Be cautious of essential oils in pregnancy

We’re often told to relax and take it easy (although we should still stay active during pregnancy!!), and you may think about relaxing with some oils in your bath or through a massage, but there are a few things to be aware of:

• In general, if you’re having a healthy pregnancy with no issues then you should be fine with most oils. BUT, please first consult a professional aromatherapist or a midwife about what’s safe for you prior to using any oils.

• It’s advised to wait until you’re in your second trimester

• Oils are very powerful and once absorbed into the skin act like a normal medicine and there’s the possibility of it crossing the placenta to the baby. With that in mind it’s best to use sparingly and dilute with a base oil (grapeseed/ sweet almond oil). Also, don’t use the same one day in day out for a long period.

• The more popular scents of lavender, camomile, ylang ylang, peppermint and bergamot are generally fine to use, but it’s best to avoid nutmeg, rosemary, basil, jasmine, sage, rose and juniper as these can have adverse effects.

• If you’ve had a history of miscarriage, you have epilepsy, heart problems, asthma or diabetes, or you’ve had vaginal bleeding this pregnancy, then it’s best to avoid oils completely, so as to be entirely safe.

Enjoy your relaxing, but just take note of these to be safe when using essential oils.