Bath salts you can use while pregnant
Late pregnancy can be hard on a woman’s body. Her belly is growing quickly, her skin is stretching, and her joints are relaxing (read: she can hardly walk) in preparation for delivery. She has aches and pains in places she never has experienced them before. Most women believe they just have to grin and bear it and for some part, that’s true. Fortunately though, there are things that can help a new mother through these last few weeks more comfortably. Use these recipes for bath salts to make your last few weeks more bearable.
I’m 31 weeks pregnant and experiencing many of these aches and pains for the fourth time in my life. I’ve discovered that the best thing for me is soaking in the water. Since the pool is not an option this time of year (The high for today is 7 degrees. I don’t care if it’s an indoor pool or not–no thanks!), I’ve fallen in love with taking baths. They may become a weekly (or bi-weekly or daily) occurrence for me. Baths relax your muscles and give you a weightless feeling that you can’t really experience any other way.
I’ve compiled (and altered/created) a few bath recipes that will be perfect for relaxing baths at the end of pregnancy. These are easy to make for yourself or would be great gifts for the pregnant women in your life! Mix them up and put them in a cute jar and voila! A perfect gift! Each of these recipes makes enough for ONE bath, so if you want to mix up more ahead of time, double or triple them and store in a glass jar (plastic will absorb the essential oils).
***A note about essential oils in pregnancy: The oils used below are considered generally safe to use during pregnancy at well-diluted levels. Being in a full bath tub is quite well diluted. If I were using these recipes outside of pregnancy, I would double the amount of essential oils used. I have linked to oils from Plant Therapy. These are the oils I use and I’ve had great success with them. The debate over which oils are the “most pure” will likely go on forever as long as the oil industry is unregulated. I have found these oils to work well for our family while remaining affordable.
Relaxing Lavender Bath Salts
2 cups of Epsom salts
6 drops of lavender essential oil
4 drops of chamomile essential oil
Skin Soothing Bath Salts
2 cups of Epsom salts
6 drops of lavender essential oil
6 drops of frankincense essential oil
1 cup of ground oatmeal (you can also use regular or quick oats and grind them to a fine powder in a blender)
1/2 cup of sweet almond oil (or olive oil)
Soothe Away the Aches Bath Salts
2 cups of Epsom salts
6 drops of cedarwood atlas essential oil
6 drops of frankincense essential oil
6 drops of lavender essential oil
4 drops of peppermint essential oil
Clear That Cold Bath Salts
2 cups of Epsom salts
4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
4 drops of peppermint essential oil
6 drops of lavender essential oil
6 drops of lemon essential oil
De-Stress Bath Salts
2 cups of Epsom salts
8 drops of worry free essential oil (Stress Away from Young Living or Serenity from DoTerra)
Bonus!! Sitz Bath Recipe for Postpartum
(This recipe is for a regular bathtub. To use in a small sitz bath, divide ingredients by four.)
2 cups of Epsom salts
8 tablespoons of baking soda
8 tablespoons of witch hazel
4 tablespoons of olive oil
16 drops of lavender essential oil
16 drops of chamomile essential oil
Why do all these recipes contain Epsom salts?
Epsom salts really aren’t salt at all. They are actually a mineral containing magnesium and sulfate. Since many Americans are not getting enough magnesium, Epsom salt baths can be really helpful. Studies have shown that soaking in an Epsom salt bath allows the magnesium to be absorbed through the skin. There are many benefits to soaking in an Epsom salt bath (and thus absorbing that added magnesium and sulfate). Here are just a few.
1. Relaxes muscles and stiff joints
2. Helps you fall asleep easier (can help with insomnia)
3. Soothes sore, aching feet (reduces inflammation)
4. Gently exfoliates (great for dry, itchy skin)
5. Can help to eliminate stress (one study showed that the magnesium in Epsom salt helps to lower cortisol, the human stress hormone)
Further benefits of Epsom salt can be found here.
Be sure to share these bath recipes with your pregnant friends and family!
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