Are you growing a bump? How wonderful! 

During pregnancy, everything changes. For nine months, things start growing from all sides and the body never fails to take you completely by surprise. Besides all the novelties going on inside you, there are suddenly hundreds of things to consider and adapt about your life as you know it - thoughts about baby-proofing your entire home to baby car seats to even moving house close to the best schools start to take over too.

It all can get to be a little too much.

Thankfully, essential oils are a useful and natural tool you can use to help you manage all the changes around and within you. Whether you use them to help you emotionally or physically, essential oils can be a great form of support along your journey to motherhood. 

To know which essential oils are safe to use during pregnancy and how to use them, keep reading. 

How To Use Essential Oils During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, you can use essential oils in two ways: as natural aromatic skincare, or inside a diffuser for its aromatherapy benefits. Each method does different things, so it’s up to you what you want to address.

Essential oils for skincare in pregnancy

Using natural aromatic skincare products made with essential oils during pregnancy can have great benefits when targeting:

• Stretch marks
• Itchy belly skin
• Improve elasticity of the skin
• Promote the production of collagen

It is recommended not to use pure essential oils directly on the skin, but instead diluted inside a carrier oil or butter. Not only is it a safe way to use essential oils, but carrier oils and butters have incredibly nourishing properties that are able to supply endless benefits to the skin. 

Our Mums and Bubs Belly Butter for example, contains shea butter - a wonderful ingredient with rich fatty acids that help restore the skin, provide hydration and promotes elasticity.

The Mums and Bubs Belly Oil contains an abundant combination of carrier oils including rosehip, jojoba, marula, coconut, and apricot kernel to help boost the skin’s collagen and elasticity as much as possible.

These natural essentials have been made specifically to support all mamas during pregnancy and postpartum.

Aromatherapy for pregnancy

Essential oils can also be used inside a diffuser or oil burner to enjoy their benefits through aromatherapy. Some women like to use diffusers during labour to help promote a calm, strengthening and loving environment.

Safe Essential Oils for Pregnancy

Lavender

Lavender is a classic used for far more reasons that we’re able to list. For pregnancy, lavender essential oil will be incredibly beneficial to encourage relaxation throughout the journey, as well as during labour. In fact, studies have even said that it helps reduce labour pain. 

Cape Rose Geranium

To help ease anxiety and encourage a calm state of mind, Cape Rose Geranium is a great essential oil to use during pregnancy. Most women prefer to use it as aromatherapy with a diffuser during labour, but you can also use it inside your skincare. It has a strong middle note aroma, so just a couple of drops will impregnate your room with lovely floral notes. 

Ginger 

Ginger essential oil can be great for helping reduce nausea and morning sickness. We recommend using it inside your diffuser in the morning - it won’t only help with stomach sensitivity, but its antiseptic properties will also help to boost your immune system and protect you from fly symptoms and infections. The earthy and deep aroma of this essential oil can be blended with a punchy citrus oil like Blood Orange to balance out its deep note and boost its benefit. 

Patchouli

Using Patchouli essential oil during pregnancy is a little less known than all the other ones, but equally as helpful. Some women experience a bit of a “baby brain” during and after pregnancy; which looks like experiencing confusion, apathy and indecision. Due to its uplifting and mood-enhancing properties, Patchouli essential oil can be of great help to encourage positive emotions and a larger sense of clarity. We recommend to blend this base note oil with some Sweet Orange and Lemon Myrtle essential oils to bring an unwinding experience. 

Frankincense

Frankincense essential oil is a loved all-rounder to use during pregnancy. When used as aromatherapy, it is a great form of relief for stress and anxiety, and for maintaining a balance of emotions. When diffused during labour, it can also help to build your inner confidence and strength. 

Frankincense is also used frequently for treating eczema due to its itch-relieving properties. When growing a bump, experiencing itchy and dehydrated belly skin is quite common; so blending it inside a nourishing carrier oil can be quite a life-saver. 

Blood Orange

Blood Orange essential oil is well-loved for its stress and anxiety relieving properties - it’s often used by women during labour inside a diffuser. Blood Orange can also help if you’re experiencing muscle cramps and twitching, it can also help reduce them when used as a body oil.   

FAQ - Essential oils for pregnancy 

What essential oils are not safe for pregnancy?

There is quite a list for essential oils that are not safe for pregnancy:

• Sage
• Basil 
• Cinnamon
• Wormwood
• Oregano
• Clove
• Peppermint

When pregnant, these oils can have quite toxic effects on the body and your baby; from inhibiting blood vessel formation to affecting the development of the nerves and brain.

Are essential oils safe for babies?

It depends on their age. 

According to the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy, dilution for essential oils should also be a lot more than we do for adults, meaning a 0.5% to 1% dilution inside diffusers instead of the 2.5%-10% we normally do for adults. This applies when using topically (always blended with a carrier oil of course) or in a diffuser. 

We strongly recommend not to use them for babies younger than three months old. Or keep just a minimum of 0.25% - 0.5% of Lavender or Sweet Orange essential oils. Some alternatives could be the use of hydrosols that will be less strong and concentrated. 

Which oil is best for stretch marks during pregnancy?

Depends on what type of oils you are asking about. 

In terms of carrier oils nourishing oils like marula oil, jojoba oil, almond oil and rosehip oil are ideal to hydrate and promote the elasticity of the skin. Our Mums and Bubs Belly Oil contains several of these; leaving skin smooth and restored. 

Can I use peppermint oil while pregnant?

Usually, peppermint essential oil is used to relieve nausea, which is one of the main concerns during pregnancy. Although this can also be true when you’re pregnant, some experts argue that it is strictly recommended to use it as aromatherapy in diffusers or oil burners through inhalation. However, other professionals say that pregnant women should stay off using peppermint oil completely as it can lower the blood pressure of pregnant women. To stay on the safe side, we’d suggest avoiding it.

This is only the beginning of a life-long journey - one that will turn your world upside down in the best way possible. We’d love to read your story in the comments below!