Labor pain can be the most exhilarating pain in a woman's life. However, uncontrolled labor pain can lead to anxiety and stress, maternal discomfort, hypertension, hyperventilation, fatigue, and eventually to the choice of cesarean delivery [1]. Prolonged stress and anxiety stimulate the hypothalamus, causing the release of catecholamines. Catecholamines reduce the secretion of endorphins and oxytocin during labor, making the process difficult for the pregnant woman to cope with. As Grantly Dick-Read put it in his fear-tension-pain syndrome [2], if fear increases, tension increases, if tension increases, pain increases, and if pain increases, fear increases. This vicious circle negatively affects the childbirth experience and process. (see Fig. 1)

As a result of the intergenerational transfer of negative labor experiences in our society, women develop a fear response to labor even before they experience it. For this reason, midwives need to provide supportive care during labor to create a positive labor memory.

One of the non-pharmacological methods used in the management of pain and anxiety during labor is aromatherapy. It is the essential oil that gives a plant its distinctive aroma. Aromatherapy is the use of these essential oils to benefit physical or emotional well-being [3]. The mechanism of action of aromatherapy is as follows: essential oils are inhaled, the odor molecule impacts the back of the nose, and olfactory receptor cells are stimulated to transmit messages to the olfactory bulb. Olfactory bulb nerves transmit signals to both the limbic system and the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the area of the brain responsible for memory, thought, perception, awareness, language, personality, and consciousness. The limbic system is the area of our brain that is associated with emotions, such as anger, fear, sexual arousal, pleasure, and sadness. The limbic system is in contact with other parts of the brain, such as the hypothalamus. Our emotions are influential on our physical health due to the connection between the limbic system and the hypothalamus, which regulates the daily functions of the body and is responsible for arterial pressure regulation, heart rate, body temperature, thirst, water reabsorption from kidneys, uterine contraction, milk ejection, hunger, feeding reflexes, and hormonal secretion from the anterior pituitary [3,4].

The safe essential oil concentration in pregnant women is 0.5–1%, and it is 1–2% during labor and the postpartum period. In inhalation applications, 1–3 drops of essential oil put on a cotton pad can be applied directly by inhalation or through a diffuser [5].

Lemon essential oil has analgesic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, sedative, antibacterial, antistress, insecticide, anxiolytic, and penetration-enhancing effects. Ylang-ylang essential oil has anti-inflammatory, antistress, relaxing, sedative, hypotensive, pulse-lowering, aphrodisiac, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. The maximum dermal application dose is 0.8%. It is not applied to overly sensitive, damaged, or injured skin. It may cause headaches and nausea in sensitive people. It is not used in children under the age of two [6]. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) and lemon (citrus Limonum) essential oils on labor pain and anxiety and contribute to the usability of noninvasive interventions in pain management during labor.