Aromatherapy Safety and Pregnancy

-
Aromatherapy is a beautiful and healing tool. It is also powerful and at certain stages in our lives there are precautions that must be taken. Remember! Essential oils are extremely potent extracts of those respective plants and resins. Many times stronger than herbs. For this reason it is best to stay away from aromatherapy in the first trimester, with the exception of diffused oils for morning sickness (see my nausea relief inhaler). With this being said, once you are past that first trimester aromatherapy can be very healing and benefit you in many ways during pregnancy. 

Most essential oils listed to avoid during pregnancy are there because they can cause uterine contractions. 

Never use essential oils internally unless instructed by a trained aromatherapist. This is not because of the quality of the essential oils, this is because of how potent they are! There are fads spreading with recommendations for internal use and this can be very dangerous. If you are interested in holistic health consider herbal remedies which are safe for internal consumption. Essential oils can damage the lining of your GI tract. Plus they are so effective when diffused, inhaled or applied topically that there is no need for internal use. 


Essential Oils Safe During Pregnancy (not all inclusive)
  • Lavender
  • Frankincense
  • Roman Chamomile
  • Grapefruit
  • Tangerine
  • Eucalyptus
  • Orange
  • Bergamot
  • Lemon
  • Sandalwood
  • Tea Tree
  • Vetiver
  • Ylang Ylang
  • Peppermint (for inhalation for nausea)
  • Patchouli
Essential Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy (some of these essential oils are safe during labor only)
  • Anise
  • Blue Tansy
  • Clove
  • Cypress
  • Davana
  • Geranium
  • Holy Basil
  • Juniper
  • Kanuka
  • Linden blossom
  • Marjoram
  • Myrrh
  • Oregano
  • Palo Santo
  • Ravensara
  • Rose geranium
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Clary Sage (safe during labor)
  • Cedarwood
  • Jasmine
  • Fennel
Dilution for topical use/ Safety Considerations
  • Avoid use of essential oils during 1st trimester
  • Do not use essential oils internally
  • 1-1.5% concentration (no more than 9 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier)
  • Some essential oils can cause contractions and fluctuations in hormones. These oils should be avoided during pregnancy
Aromatic Memory-Based Response (a great way to prepare for labor)
  • A scent can be easily paired with an emotional state
  • This association can evoke that same emotional state at a later time
  • The strongest memories you can create involve a scent association
  • Pick an essential oil or blend that you enjoy, diffuse it during a relaxing and pleasant experience ie) meditation, yoga, a time that you feel calm and in control. This scent can then be used during labor or any other time to bring about that emotional state
  • Ideally chose a scent that does not already have a memory attached to it for you and it should be an enjoyable scent 
Self Care:
  • All products you place on your skin enter your body and bloodstream
  • Use organic products whenever possible and avoid hormone interruptors such as parabens
  • Topical and inhalation use of essential oils can reduce the body’s stress response, induce relaxation, improve mood and many other benefits
  • In the postpartum period: essential oils and herbal teas can help to balance out hormones as well as increase breastmilk production and provide nutrients the help the body heal and recover
  • Sitz baths are very healing to the perineal area in the postpartum period
  • Healing for the skin and help to prevent stretch marks

If you have any questions regarding options during pregnancy or custom products please feel free to email or call me! I make custom labor blends that can be used early on to create an aromatic memory based response to improve clarity, calm nerves and empower you during labor. 


References

Aromatherapy and Herbal Remedies for Pregnancy, Birth and Breastfeeding by: Demetria Clark

The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by: Valerie Ann Worwood


Aromatherapy Foundations Certificate program by: David Crow & Jade Schutes

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

-
Image
Where did Aromatherapy even begin? The use of plants for human benefit goes way way back. “…… "There is virtually no people known to anthropology – however remote, isolated, or primitive – in which some form of doctoring with plants was not practiced.” Barbara Griggs, The Green Pharmacy Hmm interesting. In our country we seem to downplay nature's abilities. But why? There are written records dating back to the Sumerians at least 5000 years ago, Mesopotamian civilizations dating to the second millennium B.C., and  Egyptians dating to around 3000 B.C. Ancient India was particularly active in medicinal plant recording 290 species. Not to mention the Chinese who we can date back to using plants for medicine to 3000 B.C. (they were already using 350 herbal remedies). I could go on and on. Cool though, right? Then Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans became well known for their aromatic plant and extract use. Egyptians used them for medicine, food preservation, religiou
Read more

Detox Me!

-
Image
This is not a new topic to say the least. People are doing cleanses and looking for ways to "detox" their bodies all the time. This is something our body is designed to do...to an extent. We are always getting rid of pollutants through our bodies, including our skin which excretes 1lb of waste a day! However, these days we are exposed to a plethora of contaminants, toxins and pollutants. Natural remedies have been used for this for ages. Aromatherapy is a great way to assist the body in ridding of these many exposures. Remember, essential oils are not just scents. They are very potent and made up of many chemical constituents that affect our bodies. They are very effective in detoxification.  ​ ​ Our detox aromatherapy salt soak  Detox Soak  is comprised of the following essential oils: Lemon (Citrus limonum)- stimulates white blood cells to defend the body against infection and detoxifies the body through the blood and liver. Grapefruit (Citrus racemosa)- i
Read more

Feet?

-
Image
Posted by Katie Carter RN, Certified Aromatherapist January 19, 2017 So what's the deal with the soaks? Where did the soaking trend start? It actually was a hit in the Roman times. So way back when. You heard of the famous Roman baths! They would soak for emotional and health benefits in communal tubs....of men! So not just for the ladies. See this painting below: Men would have meetings, massages and more in these communal baths. So the reason these are still great today is for those emotional and health benefits. Our body absorbs these oils through the salts and give us great benefits. Salt soaks don't have to be used in a full bath either. Make yourself a nice foot bath in a large bowl instead! The feet are very porous and effective in absorbing too!
Read more