too hard to get out of linens, so opting for a lotion might be the best way to go.

As always, I'm including a couple of links to other threads on our forums to help you out, about massage oils/lotions:
Massage Creams And Oils.
Massage Oils.

jesscardona · 08-18-2006, 09:31 AM

Thanks, Aussie

MothertheMother · 08-18-2006, 09:50 AM

yep I have sprays and they are very easy to make. And you might not use as much oil. Just get about a 2 oz spray bottle. Put a cap full of alcohol in it. Use either Vodka or Gin (something that doesn't smell) not rubbing alcohol. Then put about 20 drops of oil in . Shake it up well. Then top it off with water. This way you can spray the room and it will dissapate so if mom likes the smell in early labor but it makes her sick in transition it wont be so strong. I have one for lavender and one for peppermint. All three of my mamas have loved the peppermint for nausea!!! I also keep a zip lock and a couple of those cotton rounds in it so I can spray that and she can sniff it out of the bag for more immediate help. It is a stronger scent that way. Then just spray some in the room, too. Hope it helps!!!

tlcdoula · 08-18-2006, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AussieDoula

I would just use a plain, unscented lotion and then mist the room/lightbulbs with essential oils if you wanted scent.
You want to steer clear of any oils or products that contain nuts (due to allergy reasons - not just for mama but for her baby and anyone else in the room who may have allergies).
Essential oils are tricky, because if they are applied to the massage creams and oils and rubbed onto the skin, they - just like everything else - can cross over into the placenta. You really need to know your stuff when it comes to EOs if you are using them directly on the skin. Use them for aromatherapy instead and spray some on a pillow or add in a rice sock like douladot suggested.
Erin (Kalamazoo Doula) made a good point a while back about oils being too hard to get out of linens, so opting for a lotion might be the best way to go.

As always, I'm including a couple of links to other threads on our forums to help you out, about massage oils/lotions:
Massage Creams And Oils.
Massage Oils.

Personally I don't mist the room because if the mama decides she doesn't liek the smell she cannot remove it. Instead I put the scent on a cotton ball and place those around the room. Then if mama hates the smell I can remove the cotton balls and the scent will leave faster than if spritzed on things in the room.

MindOverLaborDoulas · 08-21-2006, 10:26 AM

Sid E Bigelow (?) is the organic brand at B&BW.
I always bring my lotions and oils to my last prenatal so that they can smell the different ones and let me know which they like, if any. I also watch their faces when they are smelling them so that I will know for sure if one turns them off but they are trying to be polite or whatever.

DL · 08-21-2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlcdoula

Personally I don't mist the room because if the mama decides she doesn't liek the smell she cannot remove it. Instead I put the scent on a cotton ball and place those around the room. Then if mama hates the smell I can remove the cotton balls and the scent will leave faster than if spritzed on things in the room.

This is what I do, too.

tlcdoula · 08-21-2006, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula Lori

This is what I do, too.

LOL - sounds like we think alike on a lot of things

Rachel G. · 08-29-2006, 05:25 PM

I like to use a Scentball by Aura Cacia for prenantal massage .And if the mama dosen't like the sent I just take it out of the plug in the wall and the sent disapears quickly.