Essential Oils for Pregnancy: Everything You Need to Know 2024

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Can you use essential oils during pregnancy! You sure can – with a few exceptions. Here is everything you need to know about essential oils for pregnancy, including which ones to avoid and a couple of recipes!

Essential Oils and Pregnancy

*The content in this post is not meant to treat or diagnose. But, is to help find natural products to soothe the discomforts of pregnancy. If you have any medical concerns, I’d recommend consulting your health care professional.*

Pregnant? If you are reading this post – I bet you are!

Let me just start by saying, CONGRATULATIONS! I can’t think of anything more exciting than having a baby on the way! Pregnancy is such an amazing and unique journey.

But let’s be honest, while pregnancy is beautiful, it also comes along with a lot of… Let’s just say not so beautiful inconveniences and side effects.

Every pregnancy is different, but some of the most common undesirable pregnancy symptoms are but are not limited to:

Fatigue
Cramping
Nausea
Headaches
Mood swings
Stretch marks
Pregnancy bloating

Most over the counter pain medications that are commonly used for headaches, cramping nausea, etc, are not recommended for pregnant women with the exception of acetaminophen (Tylenol), however, even Tylenol has a long list of possible side effects and can be hard on your liver.

Why not just avoid all the harsh unnatural chemicals all together?

So if you can’t take pain medication for all the discomfort that comes with creating a tiny human, you can say goodbye to a good night’s rest – right?… Wrong!

There are so many great natural products out there that can help soothe pregnancy symptoms.

For many women, essential oils are the first place they turn – but they also wonder if they are safe to take during pregnancy.

Well, I have good news for you. There are many essential oils that can be used safely to make pregnancy a little easier while avoiding harmful chemicals.

Because I’m not the biggest user of essential oils (unless they are from the Rocky Mountain Oils Kid’s Roller Ball Line), I don’t know a ton. However, Rocky Mountain Oils has helped me write this post because I know it’s a really popular topic – and I like to have the best information available!

Safe Essential Oils for Pregnancy

Here are five great oils that can help you relax during your nine-month journey. We suggest buying these from Rocky Mountain Oils – they only sell the highest quality oils that you can feel safe using.

Lavender – Reduces stress, calms nerves, supports sleep and relaxation. To top it off, Lavender is also great for the integumentary system, meaning hair, skin, and nails. Making it the perfect oil to help with those pesky stretch marks!
Frankincense – Uplifts your mood and is also great for the integumentary system. This would be a great oil to mix with your Lavender to apply to help reduce stretch marks.
Bergamot FCF – Promotes energy and has a bright fresh scent that can help your mood. Bergamot FCF is not phototoxic, so it will not cause any discomfort in the sun.
Clary Sage – Uplifts your mood and helps to balance your hormones!
Black Pepper – Promotes energy as well as supports the immune system. Black Pepper is a great oil to use to help reduce nausea.

And that’s only a handful of the most useful ones that you can use during pregnancy.

Isn’t it great to know there are options other than just sticking it out and being miserable for nine months?

However, not all essential oils are safe for expecting moms and babies. And safety should always come first. Lucky for us, trained aromatherapists have put together some lists of essential oils that are generally safe for expecting moms.

Essential Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy

According to BabyCenter, the following should be avoided

Nutmeg, which may have hallucinogenic effects and react with pain-relieving drugs in labour.
Rosemary, which is thought to increase blood pressure, and may cause contractions.
Basil, which is thought to contribute to abnormal cell development.
Jasmine and clary sage, which may trigger contractions.
Sage and rose, which may cause bleeding in your uterus (womb).
Juniper berry, which may affect your kidneys.

There are additional ones to avoid on this great list from Rocky Mountain Oils.

There are currently no reports of any complications during pregnancy caused by essential oils, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution so that mommy and baby can have a seamless pregnancy, labor and delivery.

If you suffer from any of the following, you may want to avoid any unnecessary essential oils – especially without talking to your medical provider: