Aromatherapy in Midwifery

This essay concerns the use of aromatherapy in midwife practice, and will

focus upon the reactions patients have had, after such therapy has been

offered. Along with many other complementary therapies, aromatherapy

has experienced a recent surge in interest and popularity. It is often the

concepts of self-help and a natural alternative to medication that draws

many people to therapies such as this, as they can often be selfprescribed

by the individual (Balaskas 1990). The term complementary

implies that aromatherapy should be used in harmony with more orthodox

medical therapies, however in late pregnancy, many of the common

ailments are discomforts which cannot be alleviated by conventional

medicine. It is at this point that therapies such as aromatherapy really

come in to their own.

This essay will examine the use of aromatherapy during the later stages of

pregnancy for m…(short extract)