Safe Essential Oils for Pregnancy & How to Use Them

There are many essential oils that are safe to use during pregnancy and they can be a powerful choice for natural relief from many common pregnancy symptoms experienced while pregnant.

You can have a happy pregnancy while enjoying your favorite oils. Keep reading for a list of specific essential oils that are safe to use in your pregnancy routine.

Essential oils have been used to support our health since ancient times. They can be safely and effectively applied by pregnant people topically, internally or aromatically to support your changing body while it goes through this journey of pregnancy.

This article will cover some of the most popular essential oils pregnant women can use during pregnancy, and will cover a few essential oils you should limit or avoid all together. There’s also some pregnancy diffuser blends to help boost your mood.

The recommendations in this article are from the book “Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth, & Babies”, by the Stephanie Fritz, L.M., C.P.M, a.k.a. “Essential Oil Midwife”. She has extensive medical training and years of experience using essential oils with her patients.

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It’s important to check with your health care provider before the use of essential oils,  and keep oils out of reach of young children.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not  information is not medical advice and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult your doctor before using essential oils.

How to Use Essential Oils

There are 3 application methods when it comes to essential oils:

1. Topical Use – Topical application is applying essential oils directly to your skin. You’ll want to be sure to use proper dilution to ensure essential oil safety. This means using a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut oil, almon oil, or jojoba oil. Undiluted Essential Oils can cause skin sensitivity. Always dilute to avoid the risk of an adverse reaction, especially if you have sensitive skin.
2. Aromatic Use – This is the using your sense of smell to inhale the essential oils. The most popular way to do this is by diffusing essential oils into the air.
3. Internal – Taking essential oils internally via a glass of water or by putting in a veggie cap.

Safe Essential Oils You Can Use During Pregnancy

There are many essential oils to choose from and most are safe to use during pregnancy. To keep things simple, here are the Top 10 most popular choices that are safe to use while pregnant. These 10 essential oils can help with the most common symptoms experienced while pregnant.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Safe Essential Oils to use while pregnant.  

Most essential oils are safe to use while pregnant and there are many to choose from for a variety of ailments. Here are some of the most popular and commonly used, along with what to use each oil for.

Lavender – Promotes relaxation and is excellent for helping with tender sore breasts in the first trimester. Use before bedtime to help calm the mind and get a good night’s sleep.

Copaiba – Supports sore muscle aches and joints. As your body changes, the stress on your joints and muscles increases. Copaiba can help. Apply it topically to joints and muscles as needed.

Adaptiv™ – Helps ease anxious feelings and promotes relaxation

Vetiver – Calming and grounding effect on emotions. Use before bed to turn off your brain and fall asleep quicky.

Breathe® – Promotes easy breathing and a restful night’s sleep. Use in a diffuser next to your bed to open up airways.

Peppermint – Alleviates occasional stomach upset and heartburn. Add a drop to a glass of water or empty veggie capsule or rub over belly to help with nausea. You may want to consider stopping use of Peppermint just before baby is born if you are planning on breastfeeding. The reason is some women have experienced decreased milk supply when using peppermint. It is just fine to use throughout your pregnancy right up until baby is born.

Lemon – Add 2 drops to a full glass of water to naturally aid in digestion

Frankincense – Supports healthy cellular function and helps ease anxious feelings

DigestZen® – Helps reduce gas, bloating, and occasional indigestion

Deep Blue® – Apply to lower back if it is hurting, sore feet, and any aching muscles or joints.

What can essential oils be used for while pregnant?

Essential Oils for Nausea – Nausea is common in early pregnancy. Help alleviate symptoms of morning sickness with Peppermint oil, Ginger, Cardamom, or Digestzen. Many women love the doTERRA Ginger Drops.

For pregnancy back discomfort: Massaging soothing blends like Deep Blue® on the lower back can be helpful when experiencing back discomfort. When discomfort in the legs or feet arise, rubbing the AromaTouch® Massage Blend on the lower extremities can help these problem areas.

For Better Sleep: Sleepless nights are common during pregnancy.  If you are needing more restful sleep, a great option is to diffuse a calming oil such as Lavender, or Roman Chamomile next to your bed at night. You can also apply calming oils topically to your pulse points to help calm your mind and body before bed. A popular combination is Lavender and Vetiver.

For heartburn: DigestTab® Chewable Tablets are infused with the DigestZen tummy tamer blend, delivering digestion-supportive oils, and the acid-neutralizing benefits of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate helps maintain stomach acid balance to help you deal with the discomfort that comes from heartburn and indigestion—without the chalky aftertaste.

For stretch marks and better skin during pregnancy: A pregnant woman’s body is ever-changing, and this includes changes in the skin. As the body works to keep up with a growing fetus, the skin can often become stretched and taut. Another challenge that many women experience during pregnancy is an increase in oil production of the skin. Thankfully, many essential oils can help to reduce the appearance of oily skin, reduce the appearance of blemishes, and beautify the skin.

Here are a few of the best essential oils for skin during pregnancy:

• Frankincense oil
• Grapefruit oil
• Helichrysum oil
• Immortelle Anti-Aging Blend

Make a massage oil by adding a few drops of essential oils (use your favorite scent, and some carrier oil.  Rub over are of concern like stomach to help prevent stretch marks.

For emotional support during pregnancy: In addition to all of the changes occurring in the body during pregnancy, the changes in a woman’s hormones can cause heightened emotions. To manage mood during pregnancy, consider using any of the essential oils from the doTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System™. This collection provides a variety of oils to help you deal with the wide range of emotions that you’ll encounter throughout your pregnancy. Use these oils and any of your favorite calming, soothing, or uplifting oils to help manage your mood during the emotionally taxing months of pregnancy.

Where should essential oils be applied during pregnancy?

Essential Oils can be applied anywhere on the body. It’s best to apply the oil directly on the location needing it, and it’s best to use small amounts of essential oils so you don’t overdo it.

Where to apply oils:

For morning nausea: apply a drop of cardamom, peppermint and DigestZen directly over the belly.

For head tension: rub one drop of peppermint and lavender onto temples

For stuffed nose: Rub one drop of Breathe on the bridge of the nose for clear airways

For grounding / stress: Rub Balance, Serenity, Lavender or Adaptiv over the heart

For Lower Back Pain: Rub one drop of aromatouch and deep blue rub on the back

For feet: Rub 1 – 2 drops of serenity and vetiver before bed to help with deep sleep.

It’s important to note that some essential oils may cause irritation when applied directly onto your skin. It is best to dilute them with carrier oil before applying.

Essential oils for labor and delivery

There are several essential oils that can help support labor including Lavender, Frankincense, Copaiba, Vetiver, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Ginger, etc. These oils can be added to bath salts, lotions, creams, liniments, teas, etc. They can also be inhaled via aromatherapy techniques such as inhalation therapy.

Research shows that women who use essential oils during labor and delivery have reported less anxious feelings and felt more positive about their experience when compared to women who did not use essential oils.

Here are a few suggestions for oils you can use during labor and delivery

• Use Black Pepper and Basil oil diluted with Fractionated Coconut Oil on the lower back to ease discomfort during labor.
• The combination of doTERRA Balance® and Wild Orange oil make a good blend, especially during delivery when you want to balance emotions and dispel anxious feelings.
• Try using the AromaTouch® blend topically for comforting and relaxing effects. This blend helps to soothe the mind and the body, and is especially helpful for soothing areas of tension and stress when applied to the back and shoulders.
• Clary Sage oil can be used to reduce tension, which is helpful for contractions. Consider blending Clary Sage with other calming essential oils like Lavender oil or Geranium oil. As mentioned in this research study, Geranium helped women with anxious feelings during labor. Note: Do not use Clary Sage before labor unless instructed to do so by a midwife.

What essential oils are safe to use during breastfeeding?

See my related article: Safe Essential Oils for Breastfeeding to Support Breastmilk Supply

Postpartum women who are breastfeeding can use the following oils safely:

Fennel – Fennel is the go-to essential oil to help a woman boost her supply. It’s intended for
short term use, to help get production back up to where it should be. A convenient
way to apply is to put 10-20 drops of Fennel in a 10mL roller bottle and top off with
fractionated coconut oil. You can also add additional oils. With the strong licorice
smell of Fennel I like to add 10 drops of Lavender. Apply around the breast after
nursing 2-3 times a day for 3 days.

Basil – Basil is another one that helps the body to boost milk production. Basil provides
great benefits to both the mind and body due to its high linalool content, making it an
ideal application to help reduce feelings of tension. The aroma of Basil helps
promote a sense of focus and a stress-relieving experience.

Balance – Balance is a grounding blend that creates a sense of calmness and well-being.
Promoting an overall sense of relaxation, tranquility and balance, this blend is great to
diffuse and transform a space where one can take a few minutes to meditate, relax
and help those anxious feelings melt away. A calm Mama produces more milk.
When stressed our bodies start to cut back on production.

Tea Tree – More commonly known as “Tea Tree,” Melaleuca essential oil has over 92 different
compounds and limitless applications. Tea Tree does wonders for the skin and
assists in healing, which is great for sore, cracked nipples. doTERRA offers a pre
diluted roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil for easy and convenient application.
Fractionated Coconut oil is also incredibly soothing and hydrating.

Essential Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy

Clary Sage – this can stimulate contractions

Jasmine – ok for very occasional use. Use just after giving birth

Myrrh – ok for very occasional use. Use just after giving birth.

It’s also recommended to only lightly use the “hot” oils. They are ok for very occasional use. These include:

• Cinnamon
• Cassia
• Clove

As a general recommendation for anyone, pregnant or not, use caution when using citrus oils topically because of their photosensitivity. What this means is if you apply a citrus oil topically to your skin, avoid being in direct sunlight immediately after because you will be very prone to a sunburn.

Diffuser Blends for Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery

Here are diffuser blends you can use for common pregnancy needs like nesting, butterflies, sleep, zen labor, immunity and energy.

Related Posts Safe Essential Oils for Breastfeeding to support milk supply Best Essential Oils for Scars + DIY Healing Scar Roller blend Best Essential Oils for Menstrual Cramps Relief Best essential oils for strengthening nails and cuticles

Wrap up of Using Essential Oils During Pregnancy

Essential Oils can be a wonderful choice for natural remedies during pregnancy. The safe use of essential oils can be a wonderful way to support your body naturally. 

Be sure to dilute the oils and check with your doctor before use or if experiencing negative side effects.

Be sure to grab your free 22 page Pregnancy and Postpartum essential oils eBook. My gift to you!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease

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