Essential Oils for Breastfeeding Mothers

Essential Oils for Breastfeeding Mothers

Did you know that essential oils can be used for breastfeeding mothers? While it’s always very important to be cautious of what you use or ingest while breastfeeding, there are some benefits to essential oils when used correctly during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

While essential oils have many useful applications it is important to be careful when breastfeeding because there are some oils that are not safe or may cause issues with breastfeeding. The first rule of thumb is to never apply essential oils to your nipples, but you can still use oils in other areas, it’s just a matter of knowing which oils are good for your breastfeeding experience.

Peppermint Reduces Milk Supply

This popular oil can actually be bad for milk production. If you’re experiencing low milk supply and have been applying, diffusing or ingesting peppermint oil that should be the first thing you stop using to see if your supply increases.

Increase Milk Supply

Fennel, Clary sage, basil, and geranium mixed with carrier oil are great oils to increase your milk supply. You should not use the fennel oil for longer than 10 days at a time. You can massage this mixture to your breasts, avoiding the nipple area for soothing and milk production.

Relaxation and Rest

New moms need to take some time for relaxation. Indulge in a bath with lavender and wild orange essential oil applied to the walls of the shower or tub while baby sits close by in a carrier or even baby swing. This lets the oils diffuse into the air and will benefit both you and your baby while you relax and prepare for a nice nap.

Using essential oils can benefit both mom and baby when breastfeeding, it is just a matter of knowing which oils to use! Click on the photo above to download these tips!