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Aromatherapy During Pregnancy

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Aromatherapists, aromatherapy books and the public continue to debate which, if any, essential oils are safe enough to use during pregnancy. Some lean towards advising against the use of all oils during pregnancy, some towards advising that all oils are safe to use externally, and other opinions fall between both perspectives.

One of the causes for these extreme opinions is that there is “evidence” that particular oils are abortificacents (can cause spontaneous abortion), can cause uterine contractions, and others should not be used by diabetics (some women become temporarily diabetic during pregnancy). The problem with some of the evidence is that it is unclear if the oils used in the studies or reports were ingested internally (this is NOT recommended without the specific guidance of a qualified aromatherapist) or if used externally. These reports also do not indicate the dosages given. Additionally, I can’t see what mothers would ever agree to being the part of a study where questionable oils are administered to them for the sake if seeing if there are complications in their pregnancy. Much of the available research appears to have been conducted on pregnant animals. This research may not even apply to human pregnancies. Thus, this is an area of aromatherapy that is quite unknown.

Since there is so much confusion and contradiction regarding EO use and pregnancy, I cannot in good faith supply any aromatherapy recipes for general use in pregnancy to the broad readership of AromaWeb.

The following, however, is a list of oils that have a reputation as being generally safe to use in a diffuser or in very low dilutions topically during pregnancy. Use any of these oils during pregnancy at your own risk and under the care of your medical professional:

The safest and most recommended course of action that you can take if you’d like to implement aromatherapy into your pregnancy is to seek out the in-person guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner in your area. All women are different in health and can have different requirements during pregnancy. A qualified practitioner should conduct a case history on you, evaluate exactly where along you are in your pregnancy, recommend blends suitable for you and discuss suitable dosages and methods of administration.

Some oils such as rose, jasmine or clary sage can be beneficial during the actual delivery despite their contraindications during the pregnancy. Your qualified aromatherapist can create a personal blend for you for use during the labor and delivery of your baby based on your aromatic preferences and personal health history.

Aromatherapy Stretch Mark Recipes

For natural recipes that can be adapted for use during pregnancy, see AromaWeb's Aromatherapy Stretch Mark Recipes page.

For more information, look into these sources:

National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA)
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers on Aromatherapy and Essential Oils and Pregnancy

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