What is Clary Sage?

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is a variety of the sage herb plant, and has various aromatic and medicinal properties.

The leaves are edible and the leaves and flowers can be distilled into an essential oil for therapeutic use. Please note that ‘sage oil’ is quite a different thing and mustn’t be confused with clary sage.

Clary sage has oestrogen-regulating and stimulating properties, because of its similar chemical structure to oestrogen. It has had a long association for use with menstrual problems. It is also thought to have a stimulating effect on pregnant women so it is advised not to be used before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

It also has a host of other beneficial properties as varying as an antidepressant, aphrodisiac, deodorant and euphoric for people outside of pregnancy.

For the purposes of this article, I just want to focus on its use after 37 weeks of pregnancy and in labour.

Cautions about Clary Sage Oil

All essential oils prepared by a reputable source are safe to use providing you stick to these guidelines in this article below in the Golden Rules section, but before we get into that in-depth information, I would like to suggest that you consider reading my carefully researched book that includes the most up-to-date pain relief options, like gas & air, and epidural, and details common interventions carried out, such as induction of labour, assisted delivery (forceps or ventouse) and caesarean birth.

Let me tell you why I wrote this book and why I think now is the perfect time for you to read it.

Use of clary sage oil to induce labour

Like so many natural methods to induce labour, clary sage oil has not been studied in great depth, and so its efficacy to bring labour on is hard to pinpoint.

There are many cases of women who attribute going into labour as a result of using clary sage oil but it is very anecdotal. How soon you go into labour after using clary sage oil is a big question, along which other methods have you tried?

And for as many people the clary sage oil does little or nothing towards inducing labour. It is known to have relaxation properties and perhaps just the act of relaxing and not getting stressed about going into labour has the desired effect?

Labour is controlled by oxytocin and getting in a warm bath in a private dark space will boost your oxytocin well before you add clary sage oil into the mix.

It certainly doesn’t seem to do any harm though! And baths and massage are a lovely way to bide your time before labour starts.

Ultimately if it was THAT efficacious to bring on labour, we would be using it in hospitals rather than the artificial oxytocin that is currently used for inductions. Just remember that the due date of a baby is not very scientific and babies have a normal due “window” from 37 to 42 weeks!

How to safely use Clary Sage Oil to naturally induce labour To scent a room.

You can put a few drops of clary sage oil into an Essential Oil Aroma Diffuser, an essential oil reed dispenser or an essential oil burner.

Make sure any previous oils are thoroughly cleaned off as some are not appropriate for use in pregnancy.

You can use clary sage in this way from 37 weeks in any room, and can also be used in labour to enhance contractions. However, if you get fed up with the smell, then it can be difficult to get rid of it quickly so it is therefore probably not advised during labour itself.

Note, you cannot burn candles in a hospital setting so we recommend a Nebulizing room diffuser mainly because its the most powerful type but also they do not use heat or water, therefore, is safer and easy to use for your birth at home or in the hospital.

Massage with clary sage oil

Add a few drops of clary sage oil to an unscented base massage oil – such as coconut oil, almond oil, baby oil, etc.

Ensure you have at least equal parts clary sage to the base oil, but ideally, have a few drops of clary sage oil with about 10-15 ml of your carrier oil to ensure it is properly diluted.

The oil can be massaged over the entire body but is particularly nice to Massage into your bump. This helps to bond with your unborn child please read my in-depth blog here make a connection with your baby and coupled with relaxation music and birth visualisations, it can be a wonderful way to encourage labour to start.

Just remember that in late pregnancy you should avoid lying on your back so make sure you are either supported in a semi-reclined position or lying down on your side.

Sexually active with your partner

Obviously staying sexually active with your partner is a very personal choice in late pregnancy as I have written in a past article about how sex could induce labor.

This lovely pregnancy massage book was recommended to me during my second pregnancy and Mrzang thoroughly enjoyed trying all the techniques on me!

Massage can be a wonderful way to get intimate with your partner and help them feel involved. Make sure you don’t actually put any clary sage oil in or near your vagina.

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Some books I recommend…

1. Nurturing Massage for Pregnancy: A Practical Guide to Bodywork for the Perinatal Cycle
   This book focuses not only on the practical side of birth but also the spiritual and the clinical side.

    
2. Massage During Pregnancy
   A good reference on the anatomy side of pregnancy, safety precautions for massage during pregnancy, and some tips for headaches & nausea.
3. Aromatherapy And Massage For Mother And Baby: How Essential Oils Can Help You in Pregnancy
   A nice all round guide to massage but also with an added info on essentials oils to use in pregnancy and with baby.

Massage Advice: Relaxes your body and mind while helping to soothe aching muscles.

For adults, use up to 15 drops in at least 30ml of base oil. Please note not suitable for children under two years old.

Bath tonic

You can add a few (5-10) drops into a bath to get a fully immersive clary sage oil experience.

You get the benefit of the oil on your skin, but also through the steam of the bath get the inhalation as well – double whammy! In order to prevent the oil collecting on the surface of the water, add the drops to an eggcup of milk before pouring into the bath.

The milk acts to help disperse the oil in the water so it doesn’t just sit on the surface.

CAUTION: It is inadvisable to use clary sage oil with any other bath products just in case it interacts with them so best avoid bubble bath and shower gel and just add it to a plain water bath.

It can also cause the surface of the bath to be slightly slippery so take extra care when getting in and out of the bath, and wipe it down with detergent afterward (just get your partner to do it, you are pregnant after all!).

These bath products contain clary sage and might be fun to try out, although to be honest I think it is unlikely there is enough strength to really get the benefits of the properties of clary sage oil.

Have you used Clary Sage Oil?

Do you think using clary sage oil helped you go into labour? Did it enhance your contractions? Or did it do absolutely bugger all! Please leave a comment and let me know how you used it and whether it worked.