Clinically Safe Aromatherapy for Pregnancy

I did a post a while back about essential oils that are safe in pregnancy, but to be honest I was a student at the time and I left out the application. Since then I have done several posts about using essential oils in pregnancy however I haven’t done a post specificaly for Clinical aromatherapy in pregnancy. Please note, I am not a clinical aromatherapist. I can only go over what I have learned from studying clinical aromatherapy on my own. I will site all my sources and I am only sharing things I have learned from actual clinical aromatherapists.

So, what is clinical aromatherapy?

Clinical aromatherapy is simply aromatherapy in a hospital or clinical setting, practiced by nurses. This differs from other aromatherapy certification because of the education and background involved. Clinical aromatherapy can allow for more targeted studying of certain areas, specifically to clinical areas. Nurses (and midwives) will learn about certain oils in a clinical setting as well as their therapeutic and methods that have proven to be safe and effective. Clinical aromatherapists have the understanding and medical background to apply essential oils safely to their patients.

What are some essential oils that are clinically safe in pregnancy?

First trimester*: Lemon Citrus limonum

Second Trimester*: Lavender Lavandula angustifolia, Lemon Citrus limonum

Third Trimester*: Bergamot Citrus bergamia, Lavender Lavandula agnustifolia, Lemon Citrus limonum, Neroli Citrus aurantium, Petitgrain Citrus aurantium

I will only be going over essential oils for pregnancy, I will do another post detailing ones for labor and delivery. These 5 are the only oils that are clinically studied in pregnancy.

What are the uses of these oils in pregnancy?

Lemon*: Depression, Hyperemesis, Morning sickness, Stress

Lavender*: Anxiety, Depression, Fear, Pain, Sleep, Stress

Bergamot*: Anxiety, Depression, Pain, Stress

Neroli*: Anxiety, Depression, Fear, Sleep

Petitgrain*: Anxiety, Depression, Stress

What are some ways to use essential oils in pregnacy?

As lemon is the only clinically studied essential oil for pregnancy in the first trimester I recommend not using essential oils at that time or only using Lemon essential oil aromatically. This is my personal recommendation, I do believe there are some cases where topically would be beneficial however. But Lemon should be the only essential oil used clinically in first trimester pregnancy.

Inhalation: You can diffuse but for pregnancy, when smell is heightened and more sensitive it’s more recommended to use a personal inhaler or a cotton pad. This makes it so that if you are irritated by the scent it won’t linger around and you can quickly move it away from you. Apply a few drops (1-5 even in an inhaler) and place just below the nose inhaling deeply for a few seconds. Discontinue use if you have any adverse reactions such as nasuea or headaches.

Alongside inhalation making a spray is a really great way to utilize essential oils aromatically. Beware that using this method will mean the smell lingers a little longer, like when using a diffuser. You can make a spray in a variety of ways, the simplest being using 5ml of carrier oil in a 1oz spray bottle filled filled with distilled water*. Add up to 12 drops of essential oil to the carrier oil and mix with the water in the spray bottle. You can use Aloe vera gel instead of a carrier oil but this doesn't fully mix/emuslify the oils and you need to make sure you have a gel, not just Aloe vera. Plant Therapy makes an Aloe vera Jelly that would be good for this. Alternatively you can use an emulsifier like the the one from Simply Earth, and to make the product last longer you can use a preservative if you wish and you can check out a good preservative option here from Simply Earth as well.

Topically: You can use topically with a carrier oil or lotion base. You want to maintain a .5-1% use for pregnancy, never exceeding a 2% use (and honestly I wouldn’t go above 1% unless it was seriously needed and/or later in the pregnancy). Topical use is a great option for anything past the second trimester. To get a .5% dilution do 1 drop of oil in 10ml of carrier and for a 1% dilution do 1 drop of oil to 5ml of carrier*.

Another way to use essential oils topical is in the bath. Please not to never use essential oils neat in the bath. Always dilute them in a carrier oil before adding them to the bath. Do NOT add oils to the bath for labor. Use 1-8 drops for use in the bath or in a foot soak.

What are some things to avoid when using essential oils in pregnancy?

Avoid taking advice from just anyone, ask if they are certified and ask for their sources. Anyone who is a certified aromatherapist and knows their stuff will not mind sharing their sources and education. They do not have to be a clinical aromatherapist, but if you want clinical aromatherapy I would recommend seeking out someone who is clinically trained. Most people who are selling essential oils do not know what they are talking about when it comes to essential oil use in pregnancy. I wouldn’t take advice from anyone who is recommending essential oil use in the first trimester, who recommends ingestion during pregnancy, who recommends using extremely high dilutions in pregnancy and who says “Because it’s natural it is safe.

Do not ingest essential oils in pregnancy. At all, absolutely no internal use of essential oils while pregnant, it is believed that essential oils do cross over into the placenta. Using essential oils internally in any from poses a much larger risk of overdosing the fetus. Do not ingest, do not use vaginally, do not use rectally.

Do not use oils neat, or in high dilutions. This keeps the risk low, we are looking for low risk and high effectiveness. Low dilutions in pregnancy still provide effectiveness. Do not exceed a 2% dilution in pregnancy.

Last thoughts on clinical aromatherapy for pregnancy

Do you have to go the clinical route with aromatherapy when pregnant? No, but if you are looking for the safest and most researched this is your best bet. Essential oils may be natural but they are not to be taken lightly especially in pregnancy. Personally there are something I would do for myself that are not clinically approved, but I wouldn’t use them on a client and I would fully inform them on the risks. There are many oils that are classified as pregnancy safe that just don’t have the clinical studies to back them up. If that is a risk you want to take, just be aware of all of the information. If you want studies to back up your choices, choose clinical aromatherapy.

Another thing to remember with aromatherapy in pregnancy is the advice tends to differ from person to person, even in a clinical setting. This can vary by the education a person received and even the country they are from. You will find different practices in America than in the UK. The important thing to remember is that you know the research behind things and are confident in your knowledge and use of aromatherapy in pregnancy. Even if you are working with a professional, if they are trying to get you to do something that you do not feel comfortable with do not be afraid to speak up. Only do what you personally trust, know the risks and still avoid doing things that are labeled as high risk in pregnancy.

Resources used: Womens Health Aromatherapy by Pam Conrad (Pages; 24, 29-31, 42-49)

Other sources to check out regarding clinical use in pregnancy: Clinical Aromatherapy for pregnancy and childbirth by Denise Tiran

Studies used/sited for the books and this blog post: (Igarashi, T. (2013) "Physcial and psychological effects of aromatherapy inhalation on pregnant women: A randomized controlled trial." Journal of alternative and complementary medicine 19, 10, 805-810), (Chen, P.J., Chou, C.C., Yang, L., Tsai, Y.L., Chang, Y.C. and Liaw, J.J. (2017) "Effects of aromatherapy massage on pregnant women stress and immune function: A longitudinal, prospective and randomized controlled trial." Journal of alternative and complementary medicine 23, 10, 778-786), (Effati-Daryani, F., Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi, S., Mirgafourvand, M., taghizadeh, M. and Mohamadi, A. (2015) "Effects of lavender cream with or without foot-bath on anxiety, stress and depression in pregnancy: A randomized placebo-controlled trial." Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 4, 1 63-73), (Yarvari, K.p., Safajou, F., Shahnazi, M and Nazemiyeh, H. (2014) "The effect of lemon inhalation aromatherapy on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy: A double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial." Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal 16, 3, e14360), (Go, G.Y and Park, H. (2017) "Effects of aroma inhalation therapy on stress, anxiety, depression and the autonomic nervous system in high-risk pregnant women." Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 23, 1, 33-41)