AROMATHERAPY AND
PREGNANCY
The gentle, healing action of aromatherapy is constructive during pregnancy when it is not advisable to take medication except under the watchful eye of your doctor.
You will see how aromatherapy oils can help to lessen the niggly, uncomfortable problems, such as nausea (morning sickness), swollen hands and feet, general aches and pains and fatigue. They can also help you relax and look after your body as it slowly changes. Please be sensible, though. If there’s anything you’re unsure of regarding your health, check with your doctor first.
IN THE BEGINNING (FIRST TO THIRD MONTH)
The first three months of pregnancy are the most taxing for your body. During these early stages, ‘blooming’ may be your last feeling. Rest is essential, so allow time to relax and wind down before going off to bed. You could also try burning one of the relaxing base note oils in your bedroom to help you sleep.
You may feel nauseous, particularly between the eighth and tenth weeks, when one of the pregnancy hormones is at its peak. Your skin and hair can take a bashing early on in pregnancy when a sudden increase in your hormone levels activates the sebaceous glands, increasing the oiliness of your skin and hair. Luckily, this usually corrects itself during the next few months, but you should be extra scrupulous right now and, if necessary, reassess your skin type.
FATIGUE
Try to relax prior to going to bed. Either try a relaxing aromatherapy bath or burn one of the following blends of oil in the room you are in before going off to bed, then take the burner/ vaporizer into your bedroom.
• Camomile and lavender
• Sandalwood
• Neroli and ylang-ylang
THE MIDDLE MONTHS (FOURTH
TO THE SIXTH MONTH)
Nausea, tiredness and irritability should all have lifted by now, and you will probably feel you can take on the world. This is a good time to start making your body more flexible and to learn relaxation and breathing techniques. Aromatherapy oils are excellent aids to relaxation, so don’t overlook them.
Start to look after your skin (on both your face and body) religiously now. It may seem a chore, but it will pay dividends later. Your weight will have increased noticeably already, putting extra strain on your pelvis, back and legs. Varicose veins and spider veins often first appear during pregnancy, so try to take as many preventive measures as possible now. Support tights help, as do regular moderate exercise and the aromatherapy treatment.
Constipation can sometimes be a problem in the early stages of pregnancy, but avoid the use of laxatives. Instead, try to eat high-fibre and raw foods, drink plenty of water, or try the aromatherapy remedy.
MORNING SICKNESS OR NAUSEA
If you’re feeling nauseous but not actually vomiting, mix up a blend of two drops each of fennel, lavender and sandalwood oils with 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Massage it into your abdomen at regular intervals during the day, and try a little dab under your nose so you can inhale it. Inhaling peppermint oil can also relieve morning sickness, but it would be advisable to massage it during pregnancy.
VOMITING
If you’re vomiting, mix up a blend of two drops each of lemon, fennel and rose oil with 4 oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Gently massage it into your upper and lower abdomen and inhale it if you can bear it.
CONSTIPATION
Try to relieve your constipation naturally by watching your diet (eat more unrefined food) and increasing your liquid intake. A helpful aromatherapy mixture is three drops of black pepper and three drops of fennel oil in 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. Gently massage it along your lower abdomen, starting inside your right hip bone, working up, then across past your navel and back down towards your left hip bone. Be gentle and repeat several times daily.
TIRED LEGS/VARICOSE VEINS
Add three drops of lemon and three drops of lavender oil, and 4 doz (100 ml) of light carrier oil, such as grapeseed oil. Massage daily (twice a day, if time allows) from the ankle firmly up to the knee, then firmly up to the top of the thigh. Repeat these movements until the oil is absorbed. After the treatment, try to spend at least half an hour with both feet raised above hip level.
Note: Try to avoid scalding baths as they can weaken the capillaries and cause little broken veins under your skin, particularly on your thighs. You are extra vulnerable to these during pregnancy.
THE FINAL MONTHS (SEVEN TO NINE MONTHS)
By now, you will carry an extra 15 pounds (6.75 kilos) or more. You will probably tire quickly and may even sometimes feel dizzy. Sleep can become a problem as finding a comfortable position in bed is challenging.
Try lying on your side with a cushion under your uppermost leg, knees slightly bent. The cushion acts as a support and will lessen the strain on your lower back.
Towards the end of pregnancy, a lot of women find their hands and feet swell up, especially during hot weather. Counteract this by drinking plenty of water (to aid kidney function) and trying the appropriate aromatherapy treatment.
DIFFICULTY IN SLEEPING
Ask your partner to gently massage your lower back, shoulders and neck with an aromatherapy blend made from three drops of vetivert and lavender oil in 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil. This is a sedative, calming and relaxing, and it has undoubtedly helped patients through some sleepless nights.
You can also try drinking camomile tea before bed and putting a little of the above blend on your pillow.
FLUID RETENTION
Mix two drops of eucalyptus oil, two drops of geranium oil and two drops of lavender oil with 4 fl oz (100 ml) of light carrier oil. Rub it gently into your lower legs and hands. Massage with firm upward strokes – on your legs from ankle to knee and your arms from hand to elbow. You can also try using the blend in a coolish bath.
SORE NIPPLES
Your breasts will have grown larger throughout pregnancy, and you may have noticed your nipples have darkened and become softer. From the middle months onwards, drops of colostrum ( the baby’s first food if you breastfeed) are secreted from your nipples, and sometimes they can become sore and cracked.
The following aromatherapy treatment is healing and soothing and can be continued while you breastfeed. Add six drops of marigold oil (often known as calendula) to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil (wheatgerm oil is good). Apply two or three times a day. You can add the marigold oil to a fragrance-free cream if you prefer.
GENTLE WAYS TO MASSAGE
I’ve already talked at length about the benefits of massage. It is an excellent way for you and your partner to get to know the feel 
of your body and the way it is changing throughout pregnancy. Obviously, extra care needs to be taken when working on more vulnerable areas, such as your tummy and lower back, but they can still be worked on, and you will find here some excellent, gentle massage movements to try.
During pregnancy, the amount of aromatherapy oil you add to the carrier oil should be reduced by half because your body is much more sensitive to the oils when you are pregnant and better able to absorb them. Nevertheless, you will still receive adequate treatment, so don’t be tempted to add a few more drops just in case.
This relaxation massage is simple to learn; you could even give it to a pregnant friend. The lovely aromatherapy scents are also relaxing and help alleviate tension often present during pregnancy.
Make sure your partner is comfortable, then begin. If your partner is more than four months pregnant, she will find it uncomfortable to lie on her front. Instead, help her lie on her side supported by a cushion or massage her back while she is sitting, with a cushion to lean on for support.
MASSAGING THE BACK
Apply your chosen oil to your partner’s back, shoulders, and arms.
• Stroke gently down the spine from the base of the neck to the lower back. Do this slowly and evenly and repeat, using alternate hands, twenty times.
• With both hands, gently stroke down the sides of the neck, over the shoulders and down the arms, coming off at the hands. Repeat ten times.
• With both hands, stroke gently up the spine, round the shoulder blades in a figure-of-eight, then gently down the sides of the body. Repeat ten times.
• Stoke across the back, starting from the lower back on the right-hand side. Stroke in from the outside of the body towards the spine with alternate hands, moving gently up the back towards the shoulders. Repeat several times on the right side, then work on the left side in the same way.
• Place one hand on your partner’s lower back, place your other hand on top, and allow the heat from your hands to build up. This is very soothing to a sore back.
• Repeat step 1.
Now work on your partner’s neck to ease tension.
• Knead along from the outer shoulders towards the base of the neck. Repeat four or five times.
• With your fingertips, work in little circular movements from the base of the neck to the base of the skull. Repeat four or five times.
• Stroke down the sides of the neck and out to the shoulders very slowly. Repeat five or six times.
Now turn your partner onto her back. (She may like the support of a rolled-up towel under her knees.)
MASSAGING THE TUMMY
Gently apply your chosen oil to your partner’s tummy.
• Gently stroke down the tummy from between the breasts to the public bone. Repeat twenty times with alternate hands.
• Gently circle around the tummy with the flat of your hand in a clockwise direction. Do not apply any pressure. Think of this as a way to soothe and calm your partner. Repeat five or six times.
• Stroke in from the hip bone, using alternate hands, gradually moving up the body to the side of the chest. Repeat several times on each side.
• The movement is helpful for an aching, tired back. Repeat under your partner’s waist with both hands. Now slide them out from under her back, lifting gently as you do so. Bring your hands gently over her tummy. Repeat five or six times.
• Repeat step 1.
The massage is mainly for relaxation, and I recommend trying one of the following aromatherapy blends. Use six drops of aromatherapy oil to 4 fl oz (100 ml) of carrier oil.
• Camomile and lavender
• Frankincense and neroli
• Ylang-ylang and sandalwood
• Geranium and rose
Alternatively, use any of the above oils singly in a carrier oil.