Using oils postpartum

I didn't start using Young Living Essential oils until Ford was about 8 months old so I am really looking forward to using them on myself and baby Lucy after she is born. I fortunately did not suffer from postpartum depression but naturally had the baby blues, bouts of raging hormones, and was an emotional roller coaster for a couple weeks adjusting to my new life as a mommy. Lucy's birth should be a lot less dramatic and painful than Ford's birth so I am optimistic that my body will heal faster without having to go through an unnmedicated induction/labor. I pray that oils will help balance my hormones, calm my baby girl (and her big brother), help my milk supply, and heal any C section pain I have. Since I am having a scheduled C section, I don't plan on using oils in the hospital before I give birth but I have heard awesome stories about the use of Clary Sage to dialate and diffusing Thieves/Peace and Calming in the labor room. Since certain oils aren't safe for babies (and even children), I plan on using the book Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern as a safety guide when using them on Lucy. Here is a list of oils I have in my postpartum stash!

Gentle Baby
This oil finally came back in stock and I just got it in the mail! It is relatively new and I've never used it before so I am excited. General uses for Gentle Baby are calming and relaxing baby, baby acne/chapped skin, stretch marks, diaper rash, stress, colic, baby gas, and more. 

Peace and calming
The name should explain what this oil is used for. This is one of the first oils I used on Ford and I love it for....peace and calming! I plan on bringing my diffuser to the hospital and will probably diffuse P&C in our postpartum room and dilute for Lucy's feet those first few sleepless nights. Other uses for P&C include teeth grinding (which I do!), colic, night time bed wetting, insomnia, ADHD, and more. 

Fennel
I can't believe I am going to start another nursing journey in just a few weeks and want to be prepared in case we aren't as successful as the first time. Fennel increases milk supply by applying neat on the breasts or ingesting on the tongue. I didn't really have a supply issue with Ford until it came to pumping so I hope this works! Fennel can also be used for cramps, indigestion, nausea, and other digestive issues. 

Progessence Plus
I am so excited I got my hands on this oil! Like I said above, I didn't have PPD but I doubt there is a woman out there who doesn't deal with the baby blues or hormonal imbalances after baby is born. I've talked to many women who use Pro Plus to balance out their hormones, battle PMS, mood swings, PCOS, Endometriosis, low sex drive, and even fertility. 

Joy
The first few weeks at home with a new baby can be an emotional roller coaster so I am sure Joy will come in handy. It smells delicious and perfect for diffusing or putting on your wrists for a mood booster.

Thieves
My favorite oil. It's a no brainer that I will be using this postpartum. It's too hot of an oil for a newborn but I plan on diffusing it when we have lots of visitors to meet our baby girl. I will also arm Ford, Jon, and myself to make sure we don't bring in any germs/colds/etc. 

Frankincense
I developed a keloid over my incision with Ford and my doctor is going to try a new stitch to prevent that from happening. I plan on using Frank (and Gentle Baby) to help my scar heal. I'm anxious to try it on my stretch marks to see if they lighten up.

Pan Away
I'm not gonna lie, C sections are freaking painful! Getting in and out of bed was so tough and I had a lot of back pain from nursing so Pan Away should help ease that pain. 

I have quite the growing stash of Young Living essential oils and I am sure I will use a lot more postpartum. Lavender, Stress Away, Purification come to mind and I will probably use! I will report back on what oils worked best for us during the first few weeks as a family of 4. I am hoping that because we are at the end of cold/flu season, that we won't have to battle any sickness (fingers crossed!). 

Want to know more about essential oils?
My team is hosting an online FREE webinar on April 14th where you'll learn what the heck the buzz is all about. This is the same webinar that got me hooked and you can watch from your couch! Sign up here. 

Interested in a premium starter kit of your own? Shoot me an email or follow this link to sign up as a wholesale member to start your oils journey! Once you purchase your kit you will receive 24% off all retail priced oils and it is completely free (no selling, no quotas, nada).

How we got through the winter with oils

This winter, sickness hit us hard. Thinking back to last year, we were also hit hard with sickness so this time of year is not great for our health (or anyone else in America!). This year was different though, we were able to battle the bugs with essential oils. Praise God for that. Jon and Ford got nasty sick and I was able to combat with oils and didn't have anything more than a cough for a few days. I love that certain oils do certain things for certain people and I am always curious to read about what works for my friends so I am going to share what oils we used that helped kick the nasty flu/cold/cough bug that plagued America.

Thieves has got to be one of the most popular Young Living blends and it is incredible! It is antiviral, kills 99.9% of bacteria, and smells delicious. We rub Thieves on our chests and on the bottom of our feet to combat germs and also diffuse in Ford's room at night.

I had originally purchased Breathe Again for Jon to use for his asthma but I tried it out for my dry, lingering cough and was amazed by how quickly it was gone! I rolled it on my throat 3 times a day and in an X shape on my chest and it helped alleviate the pain of my cough and get rid of it. This is now one of my top favorite oils.

If you've read any of my other oils posts, you'd know my love for RC. RC is a blend that turns a stuffy nose into a runny nose and because Ford is always so snotty, I feel like I use it on him weekly! Jon and Ford used it non stop while they battled the bug. 

The combination of lemon, lavender, and peppermint is known as the allergy trio. On top of the flu bug that went around, allergies in Austin have been brutal. Now I can say with confidence that I don't ever suffer from seasonal allergies but this year was a whole lot different. Itchy and watery eyes on top of my lingering cough. Jon and I diffused the trio in our room at night and woke up the next day feeling refreshed and not bogged down by allergies. And boy does it smell DELICIOUS!

Interested in what this oils bandwagon is all about? Skeptical? Curious? My Young Living oils team is hosting an online intro to oils webinar EVERY Wednesday from now until the end of May. Learn about the history of essential oils and Young Living as a company, and how you can cure everyday ailments with them. Here is the link if you are interested...join from your couch or in bed with a pint of ice cream.

Interested in a premium starter kit of your own? Shoot me an email or follow this link to sign up as a wholesale member to start your oils journey! Once you purchase your kit you will receive 24% off all retail priced oils and it is completely free (no selling, no quotas, nada).

Currently...my 3 favorite oils

Our family has been using Young Living Essential Oils for a couple of months and to say I have an obsession is an understatement (my first oils post can be found here). I thought I'd keep my collection to just the starter kit but somehow I end up with a YL box on my doorstep every month with new oils to add to my heap (and by somehow I mean I mayyyy just get oil happy and place too many orders for myself). I am so happy I've stocked up on oils before I actually need them because they sure have come in handy the past few weeks. Today I wanted to share with you my current 3 favorite oils and what I use them for.

1. Di-Gize-  I bought this oil with the hopes of never having to use it (but just in case) and it ended up saving my butt. A few weeks ago Ford caught the nasty tummy bug and within 36 hours, Jon and I had it. Ford threw up non stop for 3 hours before I started using Di-Gize but after putting it on his belly button once every half hour, he never threw up again. Same for me. I cringe at the smell now because it reminds me of the tummy bug apocalypse but I have to sing its praises. More information on Di-gize can be found here.

2. RC- RC is my favorite oil, hands down. I was the first oil I started using a few months ago and I use it almost weekly. Ford (and Jon) always seem to have some sort of congestion or junk going on in their chests/noses. Jon is asthmatic and I think Ford is on that path, not sure if this is a factor. It's never surprising for Ford to have a runny nose when he wakes up in the morning, but a dry one by the end of the day. I use RC on Ford's chest before naps and bedtime and it literally makes his nose pour. It gets all the nasty stuff he's having trouble with out, often yellow in color which is awesome! I can tell a difference immediately in his breathing and lack of congestion. More information on RC can be found here.

3. Purification- Purification is an oil that comes in the premium starter kit and I didn't start using it until recently. We've had a lot of rain in Austin the past few weeks which means pesky mosquitoes are hanging around our yard and feasting on my family. I must not have a desirable blood type because they tend to stay off of me but Jon and Ford are at the top of their food chain. I love spending time outside with my baby boy but hate that he gets eaten up. I use a drop or two of Purification on mosquito bites and they clear up within minutes. No lie. More information on Purification can be found here.

If you want to learn more about essential oils, my team, Oils Adventure, is hosting a FREE online webinar/webcast Tuesday October 7th from 8-9pm CST. Learn about Young Living Essential Oils right from your couch! Here is the link to register. If you are local in Austin, we are hosting a live class in Cedar Park this Sunday, October 5th at 7pm CST. Here is the invite link. You can always email me at ruthiehart1@gmail.com with any questions!

Buy an oils starter kit

Purchase your premium starter kit here (sign up as a wholesale member) and you'll receive 24% off retail prices on all oils!

Happy Oiling!

Gettin' oily

If you've spent anytime on the internet or Instagram, you'd know the essential oils are "in" right now. I am normally somewhat weary of certain internet trends and wait until they fizzle out quickly but something about essential oils grabbed me. Seeing friends post about their babies sleeping through the night despite cutting 4 teeth thanks to lavender oil or flu symptoms diminishing within hours because of thieves or lemon. Our family seems to always get hit with a slew of sicknesses and they come on pretty strong. Ford struggles with congestion and wheezing and Jon has terrible allergies. Nose Frida, steam showers, Dayquil, Tylenol...nothing was cutting it. That is when I turned to Young Living Essential Oils and I'm kicking myself for not jumping on the wagon sooner!

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are all natural oils derived from mainly plants.  There are hundreds of single oils and blends and they date back to biblical days (think Frankincense and Myrrh) to help heal and cure all sorts of illnesses and ailments.  The oil is taken from the most important part of the plant, its "blood" basically.  It is the part of the plant that, for example, protected it from disease or insects and healed it when the plant was injured.  Without this part of the plant, it would die, and so it is compared to our blood.   It is SUPER concentrated, anywhere from 10,000-100,000 times more concentrated than herbs!  So, one drop can do amazing things.  Some people can put a drop of essential oil on their feet and taste it within 30 seconds.  Pretty impressive stuff!  

Young Living oils are 100% pure, and the the process from seed to seal is so controlled so that there are no chemicals used. Because of this, you can ingest Young Living oils, where other brands they don't recommend it.  So, you can use essential oils diffused, applied topically or by ingestion.  

My favorite oils

To avoid sickness and help get well faster, I use Thieves, which is highly anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-microbial.  It goes on topically (the feet usually) to help boost the immune system and can be diffused to kill 99.96% of airborne bacteria in 20 minutes!  A few drops on Jon's tongue helps clear up his sinuses and cloudiness from everyday allergies.  There is also a cleaning product line made of Thieves oil that is non-toxic {perfect for those babies that want to lick everything} and as effective as Clorox wipes!

You can diffuse oils to improve your mood {think aromatherapy without the chemicals in candles}, even helping people get off anti-depressants just by using essential oils!  Peace & Calming is a great oil for this.  It is awesome at helping kids {and grownups} fall asleep faster and sleep longer.  When Ford wakes up extra cranky or sensitive, I rub P&C on his heels and I can instantly notice a calming come over him. It’s also been shown to help people stop snoring and others with teeth grinding!

One of the most well-known essential oils is Lavender.  If you look in the baby aisle at Target, lots of lotions and baby washes include Lavender to help with sleep and relaxation.  But Lavender is great for so much more.  A friend cancelled her daughter’s tear duct surgery because using Lavender unclogged her tear duct! And it is amazing at knocking out allergies in our great allergy capital of the U.S. city! I've gotten into a habit of rubbing Lavender on Ford's feet before bed and as I am feeding him, I too, become so relaxed!

Peppermint is another great one for kids.  It lowers kids’ temperatures naturally and helps with nausea, headaches and congestion. I plan on arming myself with peppermint for my next pregnancy to ward off morning all day sickness.

Now that I am a mommy, I am willing to try anything natural and homeopathic before I go to the medicine cabinet. My story is small in this because there are so many incredible success stories from people using essential oils. ADHD controlled, cancer scans clear, asthma, diabetes, and other diseases healed. Check out these incredible testimonies here. 

Free oils webinar

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils, Allena and Jenna from An Oils Adventure will also be hosting a webcast on July 1.  This webinar is what got me so excited to try them out! Click here to register – there is no cost to join, and I promise it will be 1 hour or less!  Joining the webcast will also earn you 5 extra entries into the giveaway!

Buy an oils starter kit

However, there is even a better deal if you sign up now.  For the first 10 people that sign up and buy a premium starter kit, I will send you a free bottle of lime essential oil.  Think margarita, yum.  The smell of lime and lavender in that new diffuser of yours is also heavenly.  Sign up now to get this free oil! Be sure to sign up as a wholesale member to get 24% of retail prices! It is absolutely free!

Giveaway

Today you have the chance to win your choice of 4 essential oil samples from An Oils Adventure! Two lucky people will win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to An Oils Adventure for sponsoring this post.

Blog//Facebook