Do you know which essential oils to use for fertility?

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Stephanie Fritz licensed midwife and certified professional midwife. She has a successful midwifery practice in Arizona since 2000.  She began using essential oils as a natural health solution in 2008.  I am excited to speak to her about which essential oils to use for fertility.

She is the author of Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth and Babies and Fertility Essentials.

She is also the author of, The Fertility Essentials e-book which can be downloaded for free on her site!

After having used essential oils personally for years (my favorite is lavender), I’m fascinated with how they can positively impact fertility.

Enjoy my interview with Stephanie!

Why did you first decide to incorporate essential oils into your practice as a midwife?

As a midwife I am in the alternative medical community.  In my practice, everything I use is natural.  I started out with herbs and homeopathy.  I used essential oils, but initially I was not sure of the purity. Many essential oils have fillers, synthetics and chemicals.   I used the essential oils for family and myself for awhile and then I discovered doTerra.

As soon as I smelled the doTerra oils I knew they were pure and I began to share the oils with my clients.  I have watched my client’s health improve dramatically when they use essential oils and whole food supplements.  I love to empower the families that I serve through education and choices.  It is one of my greatest passions to share pure therapeutic oils with the families that I serve.

In your e-book Fertility Essentials you mention the importance of lifestyle changes.  What are your top tips?  What essential oils do you recommend?

The first step is to clean up the diet.  Cut out gluten because gluten mimics estrogen. This can be an issue with fertility.  Cut out dairy, caffeine, processed sugar and any other processed food.  Make essential oils part of your lifestyle.

Refer to the FREE Fertility Essential book for the everyday routine to boost fertility.

How do you know if you have a good essential oil?  What are the top items to check for?

There are lots of brands.  There are no regulations on essentials oils.  Most will contain chemicals and synthetic fillers.  Especially when you have fertility issues you want to avoid these types of chemicals because they play havoc with fertility.

What to look for in an essential oil:

1)   A company with high integrity

2)   Only aromatic pure extracts – no fillers, chemicals, containments, toxins, including pesticides or herbicides

3)   Ensure the right plant material is selected

4)   Ensure the plant is grown in its native environment

5)   Ensure plants are harvested in the right moment and right way – could carry toxins if not harvested properly

6)   Heated and cooled at the right temperature

7)   Tested for purity and therapeutic grade quality by experienced scientists,

8)   Gas chromatography and mass chromatography – ensure equal balance of pure and potent

There are different types of essential oil grades:

·      Perfume Grade – largest category, found in perfumes, candles, aerosols

·      Food Grade – these are edible

·      Therapeutic Grade – carried at health food stores, FDA doesn’t regulate these and could still be considered a pure therapeutic grade.  Ensure you do your research and that the oil meets the criteria listed above for “what to look for in an essential oil”.

Stress can play a big part with infertility.  Can you explain more about the Aroma Touch Technique?

Dr Hill (Chief Medical Advisor with doTerra) developed the Aroma Touch technique to minimize stress in the body.  This technique includes 4 steps to minimize stressors and balance the body.

For fertility it is recommended to use the Aroma Touch technique at least once per week.  It takes about 30-40 minutes for the application.  It de-stresses the body, improves the immune system, reduces inflammation, improves circulation and then brings the body back into balance.  It is a very light touch and is applied on the back and the feet.

You can learn more about the Aroma Touch Technique here!

As a certified instructor of the Aroma Touch technique Stephanie has many testimonials where she used the technique together with diet and lifestyle changes, which have resulted in successful pregnancies.

 In your book you discuss different infertility types and the recommended essential oils.

What are the best oils for PCOS, unexplained infertility, endometriosis, low ovarian reserve, male factor infertility, repeat miscarriage.

I like to keep things simple.  I recommend Clary Calm (doTerra product).  This product can be applied daily.  Apply to pulse points (behind ears, behind the neck) bottoms of the feet.  This essential oil is good for balancing hormones.

For anyone who would like additional support, in my Fertility Essentials e-book I recommend a blend that can be rubbed on the abdomen every day.

This blend includes:

10 drops        clary sage – uterine tonic

10 drops        sweet fennel – helps reduce hormone fluctuations, regulate menstrual cycle

10 drops        geranium – uterine and ovarian tonic, hormone balance

5 drops           lavender – good for relaxation and the uterus is a muscle so this is good for the uterus

5 drops           rose (optional)

Add this blend to a bottle with fractionated coconut oil (virgin coconut oil with fats removed so it doesn’t go rancid).  Fractionated coconut oil is an all natural carrier oil that readily absorbs into the skin making it and idea oil for topical therapies.  Refer to Fertility Essential e-book for more details.

For most infertility diagnosis’s diet is the cornerstone and essential oils help to support the body to come into balance.

What is the best way to use the essential oils – ingest, inhale, apply on skin.

All of the above are great ways to use essential oils.  Some were created for topical only such as Clary Calm.  Apply Clary Calm to pulse points (wrist, neck and ears).

During the menstrual cycle apply the essential oil to the abdomen.

Peppermint is great to inhale – this is good for nausea

Essential Oils that are good for emotional support include – Balance (doTerra blend) and Wild Orange.   Place the drops into a diffuser.  These essential oils help with anxiety and fear.  I recommend this blend to couples going through infertility as they are dealing with the thoughts such as “what if a I can’t” and “I’m running out of time”.

Essential Oils that are good for relaxation and before bedtime include – Lavender and Serenity (doTerra)

Can you talk about any risks with essential oils.  e.g. certain oils such as rose otto, lavender should not be used after ovulation and should be used only to prepare the body for healing, Clary Sage should not be used if consuming alcohol or driving

I am very particular about the brand I use.  I use doTerra.  Dr Hill from doTerra says, “You will find warnings everywhere about which oils you should and shouldn’t use during pregnancy and these previously were very valid concerns, due to the impurities there were so prevalent due to the oils available and the affect on the developing fetus, but now we enjoy the purity of the oils that we have with doTerra and that is no longer an issue”

There is mixed information in different books.  These books were written with all users in mind.  The information that I give in my Fertility Essential e-book is written with doTerra oils in mind.  That being said I always say follow your own intuition.  You are the one who has been given stewardship over your body, and do what you feel is right for your body.

I don’t subscribe to the belief that there needs to be caution around using the oils after ovulation.  Although, as a midwife I have dealt mostly with women when they are pregnant.  I have added fertility to my practice in the last 2 years, so do what you feel is right for your body.

 Discuss some of your success stories with infertility and essential oils.

I get emails and Facebook messages that talk about the success with essential oils and fertility all the time!  I had someone who was trying for 2 years and started the fertility protocol listed in my e-book and was pregnant within 4 months.  The lifestyle change was a huge component of her success.

I had someone else who was trying for 5 years to get pregnant.  She had sinus infections; which is a strong sign of candida.  Both husband and wife did the protocol listed in my e-book for 6 months straight.  They lost weight (over 50 lbs together), the husband’s testosterone was low (I recommended sandalwood and geranium – recommended using on testes and feet), the wife started phytoestrogen and Clary Calm and on month seven they were pregnant!

What books or resources do you recommend besides your own.

I recommend your book, Fabulously Fertile!  There are very few books, that I have come across, that tackle fertility in such a positive way.  Thanks Stephanie for your recommendation!

What is some wisdom or advice you would like to share?

Don’t let getting pregnancy be your focus.

Focus on getting your body into a healthy balanced state with lifestyle and diet.

Eat right, exercise, rest, reduce stress, and reduce your toxic load.  Sometimes the stress of the infertility roller coaster can counteract all the good you are doing.  Stress is a really powerful energy that can have a negative affect on all the systems in the body.  Let go of trying to get pregnant and focus on getting your body healthy and helping it remember its perfect blueprint by supporting it the best way that you can.

I recommend essential oils balance (doTerra), wild orange and clary calm (doTerra).  These all assist with stress and anxiety.

Take time to be in the moment and de-stress at least once a day.  Find a support person, friend or someone who has been through the infertility roller coaster.

Thanks Stephanie for sharing your knowledge on essential oils!  Like Stephanie I talk about the power of diet and lifestyle changes when we are going through infertility.  As Stephanie mentioned diet is the cornerstone and first step to getting your health and fertility on track.

If you are ready to hold a baby in your arms, but are struggling DOWNLOAD my FREE 10 Step Checklist!

Book your free Supercharge Your Fertility Discovery call here!  Learn how functional medicine can help you have your baby.

Sarah Clark empowers couples to discover how lifestyle and diet can dramatically impact their chances of conceiving. She was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 28 and had both her kids with donor eggs. Not until years later did she discover that the root cause of her infertility was a food intolerance. Join the Free Fab Fertile Support Groupon Facebook for mini-challenges, motivation and inspiration!