Is It Safe to Use Essential Oils during Pregnancy?

The short answer? Yes.

 

With the right knowledge and a gentle approach, essential oils can support you beautifully through pregnancy. 

Pregnancy is powerful. Transformational. Emotional. 

And yes … sometimes uncomfortable. As women, we carry so much already. During pregnancy, that responsibility deepens. Our bodies change, our hormones shift, and our needs become more intuitive than ever.

Aromatherapy can be a soft, natural companion during this time, helping to ease discomfort while honouring the body’s incredible wisdom.

 

 

Safety First: The Golden Guidelines

Before anything else, let’s talk safety.

• Avoid essential oils during the first 12 weeks.

• From the second trimester onward, use a 1% dilution for topical blends. That’s 1 drop of essential oil per 5ml (1 teaspoon) of carrier oil.

• Diffuse for no more than 2 hours a day.

• Pregnancy heightens your sense of smell, so gentle blends are best.

 

No-Go List – Always avoid the following oils:

Oregano, Thyme, Clove, Cinnamon, Fennel, Sage, Hyssop, Peppermint, Cumin, Aniseed, Star Anise, Sweet Birch, Wintergreen. 

Two very well respected voices in aromatherapy, Robert Tisserand and Salvatore Battaglia, recommend the 1% dilution guideline for expectant mothers, a standard widely followed in professional practice.

When used responsibly, essential oils work with the body, not against it.

 

How to Use Essential Oils Safely (From the Second Trimester Onwards)

Once you enter your second trimester, aromatherapy can help ease many common discomforts.

 

Nausea & Morning Sickness

 

• Mandarin

• Sweet Orange

• Petitgrain

 

Fresh, light citrus oils gently uplift and settle the stomach.

 

Heartburn

Sandalwood, Roman Chamomile, and Petitgrain can soothe discomfort. Avoid Peppermint during pregnancy.

Aches & Pains

 

A simple massage blend:

• 25ml Jojoba oil

• 2 drops Roman Chamomile

• 1 drop French Marjoram

• 2 drops Mandarin

 

Massage into hips, neck, shoulders, or lower back.

 

Jojoba is beautifully balancing and won’t clog pores, even for oily skin.

 

 

Emotional Support

Hormones fluctuate. Emotions follow.

 Flower oils are deeply nurturing.

 

Massage blend (25ml Jojoba):

• 1 drop Geranium

• 1 drop Frankincense

• 3 drops Grapefruit

 

Massage into the upper chest and inhale deeply.

 

For diffusion:

• 2 drops Geranium

• 2 drops Frankincense

• 4 drops Grapefruit

 

 

Stretch Marks

 

If stretch marks run in your family, start nourishing early in the second trimester. 

Massage every other day using 25ml Jojoba with either:

 

Option 1:

• 2 drops Neroli

• 3 drops Mandarin

 OR 

Option 2:

• 3 drops Lavender

• 2 drops Frankincense

 

Massage over abdomen, thighs, and lower back.

 

Often, babies respond beautifully to gentle belly massage becoming calm and still beneath your hands.

 

Better Sleep

Diffuse 30 minutes before bedtime:

• Lavender

• Ylang Ylang

• Vetiver

• Roman Chamomile

• Sandalwood

• Frankincense

 

Keep it subtle. Let the scent whisper.

 

Swollen Legs & Ankles

Massage upward from ankles towards thighs using Geranium. 

For water retention, consider:

• Petitgrain

• Orange

• Juniper Berry

• Cypress

Always use smooth, upward strokes to support circulation.

For Labour & Birth

Lavender is known for calming anxiety and easing discomfort, and is beloved in the delivery room.

Jasmine can:

• Strengthen contractions

• Support placenta expulsion

• Aid postnatal recovery

 

 

Postnatal Care 

After birth, Aromatherapy continues to support:

For Baby blues, Frankincense, Clary Sage, Geranium, Bergamot (massage into chest).

 

Scar healing, Rosehip or Calendula carrier oil.

 

Jasmine and grapefruit can also help with Milk production. For Mastitis or blockage of milk ducts, apply a cold compress with German Chamomile and “cold Frankincense hydrolats,”  to draw heat out.

In The Complete Guide To Aromatherapy, Battaglia explains how certain essential oils can be used for common pregnancy discomforts like backache, constipation, fatigue, insomnia, heartburn and more. 

 

Robert Tisserand is a great resource for all aspects of essential oil safety. He is the author of Essential Oil Safety and world-known aromatherapy lecturer. He accepts that although positive safety information is not available for many essential oils for use during pregnancy, the same is true for many prescription and over–the–counter drugs. He points out that there is no evidence that the external use of any essential oils presents an abortifacient risk.

 

https://tisserandinstitute.org/safety/  –  a link to the Tisserand Institute Safety Guidelines, and general essential oil safety, including pregnancy cautions (dilutions, contraindications, etc.).    

 

https://tisserandinstitute.org/dilution-essential-oils/ – Essential Oil Dilution – an article by Robert Tisserand explaining the importance of correct dilutions, which is central to safe use in pregnancy. 

 

 

A Gentle Reminder

Pregnancy is not a time for excess … it is a time for softness.

 

When used wisely, essential oils can:

 

Your journey deserves to feel supported rather than managed

 

What relaxes the mother relaxes the baby.

And often… the whole family.

 

 

 

If you have specific questions about the use of essential oils during and after pregnancy, please do get in touch. Call me direct on +44 (0)7557645243 or use the website contact form and I’ll get back to you to fix a time to speak and/or meet.

 

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