| There is a great deal of fear coming primarily from the | | | | the life of the fetus. Can pregnant women use |
| British approach about using essential oils with pregnant | | | | essential oils topically and inhale them? The answer is |
| women. This fear is that the essential oils will damage | | | | YES. The quantities are so small that they cannot |
| the developing child, or essential oils will cause | | | | possibly harm the mother. You will however, want to |
| abortions, miscarriages or premature births. Since | | | | limit topical dilutions to 10% or less. Should pregnant |
| some essential oils influence hormonal balance, there is | | | | women take essential oils internally? For legal reasons, |
| also the fear of disrupting a normal pregnancy. Yet | | | | that is best left for the licensed health care |
| there is no evidence in the literature that this is actually | | | | professionals. |
| true. However, if a little essential oil is good, it does not | | | | There are very few essential oils to be avoided during |
| mean that a lot is better. Without the research, we do | | | | pregnancy-Juniperus sabina (Savin) and Juniperus |
| not know how much of the compounds in essential oils | | | | pfitzeriana (Spanish Sage.) In laboratory animals, |
| actually cross the placenta to the growing child. Can | | | | tumors developed in the offspring when they were |
| essential oils be used to cause abortion? Both | | | | exposed in the womb to all essential oils rich in safrole. |
| Pennyroyal and Parsley Seed (apiol) have been | | | | These include Brazilian sassafras, Ocotea camphora, |
| reported to cause death of the mother in attempts to | | | | Chinese sassafras, Cinnamomum camphora. |
| abort a fetus. It is important to remember that ANY | | | | Why Might a Pregnant Woman Want to Use an |
| essential oil misused can cause potential damage if | | | | Essential Oil? |
| taken in large quantities. | | | | Actually there are lots of reasons. Indigestion, |
| Shirley Price in her book Aromatherapy for Health | | | | hemorrhoids, morning sickness, relaxation, rest, sleep, |
| Professionals, clearly states that the use of essential | | | | back pain, stretch marks, edema, rashes, urinary tract |
| oils during pregnancy requires great expertise. She | | | | infections, emotional upsets, eczema, leg cramps, to |
| recommends caution during the first trimester since we | | | | name but a few problems that can develop with |
| really don't know how many molecules of an oil | | | | pregnancy. Essential oils can easily handle all of these |
| actually cross the placenta. She feels that essential oils | | | | problems with little concern of danger to the fetus. |
| can safely be used after this critical growing point in | | | | |