MOM & BABY
Ask Dr. Hill - Using Essential Oils During Pregnancy
Can you use essential oils when pregnant?
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Gregory Woodfil D.O., FACOOG
1st Tri (first 12 weeks)
Stomach Upset: Digestzen, Lavender, peppermint, Ginger, and peppermint Beadlets
Adbominal Discomfort: Majoram, Black pepper, lavender, ginger, frankincense
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2nd Tri (13-27+ weeks)
Venous Discomfort: Sandalwood, helichrysum, Lavender, peppermint, aromatouch, lemon, Ginger
Difficulty Sleeping: Lavender, vetiveer, serenity
3rd Tri (28+ weeks)
Skin irritation: Immortelle, Citrus Bliss, Lavnder, Frankincnse, Helicrysum
Rectal Irritation: Sandalwood, helicruysum, Peppermint
Perineal Support: Lavender, Helicrysum, frankincense
Pregnancy Support
Morning sickness:
Often times can be traced to a magnesium deficiency. Make sure you are taking a good vitamin and eating dark leafy greens. Oils to use: Peppermint, fennel, ginger or digestzen on abdomen. Cardmon behind ears. Fennel, ginger or peppermint in a capsule
Swelling and water retention:
Lemon- use a few drops in water internally on a daily basis. “Liquid Sunshine”, super antioxidant and antibacterial properties. You can also use three drops of Geranium, Ginger, Lemon and Lavender in a roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil and roll on ankles and feet a few times a day especially at the end of the day and massage feet and ankles in a upward movement toward the heart. Water retention can be traced to a deficiency in protein. At 28 weeks your fluid doubles.
Circulation oils: Cypress, lemon, grapefruit, Aromatouch
Temporary Heartburn & morning sickness: DigestZen and/or Peppermint a drop under the tongue, rubbed on abdomen, a few drops in a capsule a couple times a day, or rubbed on the bottoms of your feet. You can also fold a tissue into a small square or cup your hands and add 3 drops of peppermint essential oil. Inhale as needed for either. Another option is: If you can tolerate it, add three drops of peppermint essential oil in a glass of water and sip throughout the day.
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Restful Sleep: Serenity, cedarwood lavender or petigrain
Low Back & Leg discomfort: Deep Blue & AromaTouch nightly massage.
Sciatica Support: Mix 3 drops of essential oil with 1 tbs carrier oil and apply to the location. Rubbing a few drops of geranium on the location & then soak in a bath of epsom salts w/ lavender.
Congestion: Add a few drops of Breathe to your diffuser, cup of your hands or bowl of hot water and inhale steam.
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Mood Elevating: Place 3 drops of Lavender or Elevation and mix it with a carrier oil. Then massage it into upper back, neck and face and avoiding eyes. Wear as a perfume or diffuse Citrus Bliss.
Helping Stretch Marks: Add 2-3 drops of each Helichrysum, Lavender, Frankincense, 1 cup Virgin Olive Oil, and liquid from 6 capsules Vitamin E and 4 capsules Vitamin A. Apply a couple times a day starting when you feel like it.
Emotional Stress: Add 2 drops of either Lavender or Elevation to a carrier oil & massage into wrists, neck and around ears.
Gas (flatulence): Mix 1 drop of peppermint in 1 tsp. of honey. Stir into a small glass of warm water.
Venous Support: Mix 3 drops Aromatouch and 5 drops geranium to 1 tbsp. carrier oil and apply to the area with hemorrhoids or you can do this and then soak in a sitz bath. Also try dilute cypress essential oil on location.
Blood Pressure Support: Put 3 drops of ylang ylang to 2 tbsp of bath salts and mix with bath water. Bathe in the evening 2x week.
Labour Support
Pre-term labor: Lavender and Serenity. Mix 3 drops of lavender into a carrier oil more and massage from the legs from the ankles up toward the heart to help relax and calm.
Breech baby: Mix 5 drops of Myrrh w 1 tbsp. of carrier oil. Massage abdomen in a circular motion ending with visualizing the baby head down.
Induction and speed up slow labor: Clary Sage- it is a uterine tonic. Place a drop on ankle reflex points.
To calm and focus Mom: Use Balance. You can diffuse or just open the bottle for smelling
Energy for and during labor: Peppermint topically, in water, or diffused.
Labor room or area: Diffuse 5-7 drops of either Serenity or Elevation into the air with a
diffuser to improve the over all calmness, peacefulness and happiness in the room.
Back Labor: Use a few drops of Peppermint and/or Deep Blue and massage back and apply pressure. This will relieve some of the discomfort especially with a posterior baby. Basil is also a WONDERFUL option.
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Labor discomfort: You can use lavender and/or clary sage and put in with 2 tablespoons of bath salts and soak in bath. Mix 2 drops of balance in 1 tbsp of carrier oil and massage
hips, bottoms of feet and abdomen. Or use a warm compress and apply 2 drops of whisper or ylang ylang and place the wet cloth on the abdomen or back as desired.
Perspiration (Excess): Add 2-3 drops of lavender to a bowl of slightly warm water. Dip a wash cloth into the bowl and wipe off excess perspiration. This will also CALM the mother down as well.
Calm Breathing: You can use 1-2 drops of any of these essential oils (ylang ylang,
geranium,wild orange or breathe and place it on a tissue or cup your hands and have mom inhale.
Anxiety: Add 2 drops of any of these oils ( lavender, wild orange, serenity) in a bowl of cool water. Soak a washcloth in the water, wring it out and use it to mop the face as desired.
Minimize tearing: Mix 5 drops of clary sage and 2 drops of geranium with 2 tbsp
or carrier oil massage hourly into the perineal area. If mother has torn, you can mix a few drops of Helichrysum and place it on a warm compress on the perineal area.
Uterine massage: Mix 5 drops of lavender, 7 drops of whisper with 2 ó tbsp or carrier oil and massage abdomen until uterus is well contracted and firm.
Postpartum Support
After birth bleeding: Clary Sage, Helichrysum, and Ylang Ylang this tones things back up quickly. Place mix on ankle reflex points.
Discomfort and inflammation: Lavender and Frankincense on frozen feminine pads for soothing, healing, and inflammation for immediately after the birth
Cramping & Abdominal discomfort: Deep blue (along with acetaminophen and ibuprofen for the first 48 hours)rubbed directly on lower abdomen
Venous Support: Cypress, Geranium, Clary Sage, Helichrysum- 1-2 drops of each in a spray
bottle base of Fractionated oil for Hemorrhoids. Apply each time you use the restroom.
Nipple Soreness: Helichrysum & Lavender for breastfeeding soreness (brings healing and elasticity- cut down soreness to 2 days vs. 10-14 days)
Dried or cracked nipples: Mix 5 drops of any of these oils (geranium, myrrh, sandlewood or balance) with 1 tbsp carrier oil. Clean oils off before nursing.
Engorgement: Add 2 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of geranium to one cup hot or cold water. Soak a washcloth in the solution, wring out and apply wash cloth to breasts. After try to gently express some milk.
Lactation:
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Increase: Mix 5-7 drops of any of these oils (fennel, basil, clary sage or geranium) with 1 tbsp carrier oil. Massage breasts, lymph area above breasts and upper back along the spine. Repeat daily for up to 10 days. Wash the oil off the nipple area before nursing. Also you can mix 2 drops fennel oil with 1 tsp. of honey and swallow. Follow this with a glass of water. Repeat 3-5 times daily for up to 3 days.
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Decrease:Mix 3-4 drops of peppermint with 1 c. cold water. Soak washcloth in the mixture, wring it out and apply to breasts. Wash the nipple off before nursing.
Perineal Healing: Mix 2 drops of cypress and 2 drops of lavender with 1 tsp.of bath salts. Add to warm sitz bath and soak for 10-15 min. Repeat up to 3x a day.
Post partum Mood: Disperse 5-7 drops of essential oils in the diffuser 3x a day ( either
citrus bliss, elevation, clary sage or bergamot). Mix 6 drops of either orange, geranium, elevation or frankincense with 1 tbsp of carrier oil and massage neck, shoulders and feet. Repeat up to 3
times daily.
Baby Support
Umbilical Cord: Myrrh serves as a liquid band-aid, (avoids infection & cord fell off in 3 days vs. 7-9 days)
Birth trauma relief: Balance along the spine and bottoms of baby’s feet-“Chiropractor in a bottle”
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Thrush (in mouth) Support: Mix 1 drop of melaluca, 1 drop of lavender and 2 drops of vit E oil with 1tsp garlic oil. Apply 1 drop of this mixture to mother’s nipples before nursing.
Calming: Frankincense and lavender on the bottoms of the feet.
Colic: Mix 1 drop of any of these essential oils ( citrus bliss, wild orange and/or lavender) with 1 tbsp carrier oil. Apply a small amount on the stomach and back. Use a warm compress to keep babies abdomen warm. Burp baby as baby needs if gas pains seem to exist.
Crying: Diffuse a few drops of Serenity or Lavender in the room where infant is.
Hot Baby: Mix 1 drop of lavender to 1 tbsp of carrier oil apply to the bottoms of the feet, the back of the neck and behind the ears.
Diaper Rash (yeast): Mix 1 drop of melaluca with 1 tbsp of plain yogurt and apply to the bottom area (avoid genital area)Other diaper rash: mix 1 drop or lavender and 1 drop of roman chamomile with 2 tbsp of carrier oil. Avoid the genital area and change diaper frequently.
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