You may see mixed information out there in different books about oils safe to use in pregnancy.  Please understand these books were written with all oil users in mind.  They will be ultra conservative because their readers may not necessarily be using the same brand of essential oils.

The information I give in my book comes from personal experience in my midwifery practice.

I always say to follow your own intuition. You are the one who was given stewardship over your body, and everyBODY is different, so do what you feel comfortable with.

Yes, safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Yes. I recommend avoiding clary sage in pregnancy before 40 weeks because it may strengthen contractions. At 40 weeks or in labor even for a VBAC it's fine to use. It's adaptogenic and supportive, it's not going to force the body to go beyond what it's capable of. You can find more detailed information and how to use it in labor in my book Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth & Babies Second Edition.

Yes safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

I don't think it necessarily increases progesterone but it does help support healthy hormones levels.  I highly recommend it while trying to conceive as well as throughout pregnancy.

Myrrh and peppermint on the abdomen may help to persuade a babe to turn head down.

Rub peppermint topically from hip to hip in a rainbow curve up over ribs, and rub myrrh on across low abdomen. Baby moves away from peppermint and goes toward myrrh.

Lying on a slant board or inversion table for a few min the rolling off to one side and crawling around on the floor for 10-15 min is also helpful.

Swimming may also help.

For a posterior baby:

Rub peppermint topically on low back and myrrh on low abdomen for a posterior babe.

I also recommend seeing a chiropractor who does the Webster Technique. http://icpa4kids.org/Wellness-Articles/midwives-advocate-chiropractic-care.html

Another great resource is:   http://spinningbabies.com/

Testimony: Hi Stephanie, I just wanted to tell you my friend was using peppermint and not having success. I bought her myrrh and dropped it off. Two days later the baby flipped and is now head down. – Danielle

The short answer is to avoid Clary Sage during pregnancy and peppermint while breastfeeding.

You may see mixed information out there in different books about oils and their safety in pregnancy and with your newborn. Please understand these books were written with all oil users in mind. They will be ultra conservative because their readers may not necessarily be dōTERRA users. The information I give in my book comes from personal experience in my midwifery practice.

During pregnancy there is heightened sensitivity, and we are very protective about what we put in our body, so we might use a little less of the oils but they can be used very effectively. dōTERRA has set a standard that reassures us we can use their oils with confidence during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Clary Sage is relaxing, calming and soothing. In general Dr. Hill asks women not to use it during pregnancy unless they have a lot of experience with the oils, simply because there are so many oils that can accomplish the same thing that maybe aren't quite as aggressive as that one is.

Peppermint is a caution only for lactating moms, but only a minor caution - it "may" decrease milk supply for some. Other than that, oils are very well founded for pregnancy.

In the end I always say to follow your own intuition. You are the one who was given stewardship over your body, and everyBODY is different, so do what you feel comfortable with.

Here is a message from Dr. Hill about using essential oils in pregnancy.

You may see/hear me reference the LLV as a prenatal vitamin, just to clarify, dōTERRA does not label it as a prenatal vitamin, but it IS a GREAT supplement to add to your dōTERRA wellness lifestyle when PREGNANT and I personally recommend it to all my clients as their prenatal supplement along with a folate supplement as discussed below.

Because the LLV is a "whole food" supplement, our bodies assimilate it much better than synthetic vitamins. That means your body is actually utilizing all of it, verses eliminating it because it's synthetic. The nutrients in the LLV are in the PERFECT amounts for our bodies to assimilate at one time including iron. I recommend taking the full dose when pregnant or breastfeeding to assure you are getting enough.

Vitamin A from natural food sources doesn't have any effects on your baby. In dōTERRA's LLV the Vitamin A is a natural source. Your body will only use what it needs.

The DNP (daily nutrient pack) is fine to use instead of LLV, the difference is it doesn't have the Alfa CRS that supports pain and inflammation and energy.

The LLV has 400mcg's of folate in it and you probably get extra in your diet, but if you feel you need more, here is my recommendation.

Seeking Health - Active B12 Lozenge with L-5-MTHF | 800 mcg

http://goo.gl/jOpgOQ

Nutricology - QuatreActiv Folate Plus

http://goo.gl/V6nCqc

Methyl Guard Plus, along WITH LLV. Methyl Guard is a formula meant to support those with the MTHFR gene mutation.

http://goo.gl/jcRZu0

I hope this helps you feel confident in using this AMAZING whole food supplement when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Phytoestrogen sets in motion the body's automatic systems for hormone balance in the right order, it also clears cell receptor sites so special areas can complete their individual tasks to serve the body.

Phytoestrogen complex dislodge and clear toxins, including toxic estrogen. The phytoestrogen clears toxic estrogen and then protects cell receptors from being bombarded by toxic estrogens. It is also adaptogenic, helping the body adjust whichever way it needs to.

Basically everyone in the US is exposed to false estrogens in plastics, preservatives, and a list a mile long, we all can benefit from the phytoestrogen supplement.

The bone nutrient is helpful for absorption and for feeding all of the hormones - it supports body functions, but when taken with the phytoestrogen -- they work together to support TOTAL balance. Phytoestrogen complex helps the bone nutrient get absorbed in the right place to support the last 4 hormones on the list of 127.

This is a safe supplement to take while trying to conceive, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. I recommend the full dose along with the Life Long Vitality or Daily Nutrition Pack for women.

Detoxification Complex supplement is nutrition targeted to the needs of the liver as well as the other internal organs.

It encourages all of your filtering organs, including your skin, to function optimally. When your filtering organs do their job, the result is a more robust operating system overall.

Detoxification blend including the softgels are specific to the liver. It increases bile production and has powerful antioxidants specific to the liver. The oil blend is all about protecting the liver and opens up the liver ducts so it can do its job more effectively.

Dr. Hill recommends that we use the Zendocrine supplement on an ongoing basis and not just when using the GX Assist.

Both of these are safe to take while trying to conceive, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

I don't recommend a general cleanse while pregnant or breastfeeding. The oils and GX Assist are totally safe but your body doesn't need the added stress of a cleanse during pregnancy/breast feeding.

If you feel the need to do a cleanse because of build up candida, I do have a mild cleanse in my book Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth & Babies that you could try.

The toxins from a cleanse are not released through breast milk or the placenta. The body has 4 natural elimination channels; GI track, kidneys, lungs and skin. The breasts are not one of them.

Mild Digestive Cleanse in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

3 drops melaleuca

3 drops lemon

3 drops thyme

Put in a capsule once a day for 10 days, and then follow up with PB Assist 1 cap 3 x a day for 5 days, then 1 everyday during pregnancy to build immunity that will be passed along to the baby. If you feel some sickness coming on, or having issues with yeast, this is a blend you can safely take to address this in pregnancy.

I would also recommend 2-3 Terrazyme with every meal, and lemon in all your water.

Detoxification complex and softgels are both okay to take during pregnancy or while breastfeeding (1 to 2 a day of each). The detoxification complex nourishes the liver and all other vital organs; it provides vital nutrients to them. It encourages all of your filtering organs, including your skin, to function optimally. When your filtering organs do their job, the result is a more robust operating system overall. This impacts the way we process emotions, as well.

The oil (softgels) dilates the ducts in the liver so that it can eliminate toxins and die-off more readily. It supports the extra stress that is placed on the liver while you are cleansing. The detoxification blend/softgel is all about protecting the liver and opening up the liver ducts so it can do its job more effectively.

I highly recommend protein every 2 hours.

I love Susan Weed's remedy of 2 t of cream of tartar in the juice of half a lemon with 1/2 cup of water once a day for 3 days skip a day and repeat. It will drop blood pressure about 20/10 and keep it down.

Here is an oil blend that has also worked for some.

6 drops Ylang Ylang

6 drops Helichrysum

4 drops Frankincense

4 drops Marjoram

4 drops Cassia

25 drops FCO

3-4 drops on hands, rub them together and apply to heart area, lymph area, wrists and to pressure points on ear 3-4 times a day.

Cut out grains and sugar from diet. The metabolic blend may help w cravings as well as help support healthy blood sugars. The Life Long Vitality supplements are also super helpful. The following blends may also offer support for healthy blood sugars in pregnancy.

• 5 drops Basil
• 3 drops coriander in a capsule everyday

OR

• 3 drops Lemon
• 3 drops Coriander
• 1 drop Oregano
• Put in capsule 2x day.

GTT Gestational Diabetes Testing

Typically, I counsel my moms to have Fasting sugars less than 95,

2 hour postprandial (after eating) values less than 120s.

If you are looking for an alternative to the traditional glucose test and you haven't done your glucose tolerance test yet. YOU HAVE OPTIONS!! Save yourself from the artificial dyes, GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, and harmful chemicals in the typical glucola or generic drinks. 11oz of this organic grape juice will give you the same sugar load.

http://amzn.to/2zosgpk

One of the keys to avoiding nausea is getting enough protein. Make sure you are getting 80-100 gm a day. Protein right before bed may also help. Beans are a great source of protein as well.

Oils that may help are:

Cardamom behind the ears and back of the neck is my favorite as well as peppermint just under the nose.

Other options are:

DigestZen

Ginger

Fennel

Sandalwood

Also dōTERRA's DigestiveTabs may be helpful. Often nausea is linked to a deficiency in magnesium. You may want to take an extra mag supplement and or get a mag spray or gel to use topically.

This comment comes from Dina:

At first, I couldn't stand them. Now I can't go without them. I'm 37 weeks now, and they're amazing at stopping nausea, indigestion and all things stomach related. Love them.

Essential oils that may help with restless leg syndrome are the massage blend, calming blend, marjoram and clary sage. You can mix the massage blend with fractionated coconut oil and rub on the top of the leg to the bottom and then layer with any other oils of your choice.

For pain I recommend the soothing blend and for nutritional support I recommend the daily supplement trio.

My GBS Protocol

I recommend to all my clients a chlorhexidine wash around thirty-six weeks; then they repeat it once they go into labor. Chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) is an antiseptic wash you can order online, that can eliminate GBS bacteria from the vagina.

Hibiclens Liquid Antiseptic 8oz

http://amzn.to/2ukm4Zg

The benefits of this approach are that Hibiclens does not cause the baby to become resistant to the normal colonization of skin and intestinal flora with healthy bacteria. I recommend a mixture of one part Hibiclens to twenty parts water in a peri bottle, and use it as a peri rinse every two to three hours for one day at 36 weeks gestation. One peri bottle mixture should last all day. If there are any risk factors such as chronic urinary tract infections, then I might recommend a round of essential oils in a capsule and on a tampon for a week.

GROUP B Strep Blend

4 drops lemon

4 drops oregano

4 drops melaleuca

4 drops On Guard blend

Take one capsule three times daily for one week, and in additionally do the following:

Soak a tampon in, or make a vaginal suppository:

10 drops melaleuca

7 drops lemon

4 drops oregano

1 Tablespoon fractionated coconut oil

Instructions

1. Mix essential oils and coconut oil together in a glass bowl.
2. Roll tampon into the mixture to absorb the contents and insert into the vagina before going to bed.
3. Wear a pad to absorb discharge.
4. Take out first thing in the morning and clean vagina in the shower.
5. Repeat every night for one week.

Or you can use the same oils to make a vaginal suppository.

Instructions:

1. 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil into glass bowl
2. Float glass bowl in warm water 2-quart pan until dissolved and you can totally see thru – clear and ‘liquidity’
3. Remove bowl from pan and add 20 drops of EO --- (for every 1 tablespoon of FCO add 20 drops of EO’s and blend oils into coconut oil
4. Cover the dish and put in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
5. Stir again and then let sit on the counter for a few minutes.
6. Pour into little sections of ice cube tray and cover with saran wrap.
7. Put in the fridge for about 1⁄2 hour, not the freezer.
8. Tear off sections of saran wrap ready to pop out little cubes on wrap one cube at a time.
9. Gently roll with saran wrap around the cube with fingers (warm) to the size of about a #2 pencil and then cut into 1⁄2 inch – 3⁄4 inch sections. Wrap individually and twist ends – like taffy.
10. Put them in a container and keep in fridge until ready to use.