8 Benefits of Aromatherapy During Pregnancy

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From morning sickness to labor pains, not all pregnant mothers want to use traditional medicine. We strive to find holistic and eco-friendly ways to cure all pregnancy pain points. In our search, we have found that aromatherapy has several benefits to a pregnant woman. 

1. Manage Pain

Labor pain can be intense, with anxiety, tension, and fear worsening it more. Many pregnant moms would love to labor without the use of invasive methods or using drugs. This results in complementary therapies to aid in their pain perception relief.
Aromatherapy provides a means of assisting women in easing the pain and discomfort of labor. Also, it helps pregnant moms to deal with the associated psychological symptoms. This therapy incorporates the idea of nurturing and goes back to the attitude of childbirth as a normal life occurrence.

Doctors say that, when you inhale the scent of essential oils, its chemicals get absorbed into your body via the lungs and nose tissues. Eventually, they get to the network of nerves in the brain that control your emotions and instincts (limbic system).

Another common pain complaint occurs after a cesarean section (CS). A safe and successful CS is critical to the mental and physical welfare of the child and mother. Lavender aromatherapy has been linked with reducing pain after CS, and also decreased nausea and dizziness.

During vaginal childbirth, an episiotomy is commonly used to avoid lacerations and trauma. As a result, pregnant moms experience episiotomy pain. To manage the pain, midwives recommend a sitz bath for treatment. A study using lavender showed minimal pain reduction, but an effective reduction of redness and inflammation.

2. Improving Sleep

From connecting you with childhood memories to those that we envy, aromas have proved to arouse many emotional responses. After all, essential oils are natural, which makes them inexpensive compared to drug prescriptions.

Essential oils, used in aromatherapy, contain these scents, and more natural-minded people are using them as sleep remedies. While some do great solo, a mixture of many essential oils will even help you sleep better as suggestions say that they have a direct impact on sleep.

Including aromatherapy into a pregnant mom’s nighttime routine will help her on a path of deep sleep. There is nothing a pregnant mom needs more than the comfort of sleep during her pregnancy period. Not only does it aid in safe delivery, but improving the health too of the mother and child.

3. Reduce Stress

Aromatherapy is useful in reducing stress, especially for a pregnant mother experiencing back pains or fatigue. Scents have a magical way of lifting your moods to give you a calm and energized feeling, especially when using diffusers.
These scents act on the hypothalamus, a brain section that influences the hormonal system. Lavender has explicitly been proven to increase mood levels and reduce anxieties. It will give you a calming effect and bring colorful memories.
Compared to other remedies of stress relief, aromatherapy has shown that it has only a few side effects. Consequently, it can be used passively by diffusing it into the air in the entire room to relieve stress. For increased stress relief, aromatherapy can be blended with other relievers like meditation.

4. Soothe Soreness

As pregnancy progresses, your body starts to produce more hormones. The hormone relaxin to be specific is released in large quantities and helps soften joints and ligaments. While the hormones prepare your body for child delivery, your pubic joint (at the bottom of the pelvic bone) becomes prone to soreness.

Aromatherapy is a recommended treatment for soothing soreness, especially by midwives and aromatherapists. The essential oils best for soreness include two drops of Roman chamomile, one drop of French marjoram, and two mandarin drops.

The oils can be added to a bath for increased relaxation and soothing effects.

5. Headaches and Migraines

Pregnancy comes with new pains and aches. The exact cause of migraine headaches is not known. Migraines that occur during pregnancy are mostly associated with hormonal changes, but also involves a combination of triggers.

From skipped meals to insomnia to stress, migraines can be triggered by several things.

Essential oils can be used as treatments for headaches and migraines. The benefits of aromatherapy in treating migraines or headaches vary with the type. Essential oils are known to offer benefits without extended side effects compared to medical prescriptions.

Some of the best essential oils for headaches and migraines include peppermint oil, rosemary oil, lavender, chamomile oil, and eucalyptus.

6. Baby Delivery & Labor

A pregnant woman should attend child-birthing classes for the preparation of child delivery.
But even with these lessons, it would be great to have some tricks for the same using aromatherapy. As such, it is worth trying these natural remedies but with patches first.
If aromatherapy is correctly used, it can bring effective change and focus on the mom's energy. For this to be fruitful, however, you must use pure essential oils with a therapeutic rating from non-profit independent bodies or the Food and drug administration. The oils shouldn’t contain volume extenders or synthetic fragrance. Whatever you do, don’t settle for cheap oils.
These oils can either be inhaled or sprayed in the atmosphere in the room. If you consider using essential oils in labor, make sure you try them out in advance to ensure they have no negative effects. The best options for labor and baby delivery oils are peppermint, red mandarin oil, bergamot, clary sage, and lavender.

7. Improve Digestion

Pregnancy hormones can slow the digestive system, leading to constipation, heartburn, and morning sickness. That is also the case with the growing uterus during child development. This is because of the fact that it crowds the intestines. Consequently, you end up feeling bloated and gassy.

Essential oils can help a pregnant mother improve her digestion using oils like peppermint and ginger (for acid reflux). Peppermint ranks top in essential oils for digestion because it helps relax your intestinal muscles and relieve gas pressure. It is also great in calming down reflux.
However, you must not ingest carrier oils, for they can be phototoxic when swallowed.

We suggest using products like TummyDrops for your digestive problems.

8. Boost Immunity

Studies have shown repression in the maternal immune system throughout pregnancy. These changes happen to prevent the immune system from rejecting the fetus. To boost the immune, a pregnant mother can drink a lot of water and do regular exercises.

While essential oils do not work for everyone, aromatherapy has proven effectiveness in boosting immunity during pregnancy. Many of these oils work directly to either eliminate viruses that cause ailments or strengthen the immune system.

Essential oils boost immunity via these properties: anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiviral.

The four best essential oils that boost immunity include eucalyptus (cold & flu), frankincense (anti-inflammatory), oregano (antibacterial), and thyme (cough).
Essential oils used for the immune system should be diluted with a carrier oil. The carrier oil must also be organic (free from pesticide residue), well-researched, and of high quality.

 

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