Many aromatherapy sources claim that some essential oils, such as clary sage, fennel, and bergamot can trigger a miscarriage. Let’s take a look at where that claim originated and if it has any merit or not.
Several years ago, students in a medical research laboratory class project applied a cold drop of clary sage oil to the uterine wall of a rat uterus that was turned inside out. This cold drop caused a contraction of the uterus and the uneducated students concluded that clary sage can cause miscarriages due to the uterine contractions.
The press gobbled this up and spread it like wildfire.
When the professor of this class was interviewed, he said it was a good thing the students didn’t use a cold drop of water or else the world would be warning pregnant women not to use water while pregnant as the same thing would have happened!
Many sources cite essential oils as off-limits during pregnancy, but these are sweeping generalizations based off either “research” like this one with clary sage or research on the isolated (and sometimes synthetic) individual constituents contained in some of these oils. The research on isolated constituents does not offer an accurate representation of the action of the oil in its entirety with the synergistic action of all the constituents together.
Pure essential oils always work in harmony with the body in an effort to maintain homeostasis. When they are truly pure and therapeutic, essential oils assist the body in whatever direction it needs to go.
Be careful what you believe and where you get your info.
For more information on some crazy myths about essential oils, check these out: