Aromatherapy Massage as an Alternative in Reducing Cortisol Level and Enhancing Breastmilk Production on Primiparous Postpartum Women in Semarang

Less breastmilk production after giving birth was possibly caused by the lack of prolactin and oxytocin hormones stimulation. Physical and emotional stresses contribute on disorder of breastmilk production reflex by the reduction of oxytocin during breastfeeding. Massage can increa se milk production by 11.5 times and decrease 28% cortisol levels‘s whilst aromatherapy massage normally more effective in improving prolactin levels. The research aimed to prove the effect of aromatherapy massage toward cortisol level and breastmilk production of primaparous postpartum women in Semarang . Quasi-experimental study with non-equivalent control group design was employed. Sampling was drawn consecutively, make it totally 44 postpartum women were involved. Paired t-test and one way Anova were employed as data analysis. There was an effect of massage, aromatherapy, and aromatherapy massage toward breastmilk production with each p-value = 0.000. Significant differences of breastmilk production occurred among the four groups (p-value = 0,000) . Massage, aromatherapy, and aromatherapy massage influenced cortisol level (p-value = 0,004; p value = 0,001; p value = 0,000) and there was a significant effect on cortisol level in four groups (p value = 0,047). Aromatherapy massage was proven in reducing cortisol level and enhancing breastmilk production on primaparous postpartum women in Semarang. Therefore, it is recommended to provide aromatherapy massage to every postpartum women.