Yay! You’re pregnant! While pregnancy can be such an exciting, blissful, and memorable time overall, it can also bring along many changes and some not-so-fun, but common symptoms. These can occur throughout the entire pregnancy or in specific trimesters due to fluctuating hormones and other reactions happening in the body as you grow a tiny human. In this post, I’ve broken down some of the symptoms I experienced during this pregnancy along with the natural remedies I used to help manage and alleviate them.
Nausea
I definitely experienced quite a bit of nausea this pregnancy especially during the 1st trimester. Two essential oils that helped a lot with this were Peppermint and Lemon. I would diffuse these often or just inhale them directly from the bottle when a wave of nausea would hit. I found it was also key to graze throughout the day instead of try to stomach three normal sized meals. I’m not a big ginger fan so ginger tea/candies were a no-go for me but sipping on Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea was helpful.
Headaches
When headaches hit, Peppermint and Copaiba were my best friends. The cooling menthol in Peppermint oil is so soothing and can actually help muscles relax and ease the pain. Copaiba actually enhances the properties of other oils when combined with them and has anti-inflammatory properties. I would mix these two with coconut oil and apply all over – to my temples, forehead, neck and shoulders. Panaway is another great go-to for headaches however I chose to avoid applying Panaway topically for the most part during this pregnancy due to Wintergreen (a main oil in the blend) being on most “Caution During Pregnancy” lists.
Indigestion/Heartburn
Apple Cider Vinegar helps with neutralizing acid levels in the body. I noticed I got heartburn anytime I had high acid foods like Italian foods and pizza because of the tomato sauce. After eating these things, I would drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with warm water and it was a game changer. Apple cider vinegar is amazing for sooo many things. Google “Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits” if you haven’t already.
Water! I think staying hydrated is so key in general during pregnancy, but especially to keep digestion on track. I love having a big glass of water in the mornings with a drop of Lemon essential oil to help jumpstart my metabolism and naturally cleanse and detox the body.
I made a “Digestion” roller bottle that I kept in my purse with fractionated coconut oil, Digize oil blend and Peppermint essential oil. As soon as I felt any indigestion or heartburn after eating, I rolled this on my stomach and chest. Seriously, this blend of oils works so fast. I’ll be honest, not the best smell, but serious relief fast! So thankful for the Digize blend and the Peppermint helps mask the strong scent.
Insomnia/Restlessness/Restless Legs
This was the biggest and still is the biggest challenge for me this pregnancy so I have quite a bit to add in this section. While I didn’t do all of these together every single night, I alternated and tried these different remedies throughout my pregnancy for support.
Natural Calm Plus Calcium is a Magnesium-Calcium powder supplement that you add to water. I took this about 30 minutes prior to bedtime. Because magnesium is a vital, multi-purposed mineral involved in an estimated 700+ enzymatic reactions in the body, Natural Calm is used for a variety of reasons including stress relief, bone health support, heart health support and support of energy storage and transportation systems. Magnesium is also well known to help with sleep related issues like insomnia, anxiety and even restless leg syndrome/muscle spasms which lucky me, I started to experience in the 3rd trimester.
Young Living’s Immupro tablets. These tablets were an awesome addition to my supplement routine starting in the 2nd trimester because not only do they support the immune system, but they contain a small dose of melatonin that I felt comfortable taking during my pregnancy to support sleep.
Epsom Salt baths before bed to wind down have been so helpful when I make them a priority. If you’re unfamiliar with what Epsom Salt is, it’s Magnesium! So, in addition to actually consuming it in supplement form, Epsom Salt baths help with relaxing my body and especially my restless muscles.
I diffuse calming/comforting oils at bedtime. My go-to’s are Peace & Calming blend or Lavender & Cedarwood together. Some other ones I like for relaxing are Gentle Baby and White Angelica blends. I also used my Tranquil Roller nightly that is a pre-mixed roller with Coconut Oil, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood and Lavender. I am so addicted to this roller…I roll it everywhere! On my wrists, neck, under the nose and even on the bottoms of the feet.
Snoring/Congestion
I didn’t realize that congestion was a common pregnancy symptom especially in the 3rd trimester due to increased circulation and mucus production. As soon as my husband mentioned I had started snoring at night, I tried adding Eucalyptus in the diffuser overnight and he said there was no more snoring! Raven and RC are also great blends that contain Eucalyptus as well and help open up the airways. I also used Ocean Saline Nasal Spray to open up the nasal passages and get things flowing.
Hemorrhoids
Oh ya, this is a fun one to talk about. I just say no to Preparation H with all its unneeded chemicals, no thanks. Even those Tuck’s pads have a lot of unnecessary synthetic and potentially irritating ingredients added to them. I just applied a drop of Cypress essential oil to a cotton pad diluted with witch hazel and applied to the area. Cypress as well as witch hazel have astringent properties and Cypress is also a vasoconstrictor. I also applied Young Living’s Rose Ointment to soothe. This is such a great “catch all” ointment/balm to have on hand for literally all the things.
Stretch Marks/Itchy Skin
While I have been blessed in both pregnancies not to acquire many stretch marks, I had the itchiest skin during both! What helped most was exfoliating and keeping the skin as hydrated as possible. I make up my own sugar scrub to keep in the shower that contains coconut oil, sugar and essential oils (I like to mix up the essential oils I use, but my favorites are citrus oils for a scrub like this). That’s it! It’s so easy. And then when I get out of the shower, I apply either a homemade body oil with coconut oil, Frankincense, Lavender and Gentle Baby essential oils or my new favorite all natural body butters from Rustic Maka.
Fatigue
Goodness, this was a challenging one throughout all trimesters with this pregnancy. Between having trouble sleeping and running around after a busy toddler, I felt like I could never escape my constant state of exhaustion. However, I do feel like I few things I did gave me a little energy assistance. I drank Ningxia Red antioxidant drink daily and also took 2 Super B tablets in the afternoon when I would feel most tired.
Super B contains Orgen-FA, a naturally derived source of folate from lemon peels, Nutmeg essential oils for adrenal and energy support, plus all seven other essential B vitamins. Young Living’s NingXia Red benefits include support for energy levels, normal cellular function, and whole-body and normal eye health. A daily shot of 2–4 ounces helps support overall wellness with powerful antioxidants.
Going on afternoon walks and getting some natural Vitamin D from the sun outside would also give me a boost when my energy was low.
Rollercoaster Emotions
Stress Away essential oil blend has always been a big one for me in helping with anxiety, stress and emotional balance. I also love the Valor, Release and Harmony blends both diffused and applied topically. I believe the magnesium supplementing also helped calm and quiet my mind. Rescue Remedy, either the drops or the pastilles, are also another go-to when it comes to natural stress relief.
Welp, that’s about it, I think… One last thing I was diligent with this pregnancy that I definitely think helped overall with promoting a healthy pregnancy and alleviating unwanted symptoms was visiting the chiropractor consistently! This is something I didn’t start until the 3rd trimester with my first and I felt like it was too late.
I believe chiropractic care in pregnancy is vital to the normal physiological function of both the mother and baby throughout pregnancy and birth. The chiropractors I see are certified in The Webster Technique, a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation/ SI joint dysfunction. In doing so, optimal function in the pelvis is facilitated. The Webster Technique has become a familiar term in the pregnancy and birth conversation. More and more families are seeking out chiropractors who are proficient in this technique as a way to support a more comfortable, safer, and easier birth.
I hope these tips and ideas were helpful for you! If you have any of your own natural remedies to share that worked really well for you, please feel free to comment below to help out other mamas. As always thanks for reading and for your support!
Lots of love and good health,
Tasha, The Non-Toxic Newbie
Note: These are remedies that I decided to try based off my own extensive research and clearing it with my midwife/obgyn team. Your own research should not end here. Every person is different and has a unique medical history and situation.
A book I have found so so helpful when it comes to using essential oils during pregnancy is called Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern.
Maternity Photos by Yellow Room Photography
If you have any questions regarding any of the Young Living products or essential oils mentioned in this post, please reach out to me directly so I can help you personally and give you one-on-one support and recommendations.
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