Recovering from the labor and delivery process can be stressful on the body. Find the best Essential Oils to have on hand for postpartum recovery.
With each birthing experience, getting back into the swing of things has been a little harder. Almost two years ago, I gave birth to our fifth, and recovery was far more difficult with the fifth than it was with the first. Perhaps it’s because I’m ten years older than I was when I had our first.
Or perhaps because having 5 truly knocks the wind out of you and takes a little longer for your body to recover.
Essential Oils can do wonders in supporting a healthy birth, and this my pregnancy was an amazing experience.
One thing to remember though is that Essential Oils can be pretty powerful. It’s always great to do your own research. We recommend Robert Tisserand’s Book on Essential Oil Safety and Gentle Babies from Debra Raybern.
Here are some of the most important Essential Oils you’ll want to keep close during postpartum to help you recover quickly and get back on your feet.
Essential Oils for Postpartum Recovery
Helichrysum is great for helping with pain and supporting healing. Combine it with Lavender for this Perineal spray to use after birth. It’s a great idea to use this every time you change your pad and use the bathroom – and bonus: use with the witch hazel pads (or tucks pads) they usually give you in the hospital.
Lavender, Bergamot and Lemon together work wonders as a mood-booster – to help you get out of a funk and perhaps kick those baby blues.
A single drop of Lemon or Lime Essential Oil in your 8 oz glass of water is an amazing way to stay hydrated – especially if you are a nursing mama. Nursing often times triggers thirst, and it’s important to stay as hydrated as possible. Always have a glass of water nearby to drink when you sit down to feed the baby.
Peppermint works super to help encourage urination after you deliver. Do not apply topically, but add a single drop to the toilet. Note that applying Peppermint externally or using internally may affect your breast milk – so use on the body with caution following delivery.
Clary Sage, Fennel and Basil work GREAT to support breastfeeding as a nursing mama. After birth, encourage breastfeeding with Clary Sage by applying to the bottoms of your feet or inside your ankles. To support continued breast milk production, use Fennel or Basil Essential Oils. Dilute 1 drop of Essential Oil with 1 Tablespoon of carrier oil and apply several hours before nursing. Basil is stronger – so make sure you wipe any residue well before baby next feeds.
Lavender and Helichrysum are great for supporting healthy skin post pregnancy – not only for nipple soreness but also for skin support on the lower abdomen, too.
That’s not it!
During pregnancy, a rise in hormones prevents you from losing your hair by binding to local estrogen receptors on the hair follicles. After pregnancy, your estrogen returns to normal levels, and causes you to return to the original shedding cycle. To help with this, add a few drops of Cedarwood to your shampoo. Cedarwood is great for supporting a healthy scalp and healthy hair.
For additional support postpartum, use Geranium. Geranium is great for soothing cracked nipples as well as supporting healthy stomach skin and breast skin. Combine 1 drop with 1 Tablespoon of carrier oil and apply directly.
For Endocrine Support, you can try Bergamot, Progessence Plus, and even Clary Sage. Progessence Plus is a wonderful way of supporting women’s health (read more about it HERE).
Have the post-baby blues? Thankfully there are several mood-boosting essential oils that will ease the baby blues. Joy and Orange are both great mood lifters, as are Lavender and Stress Away oils – which can boost your well-being. Valor is another must-have oil that promotes self reassurance, too.
Oils to Avoid while Breastfeeding
If you are a nursing mama, there are several oils you will want to avoid ~ including the following:
- Blue Cypress
- Carrot Seed
- Cinnamon Bark
- Dill
- Hyssop
- Nutmeg
- Myrrh
- Panaway
- Raven
- Clarity
- Deep Relief
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Wintergreen
- Idaho Tansy
- And more – our list is NOT an extensive list!
There are so many essential oils out there on the market today. Do your best to research each and find one that works best for you, and one that you feel comfortable using during and after your pregnancy.
The content that we shared, above, is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or treatment. It’s always best to check with a qualified health provider for questions you might have.
Moreover, this information has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
I also use YL EO. I am looking for a recipe for a friend who just had a baby and is again pregnant and is having terrible veracos vein breakouts and pain. I have found many recipes, but since she is pregnant (and not sure if she is nursing, assuming yes) wasn’t sure what was best. I was wondering if you had any recommendations. Thank you.
T-
Hi Tennille, I have veins too, but nowhere near as bad. She could use a mixture of Helichrysum, Lavender and Geranium with carrier on her legs to support healthy circulation. I would stay away from Lemongrass though (not recommended for pregnancy).
Helichrysum is one of the more expensive oils but is wonderful for supporting healthy circulation.
To confirm, I can use carrot seed and rosemary topically in a face serum while I am breastfeeding….right?
I put a drop of Rosemary in my facial cream, and it’s fine – I’m breastfeeding. Rosemary is one of those oils that has the ability to affect milk supply — when used in excess. A few drops here and there is fine, using it in excess may affect your milk – but every woman is different so what may affect me may not affect you.
I use Peppermint Vitality with Lavender and Lemon Vitality in capsules for seasonal relief, but just a few months ago, I used Peppermint to get rid of an “ant” I saw in my kitchen. I remember going crazy and spraying Peppermint in fear, and it did affect me because the next day I was struggling with my milk. I haven’t made that mistake since .. and thankfully I had Fennel and Fenugreek to help pick back up again.
In the end, a few drops or a single drop is ok – it’s when you get excessive that you have to worry.
Do you know if these oils are only bad for skin contact or should they be avoided in diffusers too?
You can diffuse them – I myself am breastfeeding and I diffuse Raven, and Cinnamon Bark without issues. I would avoid taking the Vitality Oils (if they are offered as a Vitality Oil – like Rosemary), and applying them topically though. I also try to avoid Peppermint because last month I had a single ant on my kitchen counter and went crazy spraying peppermint then couldn’t figure out why my milk was struggling. But after a few days of using Fennel (topically) and Fennel vitality (in a capsule) I was back to normal with my milk supply.
Every woman is different though so although Peppermint may affect some it might not affect every breastfeeding mama. The Gentle Babies book is so helpful to have if you have children or are pregnant. You can find it on AbundantHealth.com.
The only ones you wouldn’t want to diffuse are oils like Deep Relief, because that’s a roll-on for topical use (not really meant for diffusing), and Kidscents oils that include a carrier in the bottle (like Owie, TummyGize) because they have a carrier in the bottle that might not be good for your diffuser 😉
Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!
Can you tell me why you’re supposed to avoid Rosemary while nursing? I wanted to use it on my hair which I read helps with the CRAZY amounts of hair loss I am experiencing…along with Cedarwood and Lavender. I am getting mixed info but don’t want to compromise my supply or my baby!
I use it on my hair and I’m breastfeeding. Using it in large amounts (Rosemary, Peppermint, Sage, Thyme) may affect your milk supply. I haven’t had an issue with a few drops in my spray for my hair (I had hair loss pretty bad until I started using P+ and EndoFlex, now I’m back to normal), but going crazy with it may affect you.
I also use a hair spray with Lavender and Cedarwood and Rosemary together – I spray every day after my shower. I wouldn’t worry too much 😉