Did you know that essentials oils can be used to aid in breastfeeding? Specifically, they may help the production of milk! Any mother needing that? In this article, we will discuss which is the best essential oil for breastfeeding. Also, I will educate you on how to apply them appropriately to the breast to boost your milk production. Finally, you will learn which essential oils to avoid that may irritate your baby. Hope you’re excited! Let’s get to it!
Which Essential Oil For Breastfeeding Is The Best?
When it comes to boosting your milk supply, there are a couple of essential oils that work best for this. As a side note, there are some oils you should avoid around infants and children all together. Below is a list of essential oils that are safe to use to aid in breastfeeding.
Lavender Essential Oil
How does Lavender essential oil aid in milk supply? We know that lavender helps reduce stress and aid in getting better sleep. When mothers are stressed and sleep deprived, their bodies are not able to produce milk as efficiently as it could. Bringing peace and rest to the body will aid in naturally helping increase milk supply.
Lavender also has many anti properties. This includes anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial. It can also fight bacteria, which makes it great for the skin. Lavender can reduce acne, reduce the look of wrinkles, and lighten the skin! Great for mothers, huh?
What Is Lavender Good For?
- Aids in reducing stress
- Helps the body get better sleep
- Great for the skin!
- Infection fighting
- Anti-microbial
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Decreases depression and anxiety
- Natural bug repellent
As you can see from this list, lavender essential oil is great for many things! You can use it in a home-made cleaner, apply it to soothe swollen muscles or relieve pain. Additionally, lavender has infection-fighting properties! So if you are not feeling well, you can dilute it in a carrier oil and apply it to your chest and soles of your feet to help your body get better quicker.
This is definitely an essential oil you want handy in your home!
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Basil Essential Oil
Next best essential oil for breastfeeding is basil. Like sage, basil essential oil helps stimulate blood flow in the body. This aids in boosting milk supply by getting those girls working!
Basil also has many beneficial properties for the body additional to increasing circulation. These are listed in the list below.
What Is Basil Good For?
- Boosting circulation in the body
- Natural pain reliever
- Reduces stress
- My help relieve cold symptoms and fevers
- Anti-bacterial & anti-fungal properties
- Natural bug repellent!
Basil is great to use to boost milk production. When you apply it, you will also benefit from its stress and pain reducing properties. Less stress and pain also go a long way in helping a mother relax so her body is able to have a let down easier!
This is one puppy you want to add to your list of nursing essentials!
Geranium Essential Oil
Geranium essential oil is good to use for breastfeeding. Why? It carries the ability to help even out hormonal levels. This makes it good for helping with milk supply.
Geranium also has many aroma benefits. It is used in aroma therapy and has even made its way into some perfumes and cosmetics!
Additionally, it also has many benefits for the skin. The anti-bacterial properties of this essential oil help fight acne. Another great added bonus for hormonal mothers!
What Is Geranium Good For?
- Aids in leveling out hormonal levels
- Helps reduce acne breakouts
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties
- Has the ability to fight some bacterial infection strains as well as amoxicillin
- Helps reduce stress, anxiety and depression
How To Apply Safely
When using essential oil for breastfeeding, it is very important that you are educated on how to use them safely. This benefits you and your baby.
What happens if you apply an essential oil straight to the skin without appropriately diluting it first is skin irritation. To avoid this, be sure to follow the info graph below!
Further down in this article I discuss carrier oils and what are the best kind that I like to use.
After creating your appropriate dilution of the essential oil of your choice, spot test it on an area of your skin. Try applying it to the back of your hand. Then experiment it on an area of your breast.
Where on your breast should you apply? Read these Do’s and Don’ts below.
Do’s and Don’ts
Where do you apply these oils for boosting milk production? You will want to apply your diluted essential oil to your breast, but not the areola. Feel free to rub it wherever your mammary gland can be felt, including way up into the arm pit!
If you apply to the areola, your baby may hate the taste and reject you, which is something we do NOT want happening!
Also, don’t apply your oils near feeding times. Apply it during a time when you know your baby will not be feeding for a while in order to give the oils time to dry. This rule also applies if you are needing to pump. Wait until you have some free time before applying.
If you find that you don’t have enough time to apply the oils and let them dry before needing to feed or pump, you can wipe them off with a towel beforehand.
Remember to follow these rules:
- Do not apply oil to the nipple/areola – baby may hate it
- Do not apply on the breast near a feeding or pumping time
Choosing A Carrier Oil
A carrier oil is simply another safe oil for the skin that dilutes the essential oil. Applying the essential oil straight on your skin without diluting it first may cause irritation! You can use coconut milk or olive oil from your kitchen as a carrier oil.
However, I am not a fan of putting cooking products on my skin (it’s a mental thing!) I use Jojoba oil or Almond oil from Eden’s Garden as my carrier oils. Both offer additional health benefits for the skin, which is an added bonus!
Essential Oils To Avoid
There are some essential oils you will want to avoid using around your baby. This includes diffusing them or using them around the house because they are very potent and can irritate your baby.
Avoid using the following essential oils around your babies.
- Peppermint
- Cinnamon
- Eucalyptus
- Rosemerry
- Sage
- Verbena
- Wintergreen
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Other Related Articles
Check out some of my other great articles related to breastfeeding!
The Breastfeeding Accelerator Course
Homeopathic Remedies For Back Pain
10 Tips To Overcome Exhaustion While Breastfeeding
How To Naturally Boost Your Milk Supply
Best Nursing Bras That Won’t Break The Bank