When it comes to essential oils and breastfeeding, the over arching guidelines that I believe apply include:
1. Essentials oils should never be internally ingested (except possibly under the guidance of a trained clinical aromatherapist) and thus they should never be applied to the nipples or breasts. We know that breastfeeding babies "eat with their hands" and if something is applied to the breast, there is a high probability that an infant will ingest it. It is difficult to wash off EOs because they are oily!
#1 alone pretty much says it all, however if one were to argue that the baby will not ingest the oil, there are still several other factors:
2. Essential oils should not be applied neat (that is, without being diluted in a carrier oil). EOs are very concentrated and this can cause skin sensitization and thus potentially do harm to both breast and baby.
3. There are very few essential oils that can safely be used with children under the age of 2 and some, such as peppermint, pose a significant health risk.
4. Breastfeeding involves many senses and EOs - due to strong scents and flavors - could contribute to a breast aversion for the infant.
5. Research on the safety and efficacy of many EOs is not readily available. I have yet to see any evidence that essential oils rubbed into the breast would increase milk supply (what would the mechanism be?).
There are many helpful links online about this topic. Here are just a few:
http://www.learningabouteos.com/index.php/2013/08/06/essential-oil-safety-during-pregnancy/http://www.thebarefootdragonfly.com/what-every-mom-needs-to-know-about-essential-oils/http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2016/05/tennessee-poison-center-at-vanderbilt-sees-rise-in-children-ingesting-essential-oils/
Ellen
Ellen J. Rubin, MA, IBCLC, LLLL
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