Breastfeeding and aromatherapy

[Pompal 09.]

Hi, I am currently doing case studies for ITECand I have a lady on Monday who is partially breast feeding. Is it safe enough to use oils such as mandarin, camomile, rose, lavender- I'm a bit nervous about it. Should I just do the consultation give a massage using grapeseed and then discuss it with my tutor?

Thanks

 

[anewsiiy]

Hi
I, personally, would exercise some caution when working with breastfeeding mums but really it depends on the age of the baby. If baby is under 6 months and still using breastmilk as main source of food, I would definitely use only a 1% blend. At 6 months+, you could use 2 - 2.5% blend. As you are still training, I would err on the side of caution and stick to 1%. If you give your client the remainder of the blend for home use, be sure to tell her not to use it around the nipple area of the breasts in order to avoid possible ingestion by the baby. The other thing to take into account is any complications/conditions arising either in pregnancy or post-natally and again, I would therefore work at a low dilution.

My best piece of advice when working with pregnant/post-natal clients is not to panic . As long as we work at low dilutions, then our clients are safe in our hands . Just as an adjunct, you may want to give her a pillow under the breasts when you are working on her back - or use a side-lying technique.....speaking from experience, laying on your front when you are breastfeeding is not always the most comfortable position to be in!

I hope your client enjoys her treatment!

love

Katy