The University of Salford Midwifery Society Magazine Semester 3

Similar to the midwives of the 16th Century, practitioners today also
have the option to make their own ‘potions’, working with common
herbs and plants in the form of essential oils and aromatherapy.
Whilst this is not for every pregnant person, many find the scents and
particularly the massage aspect extremely useful with gentle touch
techniques helping to alleviate common pregnancy complaints such
as nausea, discomfort and anxiety (Moberg, 2011). Knowledge of
essential oils and their use is particularly valuable when advising and
empowering pregnant people on how to alleviate common symptoms
safely.
Not all midwives are trained in this skill and it is not something that
can be used following self-teaching. Therefore, when the University
of Salford’s Midwifery Society arranged the RCM accredited
Aromatherapy in Childbirth course to their members, it was extremely
popular amongst the students.
The course was provided via online
learning due to the current pandemic,
however, it included pre-recorded videos
by an aromatherapist and a midwife.
The course is split into seven modules
and allowed the user to progress through
these sections at their own pace, accounting for the fact many students
were on placement and have other commitments. Additionally, the
online format gave the student the option of revisiting any modules for
consolidation of learning.