Essential oils and aromatherapy have been used for thousands of years as a holistic treatment. They can be great tools that you can add to your tool belt during pregnancy.
Aromatherapy can help to relieve pain, morning sickness, anxiety, and stress during pregnancy. However, it is important to take the time to learn the safety of using essential oils while pregnant. There are some oils you will need to avoid.
Essential Oils and Pregnancy Benefits
Essential oils are a great way to use holistic healing to feel better. Oils can be used for a variety of ailments. During pregnancy, they can help to relieve symptoms such as aches, pain, morning sickness, lack of focus, anxiety, stress, and relaxation. They can even be used to create a cream for stretch marks or dry skin.
If you are looking for an all natural way to help make pregnancy easier, essential oils and aromatherapy are a good way to go. Aromatherapy is using essential oils through inhalation or diffusing or using them topically on the skin.
What to Be Aware Of
Not all essential oils are recommended for moms-to-be. It is best to try and avoid using essential oils all together during early pregnancy. This is because some oils could potentially cause uterine contractions or affect your baby within their early developmental stages. More research and studies need to be conducted to be sure, so it is better to be safe just in case.
In the second and third trimesters since your baby is more developed, some essential oils are safe to use. When you do use essential oils, make sure that they are from a reputable brand that are 100 percent pure. Make sure to only use essential oils externally during pregnancy instead of ingesting them. Ingesting oils during pregnancy may cause complications such as preterm labor, miscarriage, or negatively affect your growing baby.
If you apply essential oils to your skin, try to dilute it with coconut oil or olive oil before applying.
Once you hit the second trimester of your pregnancy, you can diffuse or use the following oils:
- Bergamot
- Roman chamomile
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Ginger
- Grapefruit
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Lemongrass
- Lime
- Mandarin
- Neroli
- Patchouli
- Petitgrain
- Rose Otto
- Rosewood
- Sandalwood
- Sweet orange
- Tea tree
- Ylang ylang
There are some essential oils that you need to avoid during pregnancy to avoid any possible complications.
- Anise
- Blue Tansy
- Basil
- Cedarwood
- Cinnamon
- Clary Sage
- Clove
- Cypress
- Dalmatian sage
- Davana
- Geranium
- Juniper
- Kanuka
- Linden blossom
- Marjoram
- Myrrh
- Oakmoss
- Oregano
- Palo santo
- Peru balsam
- Ravensara
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Saro or mandravasarotra
- Spanish sage
Here are a few easy aromatherapy mixtures to try during pregnancy:
Anxiety
If you are feeling a little anxious or overwhelmed try diffusing a mixture of:
- 2 drops sweet orange essential oil
- 2 drops ylang- ylang essential oil
- 2 drops of lavender essential oil
Nausea
For nausea you can try to diffuse or inhale the following:
- Inhale or diffuse lemon essential oil OR
- Inhale or diffuse peppermint essential oil
*If you are inhaling – try just a few drops on a cotton ball.
Stress
Stress during pregnancy can lead to issues with sleep try to diffuse or inhale one of the following to help:
- Lavender
- Frankincense
- Roman Chamomile