Posts Tagged ‘essential oils for pregnancy’

Essential Oils For Pregnancy Labor Pain Relief

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Nowadays aromatherapy is gaining popularity as an effective technique to not only get relief from mental stress and maintain general fitness, but also as a treatment for various types of ailments. This natural therapy is now widely used for relieving aches and pains as well. If you are an expectant mother, aromatherapy can also be of great use for easing labor pains.

Aromatherapy massage makes you relax physically as well as reduces the tension and fear of the pain as it has a soothing effect on your nervous system. It also helps you to avoid the use of drugs for the management of labor pain. Therefore, opting for aromatherapy can be a great idea for getting relief from pain during delivery.

Aromatherapy For Pain Management During Labor And Delivery

Aromatherapy can be used in the management of labor pain as per the steps mentioned below.

  • In the initial or first stage of labor most women experience contractions and pain that is similar to menstrual cramps. In this kind of situation, a gentle massage around the tummy and hips gives a lot of relief. For doing the massage prepare the oil by mixing three to four drops of lavender or chamomile oil in nearly 100 ml of jojoba oil or olive oil. Use this oil for massaging your tummy in a circular motion.
  • After this, the massage should focus on your back. Apply gentle pressure with the lower portion of your palms and move them in a circular motion while applying consistent pressure. Do ensure that the motion of your hands is in an anti-clockwise direction. Movements made in this manner make you feel relaxed and ease the pain as well as the contractions. Increase the quantity of massage oil as required.
  • Another popular way of making you feel relaxed during labor pains is the face soother technique. For this, add a few drops of lavender oil in a bowl full of chilled rosewater. Make a compress using a piece of sponge and gently press it on your forehead after soaking it in this mixture. Then repeat it on your face and around the neck. This aromatherapy technique will also give relief from labor pain. This face soother technique can also be used on your hands. This will again give you considerable relief.

Like any other alternative therapy, aromatherapy may be useful to some and may not provide relief to others. However, there is no harm in trying aromatherapy for labor pain relief as long as it is performed under the supervision of a trained aromatherapy specialist and your doctor.

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Essential Oils To Relieve Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Pregnant women commonly experience uneasiness starting from the 4th to 6th week of pregnancy; this lasts up to the 14th week. This feeling of immense discomfort in the mornings (or any time of the day) is referred to as morning sickness in pregnant women. Morning sickness is characterized by nausea, vomiting, and aversions to certain food.

There are several ways to relieve morning sickness; they include exercise and pharmaceutical drugs. However, one of the most recommended and highly effective treatments for morning sickness is the deployment of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is the use of concentrated plant extracts like distillates and essential oils to treat various afflictions. The significant feature of aromatherapy is that it is very effective and has minimal side-effects. You can use a variety of essential oils to relieve morning sickness. You can use lemon essential oil, peppermint essential oil, spearmint essential oil, and ginger essential oil.

Aromatherapy is a boon, but if deployed with ignorance, it may prove a bane. You must always use essential oils with caution, particularly during pregnancy, to avert adverse effects. The different ways one could employ to use essential oils to treat morning sickness are:

  • You may dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil like olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil in a 1:1 ratio and apply it behind the ears and on the naval of pregnant women. The application of diluted essential oils must be repeated every three hours. You should keep in mind to refrain from using essential oils without dilution. This is because essential oils are highly concentrated, and if used undiluted, could be harmful.
  • You may inhale essential oils to relieve morning sickness; do this every six to eight hours.
  • You are also recommended to put a drop of the essential oil on your tongue in order to relieve morning sickness.

You are advised to deploy aromatherapy along with exercise and regular diet and sleep so as to enhance the benefits of aromatherapy to cure morning sickness. Also, you must consult your doctor before you undergo aromatherapy treatment for morning sickness.

Although aromatherapy has lesser side-effects, it may cause harm during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. For example, essential oils such as thyme essential oil, marjoram essential oil, sage essential oil, basil essential oil, and oregano essential oil are supposedly hazardous for pregnant women. It is therefore advisable to consult your aromatherapy specialist before you go ahead and use essential oils to cure morning sickness.

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Aromatherapy for Pregnancy

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Aromatherapy for pregnancy is something that is highly debated because of possible risks for pregnancy. Aromatherapy can however be extremely beneficial for pregnant women as it is a natural remedy for relaxation that is known to improve the sense of well being. This is of course important during pregnancy as we are well aware of the fact that the mother’s emotions and state of mind have a direct influence on the child’s health. Aromatherapy is therefore a great natural option, particularly at a time when most pharmaceutical medications are forbidden. This of course does not mean that aromatherapy is free of risks; great caution needs to be exercised during pregnancy as there are some essential oils that can cause great damage.

It is important that you follow guidelines and recommendations religiously. The most important of these is the concept of dilution. Essential oils, being highly concentrated, need to be diluted prior to application. During pregnancy, the blend should be 2%, which would be around ten drops of the oil to two tablespoons of a carrier oil. For a bath or soak you could add six to ten drops to your tub, and mix well. For both a compress or steam inhalation you could add three to six drops to a bowl of steaming water.

Aromatherapy essential oils are believed to possess properties that enable them to act as stimulants to the endocrine system, to balance hormonal levels, and relieve stress. During a pregnancy however, it would be unwise to experiment and try out aromatherapy oils without any guidance or supervision. This is because certain oils when used, and in some cases depending on the dosages, can cause serious consequences in pregnant women such as uterine contractions or even spontaneous abortion. It would therefore be wise to consult a qualified aromatherapist for advice.

Below are some aromatherapy oils that are recommended during pregnancy. Some of them have specific health benefits that make them viable options at a time when conventional drugs are forbidden.

  • Bergamont possesses analgesic, antiseptic, and antidepressant properties and is also useful for cystitis during a pregnancy.
  • Chamomile possesses antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antispasmodic properties. It provides relief from muscular aches as well as headaches or toothaches and indigestion.
  • Cypress helps patients suffering from hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and swollen ankles.
  • Eucalyptus is renowned for its beneficial effects on the respiratory system.
  • Geranium improves circulation.
  • Lavender, apart from its relaxing effect, also relieves aches and pains and improves fluid retention.
  • Lemon is useful when applied in inhalation for morning sickness.

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