Sushi, saunas, raw cheese, microwaves, herbal medicines, alcohol - for pregnant women the list of things to avoid can seem especially long. But there is a healing modality that is not only acceptable to receive during pregnancy (in the final two trimesters) but is also designed to alleviate many of the discomforts that come up during those nine months.

As with any form of medicine, aromatherapy should be approached with caution preferably with the guidance of an experienced aromatherapist. Essential oils should not be used during the first trimester and the many oils (basil, cedarwood, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, cypress, fennel, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, lemongrass, myrrh, parsley, pennyroyal, peppermint, rosemary, sweet marjoram, and thyme) should be avoided throughout the entire pregnancy

Earl Grey is one of my favorite black teas. I especially like Mariage Freres Earl Grey Imperial, and Zingerman’s organic Earl Grey is so potent it could pass for potpourri. But if Earl Grey’s so great, The Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer is even more so. There’s the red Earl Grey Rooibus, and the green Earl Grey Sencha. There’s even a white Earl Grey.

The essence of all these Earl Greys is bergamot. But it’s not the bergamot we gardeners grow, although that native American herb is used to make Oswego tea. To confuse matters further, Oswego tea is not only an antidote for headaches and congestion, it’s also a great food blog.

The bergamot that gives Earl Grey its wonderful fragrance is a small Italian citrus fruit, whose aromatic peel provides the essential oil used in Earl Grey as well as in perfumes, going all the way back to the original Eau de Cologne from 17th century Germany.

Still confused? Whatever you do, don’t go to bergamot.com, home to ‘bergamot-flavored blogs;’ it appears to be written mostly in Japanese. Too bad for us Earl Grey-loving gaiijin.