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August 2016 Moms
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Plants/Oils in Nursery

lucypodlucypod member
in August 2016 Moms
Does anyone know much about this?  I currently use essential oils and am getting a diffuser for the baby's room.  I've heard you have to be really careful with essential oils and babies but I'm not really sure what the rules are.  I plan to talk to my OB but anyone have any experience using essential oils around babies?

Also, what about plants?  Are there any rules about plants and babies?  I have these adorable little planters I wanted to put succulents in for the nursery but I wasn't sure if there was any reason not to.  Google didn't say much.
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Re: Plants/Oils in Nursery

  • Nikkoli98Nikkoli98 member
    The essential oils question is a tough one in my opinion. I feel that there is often conflicting information about what is safe to use in pregnancy and children. That has made me very hesitant to use anything during pregnancy, and I would feel the same with very young children. 

    There are some very reputable universities  (such as Vanderbilt) that have recently published some studies related to medicinal use of essential oils.  I heard they even fill essential oil prescriptions in their pharmacy - but I have not verified this fact for myself. 

    My gut tells me that your OB will defer this question to your baby's pediatrician or PCP - and if you aren't already established with one, this might be something to keep in mind when selecting a provider. One of my former classmates is a family practice doc and she uses essential oils in her practice,  but EO's haven't made their way into mainstream medicine (at least not yet) leading to a lot of grey areas. 

    I will say this though, I am AGAINST the use of anything with oil of wintergreen in pregnancy (especially the 3rd trimester), children, and pretty much most chronic medical conditions. I often see Doterra's Deep Blue on the safe list for treating sore muscles in pregnancy and I do not think it is safe.
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  • tmk0325tmk0325 member
    I use doterra oils and my aunt gave me this sheet. She is really big into oils.
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  • mrlarprmrlarpr member
    Lurker but please check with an actual aromatherapist in regards to babies and oils. The MLM companies that sell them aren't always the most accurate or prudent when it comes to EOs.
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  • Snaps816Snaps816 member
    I used to work in a plant store/garden center, and a lot of houseplants and ornamental flowers are toxic if consumed, to varying degrees. Meaning some just cause mild irritation to the mouth/throat, while others are poisonous (we would get these questions a lot regarding pets, and refer people to the ASPCA website). In general, it's good to have plants in a room, it oxygenates the air. But once your baby is old enough to get around on his or her own, and could potentially chew on or try to eat part of the plant, so you should research a list of safe ones before you buy. There are plenty of perfectly safe options out there. 

    I don't know about the oils... if it's not really necessary, though, why chance it?
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  • michelle_shellemichelle_shelle member
    I know the quality of the oil makes a huge difference. I believe Doterra is a good brand, though more expensive considering all the testing the do. I plan on using some. You can buy a book that explains what to avoid and how to use them.
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  • tmk0325tmk0325 member
    @michelle_shelle yup I have the doterra book and it's pretty good and in depth!
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  • ThisisNumber3ThisisNumber3 member
    Just wanted to comment because I am looking for resources as well. I use a diffuser now for my kids when they are sick.  Mostly just lavender to calm them down or peppermint to open them up if they are stuffy.  For some reason my daughter likes Lemon as well.  

    I think there was a concern about peppermint applied to the skin of babies because it can lower their temperature too drastically.  I did a homemade baby vicks rub with eucalyptus oil mixed with beeswax and coconut oil as a carrier. 

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  • mrlarprmrlarpr member
    ThisisNumber3 said:
    Just wanted to comment because I am looking for resources as well. I use a diffuser now for my kids when they are sick.  Mostly just lavender to calm them down or peppermint to open them up if they are stuffy.  For some reason my daughter likes Lemon as well.  

    I think there was a concern about peppermint applied to the skin of babies because it can lower their temperature too drastically.  I did a homemade baby vicks rub with eucalyptus oil mixed with beeswax and coconut oil as a carrier. 
    Eucalyptus is contraindicated in all routes for children under 10. Once again I urge anyone using essential oils to consult with an actual aromatherapist before using, especially before using on children and infants.
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  • sbelle474sbelle474 member
    I use oils but in limited doses.  I have a book called Gentle Babies, that may help answer some questions.  I would be careful using around a newborn, use very very heavily diluted. 
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  • satto_takaisatto_takai member
    I agree with @larby214 it is usually best to make sure and confirm with someone specifically trained in the subject before going for it, in anything you aren't sure of.  I use oils for myself, but don't know much re: oils and babies, so am starting to look at it as well. I plan to check with people in the Naturopathic community and work with oils a lot - an aromatherapist, and my N.D. 

    @sbelle474 I have never heard of the book. I will have to give it a peek. And yes, very very diluted goes for a lot of things for the little bitties. ;)

    As for plants, I would avoid those that are toxic when ingested and keep them well out of reach. I would absolutely put some plants in, though! Plants are great for oxygen, positive energy, and "green" (a calming color, usually). I suggest researching the succulents or plants you are thinking of putting in the nursery, then go from there. :)

    Good luck!
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  • PineappleMDPineappleMD member
    Agree to double-check when it comes to babies and oils.

    Also, a few medical points (I will admit, we don't learn about all of them in medical school, but these are the big ones that come up over and over again):

    -  Sage oil and eucalyptus oil can cause seizures in kids when ingested, even in very small amounts.

    - Oil of Wintergreen is generally regarded as *never* being safe around kids, let alone babies.  Even commercially available topical forms (Ben-Gay, etc) have resulted in serious, sometimes fatal overdoses.  The chemical is basically aspirin, and even a small swig of it can be the equivalent of a kid taking a whole handful of aspirin. 

    - Tea tree oil and lavender function like estrogen in the body, so be especially careful with these in little boys (even with lavender-scented bath wash, lotion, etc) -- there have been reports of boys developing breast tissue from using these products on a regular basis.


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