Episode 121: Essential Oils and Pregnancy

doTERRA: Pregnancy can bring an immeasurable amount of joy, but it also brings a lot of change and new experiences. Through this process, you may wonder how to incorporate essential oils into your pregnancy routines, and today, we'll give you our best tips and tricks.

Welcome back to Essential Oil Solutions with doTERRA, the podcast where you'll hear exciting, useful, and simple everyday uses for essential oils from experts in the field. If you like what you hear today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. We always appreciate hearing from you.

Today, we're excited to talk to Christine Russell about using essential oils during pregnancy. Before beginning to use essential oils during your pregnancy, please consult with your physician. Christine, thank you so much for joining us today.

Christine Russell: Oh, it's my total pleasure.

doTERRA: So this is a really fun topic, and I know it's a topic that you're really passionate about. So my first question for you—and I think a question that a lot of people have—is can I use essential oils during pregnancy?

Christine: Yes, you can! So it's a great answer because doTERRA essential oils, used properly, are natural and a really safe option for women during pregnancy. During pregnancy, essential oils—ones that are safely sourced, that are CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade™, as doTERRA's are—become a really effective, supportive option for women while pregnant to take care of themselves.

I found myself, when I was pregnant with my—I have three little ones, and I used oils during two of my pregnancies. It just felt like such a relief to have these natural tools to get to use to support me from the journey, because so many of the other things that I was used to using, I wasn't able to.

doTERRA: Absolutely. And I think, like you said, it's such a relief to have that empowerment again.

Christine: It is! And, you know, pregnancy is such a special time. It's sacred, and it's also very vulnerable. And I was just really grateful during my second two pregnancies to have these natural health support tools at my fingertips to support. And the oils are a beautiful tool.

doTERRA: Absolutely!

Christine: I actually—I find a lot of women begin using essential oils during pregnancy because it is a time when women are looking for natural solutions and replacing what they used in the home and in or on their bodies for a more natural solution. So it's a time when a woman is often seeking health and harmony safely, and essential oils become a really beautiful option for them.

doTERRA: And I think that is so incredible. And you know, what a powerful way doTERRA is able to affect people's lives. So another big question that people have surrounding essential oils and pregnancy is are there any essential oils that I should be avoiding while I'm pregnant?

Christine: It's a really good question. So there are a few oils that I would avoid using entirely and then some that I would just dial down the usage. So the ones that we don't want to be using during pregnancy, it's quite simple. It's Clary Sage, and we want to really dial back on the Jasmine and the Myrrh. And interestingly, those three oils are going to be the oils that a woman is going to want to be using during birth and very early postpartum. So you'll get to use them, but just not—they're just not recommended during pregnancy.

I also personally recommend light use of the hot oils. So Clove, Cinnamon, Cassia, just not using a lot of them. And I also always remind the pregnant mommas not to use any citrus oils topically because of photosensitivity during pregnancy and also, just in regular life. So those are really the key oils and usage guidelines during pregnancy.

doTERRA: So you mentioned citrus oils topically that that's when we want to stay away from. But are there certain application methods that are best while pregnant?

Aromatic Use

Christine: Yes! That is another great question. So there's two methods that I recommend using during pregnancy, the first being aromatic, so using a diffuser or just breathing out of your palms. Or if you're a mom with other kids running around, maybe just grabbing the bottle and opening it and inhaling.

Topical Use

The second usage would be topically. So if someone's new to oils, so for the mommas listening who are new to oils, I would say begin with aromatic. So use a diffuser, get acquainted with the essential oils, use them in the palm of your hand, breathe them in, and enjoy the aromatic benefits. Then once you're more comfortable and you begin to use the oils topically, you can begin to use the oils topically for additional support.

What I always like to remind the mommas is lots of dilution during pregnancy. I love to dilute all the time, but I especially diluted more when I was pregnant, meaning adding some more carrier oil to the oil application. So if you were going to use one drop of Lavender, you might use one pump of doTERRA’s Fractionated Coconut Oil.

So for topical application, it's quite lovely when you're pregnant. I recommend foot massages; I recommend belly massage; I recommend head and neck, temples, low back. It can be a very nurturing and beneficial to the mom.

Essential Oils in the Bath

And then the third way that I love to use oils during pregnancy combines both aromatic and topical and is taking a hot bath. It is the nicest thing to do when you're carrying around a little person inside of you to get off your feet and take a nice hot bath.

And my favorite recipe for a hot bath is to take anywhere from one to three cups of a natural Epsom salts and then—so no fragrance or anything added. Then you can add in—my two favorite combos, my first one is Lavender and Frankincense. So one to two drops of Lavender, one to two drops of Frankincense into the Epsom salts, give them a little mix, and then you can dump them into your bath.

And then my second favorite momma bath is AromaTouch. So you can take the AromaTouch massage blend that doTERRA has put together for us and use it the same way in the Epsom salts and into the bath and soak and relax, maybe you want to listen to a, you know, a beautiful, relaxing song or read a book. It's a really nice time to restore the body for a pregnant momma.

doTERRA: All of those sounds so incredible, definitely on my to-do list.

Christine: Yes! And I think also just the nature of getting to use the oils topically during pregnancy is such that you're also—you have that that tactile aspect of it, too. So connecting with the baby, using the oils topically on your belly, connecting with your partner, if you have a partner that's supporting you through this process, you know, getting a little foot rub or letting them rub your belly, just really using the oils to heighten that connection.

doTERRA: Absolutely. So my next question is are there any questions that I should be asking my doctor about using essential oils while pregnant?

Christine: Yeah, definitely ask your doctor or your medical team before you start using oils, either before pregnancy or during pregnancy. It's great to check in with them on your overall health plan and essential those would be a part of that.

doTERRA: So the next part is a little more fun than questions to ask your doctor.

Christine: Okay!

doTERRA: So Christine, what are your favorite essential oils to recommend to women during pregnancy?

Christine: Oh, this is more fun! Okay, mommas who are listening, get out your pens, except if you're driving, don't. But get out a pen and paper. And what I'm going to do first is I'm going to recommend a simple daily protocol that I loved during pregnancy. And then after I share that, I'm going to get into some specific rituals for specific pregnancy conditions that often come up. So I’ll try and cover as many as I as I can.

Morning Daily Protocols

For a daily protocol, what I really enjoyed during pregnancy and found supportive physically and emotionally, my morning routine was wake up in the morning and get one to two drops of Balance on the soles of my feet. I'd have it sitting right at my bedside with my Fractionated Coconut Oil. Take a little squirt of the coconut oil for the dilution that I mentioned, add the Balance, rub your palms together, take three nice big inhales and just feel yourself sink a little bit and relax, rub the bottom of your soles, and then you can take the next steps in your morning.

Next, I really like to do one drop of Lemon in my water. So whether you have a nice big stainless-steel bottle or a glass, you want to add a drop of Lemon to your water to start off your day.

And then the last thing that I really like to do, having my Peppermint nearby in the morning often really helped me, or if I was really tired, which I found during especially that first trimester, mommas can be really tired. You can take a drop of your Peppermint, you can rub your hands together and inhale three times and really breathe it in and then just massage the back of your neck and maybe your belly.

Afternoon Daily Protocols

Then in the afternoon, what I love to do for energy, because I was a little sluggish during some parts of my pregnancy, and I know it's common for women is like, “Okay, I need to have some more energy.” I love putting together a diffuser blend. I did—I kept it super simple Wild Orange and Peppermint, two drops of each in the diffuser during the day. So when I was working from home or just as I was doing the dishes in the kitchen, keeping that energy level up with the Peppermint and the Wild Orange in the diffuser.

And then also, during the afternoon is when I would take my first dose of the daily Lifelong Vitality supplement. So I would take mine at lunchtime and evening. Again, in the morning, sometimes I was a little bit nauseous, so I would save the supplements for lunchtime and dinner. That is a ritual that I definitely recommend for pregnancy, both for the physical support of the supplement and also the emotional support too.

Evening Daily Protocols

Then for nighttime, you guys are going to love my nighttime ritual. It's so good. So when you're having dinner, you can have your LLV, your Lifelong Vitality supplement. I also recommend taking the PB Assist, so having a probiotic, whether you do it in the morning or in the evening, it's up to you, but just getting in some gut support while you're pregnant is great.

Then I recommend doing the bath, whether you do that nightly or a few times a week, adding in either the two drops of Frankincense and Lavender or the AromaTouch into your Epsom salts, unwinding, relaxing, taking the time for yourself. Then what I would do is I had a little setup on my nightstand where I go to sleep, and I would have my Rose Touch and my Frankincense Touch right there. And before I would get into bed every night, I would take my Rose Touch, and I would roll a nice big heart on my belly. And then I would take my Frankincense Touch, and I would trace the heart on my belly. And I would just leave my hands on my belly, close my eyes, and just take a minute. Take a minute to feel whatever it was that I needed to feel to drop into that connection with my baby and just savor and let it be. Then I’d usually take a little coconut oil and really massage it in because you're also going to get the benefits for your skin from those oils as well. That was actually, I think, my favorite ritual when I was pregnant. I just I loved doing it. And interestingly, when the baby—when she was born—two of the oils she loves are Rose and Frankincense.

So then just to cap off the nighttime routine, Serenity oil on your soles. So that's our restful blend, a drop or two, particularly in that third trimester when you're getting really tired at night.

I would rub on Deep Blue a little bit on any aches. You're going to know where that is for you and your body. It's different for every woman.

And then Adaptiv in the diffuser was great. I loved doing Adaptiv at that time just to move into a really restful sleep. That's my daily protocol.

doTERRA On Guard^® Products in the Home

Then I want to share with you some specific rituals that really supported me and some other mommas through the journey of pregnancy. The first one, which is really common, is women are looking to replace some of the traditional household cleaners and home products that they have in their home for a more natural option.

I always recommend right, mommas, get those chemicals out of your home. So you can replace a lot of your household cleaners with the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate. It's really simple to make your own spray bottles.

Then replacing your laundry soap with the On Guard Detergent, which is amazing. And it also really comes in handy once baby comes, because once baby comes and you're doing their laundry, it's really important to also have a very natural option for doing all the baby's laundry. So you will already have been converted over. So it will be one less thing to do once the baby comes.

And then the hand soap, so doTERRA has beautiful On Guard hand soap that a foaming hand soap, and I recommend having that at all the sinks. It's just a really quick and easy way to just get some of the natural cleaners and products into the home right away. So I always recommend that, first off.

Frankincense, Rose, Balance, and the doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack^®

A little bit of support went a long way for me. I would use my Frankincense and Rose that I just mentioned, roll it on the back of the neck and Balance on the soles of your feet, as I mentioned, and staying really consistent with your Lifelong Vitality supplement.

Ginger

For any of you who are experiencing nausea, an option is Ginger. So you can take a drop of your Ginger oil and put it in some warm boiling, like, some water that's cooled down a little bit and that had been boiled. And make yourself a little ginger tea. You can do Ginger Lemon or you can just do Ginger. And that really helped my tummy settle.

Cardamom

And the last trick is a really good one. So you guys will want to run to write this one down, mommas. Take some Cardamom and just a little bit between your first finger and your thumb and massage behind your ears and also your earlobes.

DigestZen TerraZyme^®

Then for those of you with digestive issues, which is very common, I love taking the TerraZyme with my meals. It just helps to break down the food and make it easier for the body to digest. My digestion system was sluggish, so I found this to be very supportive. I also recommend drinking tons of water. This really helped me.

Deep Blue^® and Bone Nutrient Essential Complex

Okay, for those of you with leg cramps, which I had, I loved the Deep Blue rub. Right away, when the cramps would come, I would let them rise. I would let them fade and then rub the Deep Blue on my calves. I also recommend doTERRA’s Bone Nutrient Complex supplement because it has lots of magnesium in it, which is really supportive for the leg cramping.

AromaTouch^®

The other little trick, you can take your AromaTouch. So I mentioned the AromaTouch is the massage blend I love in the bath. You can also use it to massage your ankles and calves. So what you can do is take a little bit with your Fractionated Coconut Oil and massage—what you want to do is you want to go from the ankle towards the heart. So you want to start at the ankle, the feet, the ankles, go up the legs and just really move, get the blood circulating, enjoy the aromatic experience of the oil.

Immortelle

For belly love and stretchmarks, I told you my favorite ritual with the Frankincense Touch and Rose Touch in a heart shape on the belly. Favorite! Love, love. Also, another blend that's great for your belly is Immortelle. It has a lot of the great skin superpower oils and you can use that same application. You can roll it on your tummy, rub it in. I do recommend diluting that one. So you'll want to take some of your coconut oil, rub it on your belly first, and then use your Immortelle roller. And that oil blend will come in great handy for you postpartum. You'll be able to have lots of uses for it afterwards.

Geranium and Lavender

And then my last couple of tips are tender breasts, Geranium and Lavender, one drop of each with a little bit of Fractionated Coconut Oil, and you can give yourself a nice breast massage.

doTERRA Serenity^® and Adaptiv^™

Sleeplessness, which comes up a lot in pregnancy, I recommend the Serenity product line that doTERRA created. So what I would do is I would put a drop of Serenity on the soles of my feet, a little bit of coconut oil, give yourself a little foot massage. I would take one Serenity softgel cap for a bedtime, and then I would put Serenity in the diffuser. For me, that would set the tone—Serenity or Adaptiv, I would kind of change it up depending on how I was feeling—set the tone for a restful sleep. I also found it supported me sleeping through longer. So in the nights when I might forget to do to do my ritual in full, which we're human, we forget, I find I would wake up more often.

And then the last thing that I want to share with you guys, mommas, is—and these are a few of my simple tips that I loved. Adaptiv in the diffuser, very supportive. Frankincense on the back of your neck. Balance on the soles of your feet. And then one of my very favorites is to take your Geranium and put a tiny drop on your index finger, press your index finger to the center of your chest, close your eyes, keep your finger pressed there and just repeat to yourself, “I love. I trust. I love. I trust.”

doTERRA: Christine, it has been such a pleasure to talk with you today, and you've been able to share so much helpful information to women who are currently pregnant, planning on being pregnant in the future. We really appreciate you taking the time to come and talk with us.

Christine: It's my pleasure. I love helping the mommas!

doTERRA: Thanks for joining us and congratulations on living a healthier lifestyle with essential oils. If you liked what you heard today, rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen. Also, if you want to try any of the products you learned about, go to doterra.com or find a Wellness Advocate near you to place an order today.