THE POWER OF PREGNANCY
OK so you’ve heard it all before, but come on pregnancy is amazing isn’t it? The gestation of the next generation, the miraculous growth of a human from one tiny cell into an amazing complex multi-million cell being, WOW!
Hormonal fluctuations in pregnancy are the reason for all the changes that occur; from the ability of the uterus to grow and accommodate the growing baby and the pelvis to widen to also carry the load. The slowing down of the digestive system, which unfortunately can lead to constipation, the increased volume of blood to carry extra O2 around the body , sufficient enough for both Mum & baby, and the softening of all ligaments to ease the birth. Those are just some of the physical changes that occur without Mum having to do anything at all.
So what about the emotions? Hormones again! Some women embrace the changes and feel right at home. Others however may feel unsure, anxious or fearful. Massage in pregnancy gives you the chance to connect with your body and embrace the changes ahead. Like any life changing event there are stages of emotions that you may go through. From denial, to questioning; even to anger before acceptance.
Using essential oils in pregnancy
So what to do? Well Aromatherapy can help you explore those feelings and combat some of those physical symptoms.
At an Aromatherapy Treatment you practitioner should take the time to listen to what you want from your treatment and make you an individual blend to meet those needs. It may be that you are having trouble sleeping or that you have an achy back, but it may also be fear, worry or anxiety. Each essential oil has different therapeutic properties that can be chosen to suit your needs at that time.
There are some essential oils that must be avoided in pregnancy, but there are also many that are safe if used correctly. They should not be used neat on the skin, therefore must be diluted in a base or carrier oil, which is known as a blend. It is also necessary in pregnancy to further dilute the blend.
This is recognised to be a 1% blend. Ask your practitioner what blend percentage they are using?
Aromatherapy can be a safe and very effective treatment in pregnancy, if used sensibly and carefully. I am in no way advocating that aromatherapy should take the place of modern medicine, but it can be a complementary treatment.
So as baby grows and you start to mentally prepare for the start of parenthood, take some time to nurture ‘you’ and book yourself an Aromatherapy massage with a qualified practitioner and appreciate your body and how amazing it is and revel in the miracle growing inside you!
Always make sure that you consult a qualified practitioner before using aromatherapy in pregnancy.