Essential Oils To Boost Your Fertility
If you find yourself on an extended trying to conceive journey, you will often get to a point where you will be willing to ‘ try anything ‘… Especially if it is natural.
With saying that, as our journey is looking like it is going to be a little longer than most, we have been trying to implement any holistic routes possible.
This is where Amphora Aromatic’s come in.
Amphora Aromatics founders, Christine and Peter Carroll, travelled the world and spent time in a Himalayan hill town, studying native traditional medicine systems and associated philopsophy. On their return, they set up Amphora Aromatics - taking inspiration from their travels overland through Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan to India.
Starting life in Bristol in 1984 in the backroom of a small shop, Amphora Aromatics Ltd is now one of the UK's largest suppliers of essential oils and aromatherapy products.
Combining traditional formulas with exotic herbs and oils, company philosophy is to create high quality products at very competitive prices – and this is the secret to its success.
Providing specific beauty or wellbeing solutions, Amphora Aromatics extensive range of essential oils, creams, gels, balms and bodycare products are the result of many years experience seeking out independent producers from across the globe to source the best quality ingredients.
As well as an established wholesale and mail order business across the UK, Amphora Aromatics also exports worldwide to 92 countries from its manufacturing base in Bristol.
If you have followed Paul & I for any length of time, you know that we love fragrance, smells are very powerful; they can bring back memories and change how our bodies work. Don't believe it? Try not to smile when you smell some vanilla or cinnamon.
It may seem like a big jump to go from smiling when you smell something familiar… to it being healthier overall and getting your body ready to get pregnant, but aromatherapy with essential oils may also help with these things.
People think that different essential oils have different health benefits that may also help with fertility. Some of these benefits are balancing hormones, reducing stress, anxiety, and mood swings, and getting a better night's sleep. Let's see which ones might be best for getting pregnant.
OIL OF CLARY SAGE
A 2017 study found that clary sage oil can help balance estrogen if you think your hormones might need to be fixed before you get pregnant. Estrogen is a hormone that is needed to get pregnant.
But if you are pregnant, it might not be a good idea to use this essential oil. Reports that haven't been looked into, like anecdotes, say that it may cause contractions in the uterus. Studies are needed to prove this, so it's best to wait until we know more.
Clary sage essential oil can be used in a number of ways, such as by mixing it with a carrier oil and massaging it into the skin.
CITRUS ESSENTIAL OILS (ORANGE, GRAPEFRUIT, LEMON)
Orange, lemon, and grapefruit essential oils may help to give you more energy and make you feel better. For example, a study from 2015 found that orange essential oil helped women in labour feel less anxious. Even though you're not there yet, anxiety may hurt your chances of getting pregnant, so using orange essential oil as part of an aromatherapy session may help.
A 2014 study also found that some citrus essential oils, like lemon, can help settle upset stomachs, which can be very helpful if you do become pregnant.
Putting citrus essential oils into the air with a room diffuser is one of the most common ways to use them.
SANDALWOOD OIL
In terms of fertility, both men and women can benefit from sandalwood essential oil. Sandalwood has been said to boost testosterone in men, which may lead to a higher libido, but there isn't much research to back this up. Sandalwood may also help women get sexually aroused.
Sandalwood can be put into the air with a diffuser, or it can be rubbed on the skin (after being diluted, of course) with creams and massage oils.
GERANIUM OIL
Geranium is another essential oil that may help with oestrogen production, like clary sage. At least one study has shown that geranium essential oil can help increase oestrogen in the saliva. It has also been shown to make people feel less anxious and less sad, both of which can hurt fertility.
Most of the time, geranium essential oil is used in a room diffuser or in a cream that is put on the skin.
YLANG YLANG ESSENTIAL OIL
Ylang ylang essential oil is thought to have aphrodisiac properties. It can also help ease some of the symptoms of menstrual cramps while you wait to get pregnant.
A small study from 2014 suggests that ylang ylang essential oil can help you feel happy, which can lead to higher self-esteem and better mental health. This can be very helpful when you're having a hard time getting pregnant.
By diffusing ylang ylang, the room can be filled with its sweet, romantic scent. Ylang ylang cream or massage oil should be put on the abdomen to help with menstrual pains.
PEPPERMINT OIL
Peppermint essential oil wakes you up and makes you feel better. It's thought to help ease headaches and migraines, which have been linked to endometriosis, a common cause of infertility, based on anecdotes and limited research. This oil is also safe to use during pregnancy, and a 2018 study found that it can be very helpful if you start to feel sick in the morning.
Peppermint essential oil can be used in a diffuser, in a massage oil, or in lotions.
LAVENDER OIL
According to a 2016 study, lavender essential oil may help you relax and lower your cortisol levels if you're feeling stressed about getting pregnant. (As a bonus, it might help you sleep, so you can feel better rested and more able to deal with other things in your life.)
Lavender can be added to massage oils, sprayed on pillowcases, put in a diffuser, or even just sniffed from the bottle to calm down right away.
Oils to stay away from when trying to get pregnant
Keep in mind that something isn't automatically safe just because it comes from nature. When you use essential oils, you might get rashes, headaches, and other allergic reactions.
It's also important to think about how diffusing essential oils might affect the health of people around you. (Pregnant women, young children, and pets are especially vulnerable.)
It's important to talk to a doctor about your use of essential oils and any bad effects you might be having from using them.
Some essential oils may help with fertility, but others may be more dangerous because they could:
lack of research on toxicity
People use uterine contractions in very large amounts to start home abortions.
Some essential oils you might want to avoid if you want to get pregnant are:
ginger (in concentrated medicinal amounts it may impact menstruation)
rosemary
basil\saniseed
birch\shyssop
camphor
rose\smugwort
parsley (high doses may impact uterine muscles)
juniper berry
jasmine
nutmeg
sage
pennyroyal\stansy
tarragon
thuja
wintergreen\swormwood
Essential oils and fertility are still a topic that needs a lot more research. While we wait for that research to be done, you can enjoy the effects of some essential oils that may help you get in the best mood to get pregnant.
Whether you want to balance your estrogen, boost your libido, relax, or just sleep better, the answer might be as close as a sniff.
Have you ever used essential oils alongside your trying to conceive journey?
