Pregnancy is a time when the body experiences drastic hormonal changes. Not only are essential oils effective, natural and safe, they are appropriate for most mamas during pregnancy. For basic pregnancy supplementation, the Lifelong Vitality supplements may be used to support: nutrient absorption, general wellness and vitality, energy metabolism, stamina, stress management, bone health, healthy connective tissue, immune function, cardiovascular health, healthy hair, skin and nails, eyes, brain and nervous system, liver function and digestive health, lung and respiratory health, the body’s preparation for rich breast milk supply; and finally, LLV may ease normal pregnancy aches and pains. This product does not contain any GMOs and is dairy free.

Pregnancy

First and foremost, always consult your doctor before incorporating essential oils into your wellness routine. When it comes to the use of essential oils during pregnancy, it is even more critical to use only the highest quality oils from a transparent company like doTERRA where the source, purity, and potency of your oils is fully disclosed. In order to err on the side of caution, avoid use during the first trimester unless indicated by your doctor. To alleviate some of the physical and emotional stresses of these important months, you may find comfort in the following gentle essential oils:

Aromatouch

AromaTouch essential oil blend-relaxing massage blend for normal pregnancy aches (avoid UV rays/sunlight for up to 12 hours after application)

Balance

Balance essential oil blend- creates a tranquil atmosphere (a nice oil to diffuse during labor and delivery)

Bergamot

Bergamot essential oil- supports sense of calm during times of fear and anxious feelings, digestive support, before bedtime, foot massage to energize and calm, add a drop to shower gel for its purifying skin benefits (avoid UV rays/sunlight for up to 12 hours after application)

Black Pepper

Black pepper essential- general aches, exhaustion, digestive support

Copaiba

Copaiba essential oil- According to doTERRA’s Dr. Hill, Copaiba is the oil that makes all the other oils work better together. This oil is comforting, may ease normal pregnancy nausea, reduce head tension/anxious feelings, and internally supports healthy immune and cardiovascular system

Digestzen

Digestzen essential oil blend-soothes occasional stomach upset, supports digestion

Frankincense

Frankincense essential oil- extraordinary health benefits, skin support, nervous system and digestive support, calming, supports cellular function

Geranium

Geranium essential oil- ideal for healthy skin and hair, calms nerves, repels insects naturally

Ginger

Ginger essential oil- soothing, calming, eases normal occasional indigestion, nausea, and muscle fatigue

Grapefruit

Grapefruit essential oil- uplifting, muscle fatigue, head tension, stress, cravings (avoid UV rays/sunlight for up to 12 hours after application)

Marjoram

Marjoram essential oil- massage diluted for calming and soothing properties, soothes general aches and supports healthy digestion.

Neroli

Neroli essential oil- rejuvenating, eases anxious feelings, soothing to the skin, promotes overall well-being

Patchouli

Patchouli essential oil- comforting, beneficial to the skin, calming when irritable

petitgrain

Petitgrain essential oil- general aches, relaxation prior to sleep, tension, calms anxious feelings

Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile essential oil- gentle, calming effect on mind, body and skin

Rose

Rose essential oil- supportive emotionally and calming during childbirth; emollient for the skin, comforting, energizing

Sandalwood

Sandalwood essential oils- massage oil, beneficial to skin, fosters sense of calm and well-being, promotes relaxation for healthy sleep

Spearmint

Spearmint essential oil- uplifting, breath freshener, digestive support

Tangerine

Tangerine essential oil- calming, uplifting, digestive support, normal swelling, achey fatigued muscles and limbs (avoid UV rays/sunlight for up to 12 hours after application)

Wild Orange

Wild orange essential oil- calms anxious feelings, relaxes to promote restful night’s sleep, eases tension, massage on legs for fluid retention (avoid UV rays/sunlight for up to 12 hours after application)

Labor and Delivery

Easing the Mind

Consider all of the mixed emotions around the birth of a child: excitement, fear, anxious thoughts, and joy among other feelings. To calm and relax the mind, you will find particular oils like Frankincense, Lavender, Magnolia, and Serenity to be very soothing.

Stalled Labor

While Clary Sage is not recommended during pregnancy itself, it shines during slowed/weak contractions. Other blends like Motivate and Elevate may help encourage you emotionally. Other essential oils to employ at this time are Cinnamon, Fennel, Jasmine or Lavender.

Feeling Overwhelmed

It’s quite natural to experience mood swings during labor and find it difficult to cope at times. For these moments, you might like to lean into oils such as Geranium, Lavender, Neroli, Peppermint, Wild Orange,

Back Pain During labor

Massage AromaTouch into the lower back to help with the pain.

Post Partum

After-birth

Massage Deep Blue on the abdomen to soothe after-birth pains.

Bowel Movements

DigestZen taken internally in water or capsule(2-3 drops) is supportive in getting the bowels moving again.

Engorgement

Massaging basil around the breast to soothe. Avoid nipple area.

Painful Nipples

During the transition to nursing, painful nipples may occur. To soothe and support elasticity, apply helichrysum after each nursing. Massaging the nipple and areola with avocado, almond or jojoba oil or a blend of all three as a carrier oil for the helichrysum may be beneficial.

Increase Milk Supply

Clary Sage may be applied diluted to the breast tissue to support lactation.

Perineum

Soothing oils for postpartum perineal care include frankincense, lavender and helichrysum (apply topically). Store feminine pads in freezer and apply a few drops of frankincense and lavender directly to the pad.

Baby Blues

During the postpartum period, mothers experience a range of emotions, complicated by hormonal factors and social expectations. This huge period of adjustment should be carefully monitored. The role of essential oils is to support emotional balance while hormones return to normal levels. The best restorative oils for nervous system support, calming and uplifting are: Bergamot (stress, self-worth, feelings of inadequacy), Clary Sage (diffused or applied over the heart area to ease anxious thoughts), Geranium (massage on abdomen to support balanced hormone levels), citrus oils such as Wild Orange, Grapefruit, Mandarine and Lemon (add a drop to water in a glass or stainless steel water bottle to cleanse and uplift), Neroli (convalescence, emotional exhaustion, nervous tension), Rose (to ease anxious thoughts) and Ylang Ylang (physical exhaustion). Please be in touch with your doctor or midwife to monitor your postpartum emotions.

Newborn

Frankincense

A lovely oil to diffuse during baby’s first days to transition into the world, frankincense is calming and restorative for both mother and baby. Consider a daily 15 minute diffusing session in the home. Remember, baby’s lungs are brand new, so easy does it!

Myrrh

Apply several drops of myrrh to the umbilical cord stump to promote healing.

Lavender

Apply to mother’s pulse points for baby to experience calming effects while being held.

Would you like to hear a mother of nine compare her experiences of supporting five of her pregnancies with essential oils vs. four of her pregnancies without the use of essential oils?

For additional pregnancy resources, please visit the doTERRA website here, then select the “Other” button.

Essential Oils for Kids

Essential oils, when used intentionally, can be very comforting to children. In addition to the emotional well-being of children, essential oils contribute to their physical health as well. It is important to recognize the fact that the immature immune system of a child means greater susceptibility to bacteria and viruses. Little bodies respond well to the proactive use of essential oils for immune support. While it is important to always seek proper medical care as needed, it can be beneficial to employ essential oils immediately in conjunction with calling your pediatrician.

Supporting a child’s health and wellness begins with teaching young children the importance of self-care. In combination with a healthy sleep routine, diffusing a few drops of Serenity and Wild Orange or rolling diluted lavender on the soles of children’s feet at bedtime, teaches children how to relax themselves for sleep.

Keeping diluted rollerballs of Balance, Magnolia and Serenity in your purse or diaper bag can be life-savers for meltdowns in public places. A swipe on the back of the neck and soles of feet prior to running errands has a powerful effect on mood and behavior.

When your child wakes up in the middle of the night with ear pain that demands immediate relief, using two cotton balls, apply 1 drop Lavender, 1 drop Tea Tree, and 1 drop Basil to each cotton ball. Swipe one cotton ball behind the ear, then place the other cotton ball on the outside surface of the ear. You can also use the Lavender Touch roller and the Tea Tree Touch roller to draw a circle around the ear.

Fevers let us know the body is working in its brilliance to fight off infection. To support the body during times of fever, Using Lavender Touch and Peppermint Touch on the back of the neck or bottoms of the feet can calm and soothe the body while it’s doing its job.

There may be times during childhood when antibiotics are called for. It is important to repopulate healthy gut flora after the last dose of antibiotics. PB Assist Jr. is a double encapsulated probiotic for children that allows a prebiotic to release in the stomach, followed by the probiotic in the intestines where healthy gut bacteria is needed.

Respiratory support may be necessary seasonally. Essential oils such as: Breathe, Eucalyptus and Rosemary are helpful. A diffuser blend of Lemon, Lavender and Peppermint is also soothing.

From bumps and bruises ( Fennel, Geranium, Helichrysum, Lavender, Kids Collection oils) to bites and stings (Blue Tansy, Copaiba, Lavender, Purify), doTERRA pure essential oils can support your children right through their growing pains ( AromaTouch, Cypress, Ginger, Lavender, Rescuer Soothing Blend).

A ready-made, essential oil toolbox to help you feel confident in the care of your little one, while empowering your child to learn to care for his/her mind, body and spirit, is a wonderful resource to have on hand for living a wellness lifestyle.

These pre-diluted rollers and color coded caps have symbols to indicate “heart” “mind” or “body” so children can learn to identify and support emotional and physical feelings. These healthy connections will serve them well for a lifetime. If you do not have a doTERRA account but would like to purchase these oils, I invite you to purchase these oils here if this is a good fit for your family.

Would you like a Free kid’s back to school e-book?

The school year is always either in session or just around the corner, and we all want our kids to stay healthy and strong! Now is the perfect time to stock up on some back-to-school essentials. doTERRA has all the natural products you need to help prepare and protect your children this school year. doTERRA can help your kids mentally, physically, and emotionally as they head Back to School! Have a look at the suggestions in the free e-book and then let’s connect to get you started with a custom kit if you aren’t already a member of our global community.

Hey, Mama…

You on the struggle bus? Would you like to have some support from a seasoned mother? Someone to tell you you’re doing a great job and everything will be okay? Someone to listen and encourage you? If you’re not feeling too validated in the sweet gift of motherhood, we get it! We’ve been there. Did you know we have a whole network of free mama mentors to support you? We’d love to welcome you in.