My Young Living Labor and Delivery Kit

As many of you know, we are expecting our second child in December! Even though I have about half way to go, I'm already starting to feel the pressures of getting everything ready in time...could partially be nesting too :). 

I was first introduced to Young Living oils with my first child. My doula used some oils with me during my labor and delivery, and I loved it! I have since learned a lot more about them and have come to absolutely love my oils! So this time around, I really want to be able to implement more oils into the whole process! 

I have been working on putting a list together to give Luke and my doula during the birth. There are still about 5 items that I don't currently own. But plan on having everything by the time of the birth. Unfortunately, there are a few of these products that are currently out of stock...so I'm also trying to be patient and wait for those to come back. Below I have listed all the different oils and products with their uses that I plan on using beforehand and bringing with me for the labor and delivery as well as their uses. Enjoy! 

You should use some caution with certain oils during pregnancy. I strongly suggest the book listed below for any mom or mom to be that is using or planning on using Young Living essential oils. It is a great tool! There is also a Basic, Expanded, and Comprehensive Labor and Delivery Kit list listed in the book similar to mine. I think my kit would fall under the Expanded Labor and Delivery kit. So if you are looking for something a little more basic, please check into this book.

Labor and Delivery Kit List:

Dewdrop Diffuser

Diffusing essential oils is one of my favorite ways to use them. I've put this at the top of my list, as I plan on diffusing different oils during the labor and after the labor. 

Claraderm Spray

 

I am just waiting for this spray to come back in stock! This spray can be used to prepare the perineum weeks before birth and aid in healing after the birth, ie tearing...one of the lovely parts of giving birth sometimes. If there is something out there that may help this...I'm all for it!

Purification

This is also another one of my favorite oils. It leaves a clean scent and purifies the air. This is one of the first things you can diffuse when you get to the hospital or birthing center to purify the air. This oil has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. If you have the Premium Starter kit, you can also use Thieves for this same purpose (added bonus to using Thieves...it smells like Christmas ;) )


Clary Sage & Fennel

Once labor has begun, these oils can help keep things moving along. They can be applied to the inner ankle, little toe, lower abdomen and back. Mix the two oils with a carrier oil for this.
 Clary Sage is also known for balancing hormones.
I also plan on using fennel after the birth for lactation. Fennel has been known to increase milk supply. You can ingest two drops of fennel in a teaspoon of honey every two hours. Follow with a cup of water. You can also apply this around breast after feeding (avoid nipple). 


En-R-Gee & Peppermint

En-R-Gee and Peppermint oil can be used topically or aromatically (diffuser). I plan on using En-R-Gee on the bottom of my feet during transition/pushing for extra energy and alertness. I have a feeling this oil will also come in handy in the many months following the birth...lol. 

Peppermint oil can also be used for a boost during labor when you're feeling exhausted. It's also a great oil to use if you are dealing with nausea and/or headaches during labor and transition. For these purposes, you can inhale it from the bottle to help ease your stomach or headache.

Note: Peppermint is an oil that you want to avoid after labor and delivery if you are planning on breastfeeding, as it could dry up your milk supply.

 Lavender & Peace & Calming

Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils, it can be used for calming fears during labor, promoting peaceful atmosphere, and sleep for both mom and baby. Lavender can also be diluted with a carrier oil and used if baby has cradle cap. Peace and Calming also has the same calming effect as lavender. I think PC has to go down as my absolute favorite oil of all times! Either one can be used topically or aromatically during labor, directly in the birthing tub, and after delivery. You can also use on bottom of feet (our feet have the largest pores on our body, and therefore when oils are applied there they are quickly absorbed into our body) during labor to promote relaxation so that contractions continue to come strong. A friend of mine also had heard the idea of placing a few drops of lavender oil in cold/warm water and soaking washcloths in the water and placing on back of neck or forehead during labor. Sounds wonderful! You can also use Peace and Calming for this. 
Note: Peace and Calming is out of stock due to supply restrains. Young Living has come out with a Peace and Calming II that is currently in stock and is very similar.

Gentle Baby

Another favorite of mine! Helps promote relaxation, prenatal and postnatal bonding, and rest for mom and baby. This oil is also wonderful for preventing and healing stretch marks! I'm currently using this oil to help prevent them!

Frankincense & Myrrh

Both Frankincense and/or Myrrh (diluted with carrier oil 1:10) can be used on the perineum during labor to help prevent tearing. They also promotes healing for the umbilical cord on baby, help with stretch marks, and supports the immune system. These holy oils were the two Biblical oils that were given to the Christ child after his birth. Our doula placed diluted Frankincense on Maylea's forehead shortly after birth and prayed over her. Both help to boost the immune system and promote brain development. For all of these uses you will want to dilute the oil 1:10 with a carrier oil.

Myrrh has been on my "to buy" list for awhile now and I am so excited to have it in time for Christmas as well this year!

Joy

Can be applied on wrists, back of neck, or behind ears to uplift and encourage labor. Also, good for bonding with baby.

Valor & Panaway

Valor is known as the "chiropractor in a bottle," as it helps align the body, physically and emotionally. As well as aiding in relaxation of the central nervous system. I love the smell of this oil! Panaway is similar in that it helps ease pain caused from sore muscles and body aches. You can use these oils together or separately on bottom of feet, lower spine, back, and neck to help ease pain and intensity of contractions. Both are good for back pain as well during pregnancy.

 Place on the back of the neck and/or spine to help with pain during transition and pushing. I have a feeling my roller bottle tops will be on these two oils for easy application.

Valor can also be used in the weeks following delivery to help re-align the body after birth!

Lavaderm Cooling Mist

The use of this spray is similar to the Claraderm spray. It can be used after the birth to aid in healing from tearing.

There really are so many different uses for each of these oils. I have only briefly gone over how to use them and mostly have listed how I plan on using them. I cannot tell you how much more information and different subjects are covered in the Gentle Baby book for pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, etc. 

If you are looking to get started with essential oils or have any questions about this list, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me with any questions you may have. Just as an FYI if you've been looking into purchasing the Premium Starter kit, it does come with quite a few oils on this list, including Lavender, Purification, Panaway, Frankincense, and the diffuser. The Premium Starter Kit is also $10 off until August 13th.

Current Top Favorite Oil

Current Top Favorite Oil:

Panaway

Okay so let's be real...I have always struggled with really bad menstrual cramps. Like on the floor in a ball, crying in pain cramps. If I didn't catch it in time with Pamprin or some other type of similar medicine it wouldn't work and it would last for about an hour. I hated having to take medicine, especially Pamprin because it would make me feel like a zombie afterwards (I don't do good with medicine) and I knew it was awful for me. I hoped that after having a baby they would go away, but alas they have not. I will say it seems they are not quite as bad though!

I'd been waiting to use this oil for awhile! I'd heard about other people using Panaway to help with cramps and wondered if it would actually help. Well, I can tell you that it did for me! I've used two drops rubbed on my stomach, as often as I needed. For me, there's a warming sensation and then they're gone... Happy dance! I love my oils!! Therefore, this is OBVIOUSLY my current favorite oil!!

Panaway is an essential oil blend by Young Living. If you're interested in learning more, let me know!

Distributor #1929094

DISCLOSURE: The information on this site is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice.

Wildflower

It's the end of the day, and I am sitting on my couch thinking and enjoying the silence that fills my home. Maylea has hit a stage (or I suppose it's from here on out) in which she feels the need to make noise constantly in her waking hours, whether it be babbling, whiny, the occasional "ma,ma," or crying. It's in these moments that I wonder how I can be enjoying the silence as she sleeps and yet still miss her presence. Oh little girl, what have you done to me? I'm simply so in love. I suppose it's this love that keeps me going, makes me forgot my lack of sleep, the thing that has given me more patience than I've ever had in my life. What a gift God has given us in children. And oh such vulnerability. It's like your heart is walking around outside of your body. I pray that I have the wisdom to know when to hold her close and when to let her go. I pray that her heart will be drawn to the beauty of our Father.

For as long as I can remember, I have always felt the closet to my Father through flowers. Mostly through wildflowers along the side of the road. Such little things, but I see Him in them and in the wind that blows through them. So free. So perfect. Like they were placed there for me to see, simply because He knows they make me feel loved.

Our little Maylea's name means "wildflower," and guess what I see in her every day I get to be with her, every time I look into her big, brown eyes, and see her beautiful smile? I see my Father and His immense love. Oh how blessed I am!

Oh my little wildflower, I find such joy in being your mother!

Maylea's Birth Story

40 weeks and 5 days...I went to bed Friday night after coming to the conclusion that I was never going to have this baby. I awoke at 4:15am Saturday morning with stomach pains that came and went. Not wanting to get excited, I tried falling back asleep and was in and out of sleep til 6:00am. At this point they had become much stronger than before and I was pretty positive I was in labor. I believe it was at this point I finally woke Luke up to let him know I thought I was in labor. The contractions were timing 6 1/2 minutes apart. I rocked on my birthing ball for awhile, called my doula and our midwife, took a shower (which felt wonderful), put some makeup on (crazy I know)... By this point, the contractions were getting closer together 3 1/2 to 5 minutes apart and I could no longer talk during them. Luke was there for each contraction, squeezing my hips, which helped so much with the contraction pain! We called our midwife, Michelle, again and were set to meet her at the Birth Place at 10:30. Luke finished packing our bag and food and we were off!

For weeks before, I had been dreading the car ride there. But once we left, the contractions slowed down. I only had about 3 or 4 the whole way there. We ended up getting to the birth center around 11am and got there before our midwife got there, and decided to walk up and down the hallways there to get the contractions going again. She arrived shortly and we went into one of the patient rooms to get checked. I was 5-6 cm dilated at that point. We headed into the birthing room and got comfortable. My doula arrived at some point and Luke left to go get us some Chipotle, as I was pretty hungry at this point and so was he. While he was gone, we started some relaxing music and I talked with my doula (I think we talked about essential oils...lol) and rocked on a birthing ball. Luke got back and we ate together. It was rather enjoyable ;).This whole time the contractions were getting stronger but still bearable, especially with Luke and my doula taking turns with hip squeezing. If I wasn't on the birthing ball, I had the ball up on the bed and would lean on it while standing and rocking back and forth. I honestly don't know what time it was but it didn't feel like it was too long after we ate that the contractions started to get pretty painful, so I was checked again and about at 7cm. At that point I was allowed to get into the birth pool. I waited for what seemed an eternity for it to get filled up! When I finally got in, it felt so wonderful!! The water helped to speed things up I'd say, as I wasn't in there for too long before the contractions got even stronger. I tried getting in different positions in the tub but nothing really helped anymore. I remember one of the assistants trying to get me to drink more water and/or coconut water. She held a full quarter of water in front of me and asked if I thought I could drink the whole thing...lol. I may have looked at her like she was crazy. Oh! And, I was eating frozen grapes...those were pretty good. I was checked again after being in the tub awhile and was at 9cm. My water still had not broken at this point. I was asked if I wanted to have Maylea in the tub or if I wanted to be on the bed. I honestly couldn't decided and so they decided to have me get out onto the bed. Okay, so the contractions were really hard now! I tried rocking on the bed for a bit and was checked again and almost at a 10 and I was asked if I wanted them to break my water to help speed things along. I decided to go ahead and have them do that. I imagined there was going to be a lot of water but there really wasn't a whole lot. And once it was done, those contractions...oh my!!! But there was only a few of them before I was ready to push! I took me awhile to figure out the whole pushing thing and it took about an hour before she was out. But when she finally came out it only took one final push and her head and entire body came out. Luke was sitting behind me, and Maylea was put on my chest and all I could see/hear at that point was her and Luke softly sniffling behind me. It was the sweetest moment of my life! Oh the moment you first see your child, it is unlike anything else in the world! She was born at 6:30pm and weighed 8lbs and was 21 inches long. Chubby, dark hair, and a tiny button nose. The most perfect thing in the whole world! Our little wildflower.

Oh and can I say, I absolutely loved my birthing team! They were so wonderful!!

Maylea Rose

The next morning, going home!

1 day old!

Essential Oils & How I Am Using Them In My Home

Okay, so I was fairly skeptical about essential oils before learning much about them. The thought of smelly incense, Indians, and dream catchers came to mind whenever I heard anything about essential oils. Really...I don't even know why. I did know some about a few essential oils such as Oregano oil which mom gave us sometimes to help when a cold was coming on. And, of course, Lavender and Lemon to scent things. But I did not know about the therapeutic benefits of these oils and that my entire medicine cabinet would be filled with them.

I was first introduced to Young Living essential oils, by my awesome doula, during my pregnancy earlier this year. She used a few different oils during my labor and delivery as well. She had just purchased her Young Living kit and after seeing the kit, hearing more about the oils, and the testimonies, my mom and I both purchased our kits! And, I can honestly say I have used them every single day since I ordered my kit. Our diffuser is on every night!

Guys, I'm seriously in love with my diffuser... Ask my husband. He really likes it too :)

The diffuser breaks the oils down into a micro-fine vapor through the air and does not heat them which insures the full benefits of the oils.

Here is a quick run through of what I have used each of these oils for!

 Thieves - I used this oil when that nasty bug was going around to support the body's natural defenses and immune system. Topically and diffused. 

Peace and Calming - One of my favorites and I'm out! I diffused this at night to promote a peaceful nights sleep. Loved this for Maylea too!

Panaway - This one is amazing! Cramps, headaches, etc...

Joy - This one is probably the least used out of all my oils, because it honestly doesn't smell that great to me....but they say that the oils that stink to you are the ones you need the most!

Purification - Love to diffuse this one while I'm cleaning the house to purify the air. Also love the smell!

Lavender - This one ran out a long time ago and I have a new one on the way :) I diffuse it at night, also helps to calm Maylea (always dilute the oils down with a carrier oil if using on small children). I put it diluted on the bottom of her feet. I use it in her shampoo that I make and in her baths at night. Also, have used it as mosquito repellent.

Valor - I have neck pain issues and have used this oil to help with the pain.

Peppermint - I have used this oil as well when we were sick and use it as an ant killer! Also, good in tea!

Lemon - I like to diffuse this in the morning and it helps me to feel more energized. Also drink it with water and cook with it.

Frankincense - So many uses for this oil. Love it for stretch marks, acne scars, infections, and stress.

Stressway - I think this one is pretty self explanatory.

Since buying my kit, I have also ordered many other oils...it's addictive.

In case you were wondering, Young Living oils may be inhaled, diffused, topically applied, and taken internally (which means you can also cook with them!) Not all essential oil brands are able to be taken internally, so please make sure you read the label before ingesting! 

Okay, so why Young Living? There are many essential oil companies out there but I have chosen Young Living for many reasons.  One of the biggest reasons is because of their Seed to Seal promise. They grow the plants, cultivate, distill, test, and seal their own oils. Their oils are pure. Their quality is amazing! You can even walk their farms in Utah...which I think is pretty amazing and would love to do someday.

Seriously?! Can I just go now?! I need to do a photoshoot in a Lavender field desperately!

There's so much more I haven't even covered...but the baby has awakened. If you want to know more about the oils or are interested in purchasing a kit, let me know!

Distributor #1929094

DISCLOSURE: The information on this site is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice.

5 Months & Then Some

Maylea Rose you have completely stolen our hearts. I didn't know I could love the way I love you until the day you were born and somehow, in the strangest way, I love you more each day. You are my joy. Being your mommy is most rewarding job I've ever had and I look forward to each new day I have with you, watching you grow and learn new things. 

You are 5 months old and are full of personality.

You found your feet a few weeks ago and must hold onto a foot while your eating.

You roll around like crazy to get where you want to go.

You smile at everyone.

You sleep through the night!

You have the most beautiful, big brown eyes.

You love playing with Daddy and light up when he comes home from work.

You love going! I put you in the carseat and you get so excited!

You sing along with mommy to the country music in the car.

You love apples and sweet potatoes...and bananas and pears. You pretty much just love food.

You are most certainly a people person!

{Pregnancy Week 39}

How far along: 39 weeks, baby is the size of a mini watermelon

Total weight gain: 25 lbs

Maternity clothes: Um....is it time to wear my regular clothes yet??! Ugh!

Stretch marks: Not that I'm aware of... :)

Sleep: Pretty uncomfortable. Restless leg syndrome, a bed that is overflowing with pillows (and having to re position them all every time I turn), and having to get up every hour to pee does not make for the most restful nights these last couple of weeks. Oh! Plus, a baby that likes to have a dance party every night.. :)

Best moment of this week: There have been many this week...I got to have another ultrasound and see our squished, little girl :), celebrate Easter with my family, and spend lots of time with Luke this weekend. 

Miss anything: Too many things to mention at this point, but that's okay as it's almost over.

Movement: Yes, maybe too much for how big she is! I think the inside of me is bruised from her.

Food cravings: Pineapple!! (and no, this does nothing to bring on labor for me).

Anything making you queasy or sick: Randomly, I will start to feel nauseous in the mornings but it usually goes away pretty quickly.

Happy or moody most of the time: Hmm...lots of different emotions these last few weeks. Lots of ups and downs. I have learned in the last week that the best kind of labor prep you can have does not come from anything I can read online, learn from other moms, my doula, my midwives, etc (don't get me wrong, I need these things too!) but from spending time with my Lord. There is nothing like the peace I have received from talking with him. I have an unrelenting need to be in control of situations in which I am fearful. Fear of the unknown. I have such a vision of how I want the birth to go and maybe have held onto that a little too tight. I have struggled with this over the last few weeks and finally realized that I cannot keep holding on and handling things the same way. I had to give my fears to the Lord and let go. When I was finally able to do that this past week, I have been filled with such a wonderful sense of peace and direction. I see Him reaching out his hand to me and telling me to walk with him. I was born to do this! So now...we just wait for her with excited anticipation :)

Looking forward to: Getting to meet our little girl!!