Essential Oils for Breastfeeding: What’s Safe and What to Avoid
Essential oils are used for a variety of things, but did you know you can use essential oils for breastfeeding too?
Today I will outline all the essential oils that work great for your breastfeeding journey, and which ones you should typically avoid.
Essential oils can help make breastfeeding easier for mothers.
This is your ultimate breastfeeding essential oils guide!
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are part of a plant. They come about through an extraction process using distillation
The essential oil has the smell or essence of the plant, which traditional medicine has found to link to healing properties.
With the interest in essential oils over the last twenty years or so, more research is slowly becoming available to help us truly understand how powerful these oils can be to heal and help us.
Essential oils can be used for so many things in your life. They can help with many different ailments and can be used in the house, around the baby, in cooking, and more. Read further to see how effective they can be for feeding your little one.
Benefits of Essential Oils During Breastfeeding
Essential oils have a variety of health benefits that can help with breastfeeding symptoms, such as boosting milk supply, relieving painful letdowns, and soothing sore nipples.
Essential oils can also be used for a variety of purposes like improving mood, relieving stress, or calming an infant.
Breastfeeding mothers experience a variety of emotions and stresses which can have a negative impact on the breastfeeding experience. Essential oils are a simple way to help reduce these feelings and provide much-needed relief from the mother.
Essential oils can also:
– Decrease stress levels
– Build up milk supply
– Help with lactation
– Provide comfort to baby
How to use Essential Oils for Breastfeeding
There are two main ways to use essential oils for breastfeeding: topically and aromatically.
Topically, you can use it in a nipple balm to relieve sore and cracked nipples, wear it as a perfume to calm you down while you pump or breastfeed, amongst many other things.
You can also use essential oils in a diffuser or breathe them in to find many benefits. This is typically for the emotional side of things to help with sleep, stress, anxiety, relaxation, energy, and peace.
Precautions with Essential Oils and Breastfeeding
Essential oils are known for their therapeutic properties, but essential oils should be used with caution while breastfeeding.
While there are no conclusive studies that prove or disprove the use of essential oils while breastfeeding, it is best to use your judgment and own caution.
You know your body and your baby best; you can be the one to decide. Do your research and only use essential oils that are pure and safe.
Some of my favorite books for education include:
You can always consult with your healthcare provider before using any type of essential oil if you are worried.
How Essential Oils Can Make Breastfeeding Easier
Here are the best essential oils for breastfeeding!
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1. Relaxing You
Jasmine relieves anxiety, depression, and tension while also soothing emotions. It is great as a perfume as well!
Lavender also promotes relaxation and improves mood while calming nerves when used during breastfeeding sessions.
This Calming Blend is my favorite for calming me down. This always helped me produce more milk, especially while pumping.
There are so many amazing oils that help to calm and relax you, even decrease your stress and anxiety.
Here are a few other ones to try:
Find one that works great for you!
Breastfeeding affirmations are also super helpful in helping to relax and empower you.
2. Boost Milk Supply
I used fennel while I breastfed my first baby and it seriously helped me to increase my milk supply. Apply fennel topically right on your breast. Always use a carrier oil like coconut oil and then massage on the breast, but not the nipples. If you get it on the nipples, just wash it off.
Fennel for increasing your milk supply is best for 10 days on and 10 days off. Basil essential oil is also known to increase milk supply as well and does not have to be used for ten days.
Rosemary can also boost milk production while lactating as well. Each is safe to use while breastfeeding, just do not use them while breastfeeding your baby. Only before and after. Be sure to wash off before your baby eats as well just to be extra cautious.
3. Relieving Mastitis and Plugged Milk Ducts
Lavender essential oil can help a lot with clogged ducts. Add a carrier oil and a few drops of lavender and massage on your breast. It is generally best to do this right after a feeding so it can be absorbed better.
Another great way to relieve a clogged duct is with a haakaa, or with some heating pads that are an amazing breastfeeding essential.
4. Soothe Painful Nipples
While many do not like to put essential oils on their nipples, sometimes you can add a natural nipple cream that uses essential oils in them.
Some of my favorites are either Earth Mama or Earthley.
You can also try some roman chamomile, helichrysum, and frankincense. As always, lavender is great for any pain.
5. Engorgement
Most know about using cabbage leaves to help relieve engorgement, but you can also add lavender to the bottom of your feet or to your bath to help as well. Make some lavender bath salts that include both the essential oil and the lavender buds.
If you are trying to dry up your supply, sage or peppermint essential oils can also do wonders.
6. Breast Pain
Because it is best to avoid peppermint, there are many other great things you can use for breast pain.
Frankincense is great for the skin but it also has anti-inflammatory properties to help your pain and relief.
I personally love lavender and copaiba in a roller bottle to massage when I need to.
You might also want to try to grab some of these breastfeeding essentials to see if they help with your pain too.
7. Energy
Sometimes the lack of sleep can throw off your milk supply as well. Using citrus oils can help boost your energy!
Some of my favorites include:
Essential Oils to Avoid While Breastfeeding
Here are a few essential oils it is best to avoid while you breastfeed.
Peppermint Oil
All peppermint essential oils should be avoided. There have been a few studies showing that peppermint can decrease your milk supply.
Some moms have found success using it, especially nowhere near their breasts, but that is up to you to decide. There are many alternatives to help with pain so it’s best to just avoid it!
Wintergreen shouldn’t be used as well.
Oregano Oil
Oregano essential oil is another one it is best to avoid. This may also decrease your supply. Eating oregano as a spice is okay because it is a lot less concentrated than an essential oil.
Some say you can still use it if you apply it to the bottom of your feet, but again, you need to decide for yourself.
Cinnamon Oil
Hot oils should be avoided as well, such as cinnamon oil.
Essential oils while breastfeeding can be powerful tools to help you through this sometimes difficult journey.
Did I miss any? What other essential oils have you used in your breastfeeding journey?
If you are ready to start using essential oils, try getting one of these all natural aromatherapy subscription boxes!
If you need further help, check out the best natural breastfeeding must-haves.
