Expert: Judy Frayne - 3/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: hi,
  can i use euculyptus in a vaporizor during pregnancy?  i just did and i saw on several sites that say to avoid it and then one site recommended to use it during pregnancy and sinus colds.  thank you for your assistance.  gia

ANSWER: Hi Gia
Thanks for your question.
First of all - I would avoid eucalyptus as a massage oil during pregnancy IF there was any kind of history of gynecological troubles, AND  within the early stages of the pregnancy.

If you are using a vaporizer - then the amount of oil you will be inhaling will be minute, and would be safe. I would only use one or two drops maximum in the vaporizer.

However - there are some milder alternatives that are good for clearing the sinuses, that are great for inhaling through a vaporizer :

Rosemary : very head clearing refreshing
Myrtle : this is great for young children as well, who find eucalyptus too stifling.
Lavender : probably the gentlest of all - and it helps with sleep.
Spearmint : one drop only - slightly sweeter than peppermint and not so overpowering.

These could be used together as well. One drop lavender, one drop spearmint is lovely.

Once the pregnancy is past 3 months and trouble free - and if you like lavender, ( some people hate it !) I would actually recommend one drop of lavender applied undiluted to the forehead and temples.You can also put some on your pillow, or on a tissue and have it near your face - tucked into your shoulder strap for instance....However this is the only oil to be used undiluted in this way.

The main reason we avoid using some of the more powerful oils during pregnancy for massage, is that some of them encourage the circulatory system - and thus encourage blood flow.This is obviously quite dangerous for anyone who has a history of miscarriage or similar problems. Later, during late pregnancy and when the baby is breast feeding, we avoid using oils for massage, as they will pass through the mother to the child. The child's liver is not geared to process essential oils until it is eating solid foods.
For inhaling - the oils evaporate very quickly into the air, and the amount of oil passing into the nose is extremely small, and probably would go much further than the sinuses. At worst this might cause you a headache if you find the smell too strong, but it won't be enough to get into your body systems.

Best wishes

Judy



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you so much for all of the info.  i really do appreciate it.  you answered my question, i just want to follow up with another related one.  your last paragraph specifically pertains to my concern, it is good to know that the euculyptus oil evaporates quickly in the air and i believe you meant to say they wouldn't go past much further than the sinuses correct?
 my question is, i put more like around 8-10 drops in the vaporizor and it smelled pretty strong in the room so after about an hour i shut it off and put the fan on.  if it smelled strong as such would it still not be enough to go into my systems and fetus (i am 16 weeks pregnant btw) and the biggest effect be a headache?  thanks agian, gia

Answer
Hi Gia - sorry for my misprint mistake - of course you realised I had said that the extremely small amount WOULDN'T go further than the sinuses.....

I did wonder if you were using an electric vaporizer. My personal use is of the type of vaporizer that uses hot water over a tea light candle and the essential oils are dropped into this. The oils are carried through the air in the steam. I use a vaporizer with a good deep top that will hold plenty of water and give a decent amount of steam into the atmosphere. This way you are actually lifting the oils into the air on the steam, rather than burning off the oil itself for it's effect.

Personally I prefer this to the electric inhalers,but which ever type you use, I think 8 - 10 drops is definitely too much, even of something gentle like lavender. The oils are very concentrated and your delicate sinuses can only take so much of a good thing !

Don't worry about the effect on your baby. At 16 weeks I would recommend using oils for the vaporizer for relaxing as well as decongesting . Your common sense obviously told you that you didn't like such a strong smell,and that's what you should trust.By the time the aroma reaches the baby it would hardly register at all.... remember that some people are still smoking while they are pregnant and babies have to put up with the smoke filtering through the system in much larger and more regular amounts. You would have to be inhaling massive amounts to have any adverse effect on the baby, and I think your poor head would be letting you know long before that!

Stick with your vaporizer but just use one or two drops. Our noses get used to so many synthetic smells these days - air fresheners, detergents and perfumes, that we tend to miss the subtlety of the essential oils.

Good luck and very best wishes to you both
Judy