Oils & Third Trimester

So far these 31 weeks of pregnancy have been good to me with only mild discomforts. Luckily, I've got my essential oils to back me up when the discomforts become too much. 

A few weeks ago I started noticing some very random symptoms that were out of the ordinary for me. I suddenly became completely exhausted, developed a craving for ice water that was heavy on the ice, and I noticed a prickly feeling in my feet. Normal third trimester stuff right? Wrong. I preach knowing your normal to my students so I do my best to know my own normal. Anyway, against my better judgement I ended up on WebMD and terrified myself. I was convinced I had gestational diabetes. After a conversation with my sister I decided I probably didn't have GD but low iron (anemia seems to run in the family.) The following week at my 28 week appointment a CBC confirmed slightly low iron but not significantly low so no supplements were prescribed (thankfully) and a change in diet recommended. What a relief. So after making some changes in my diet and adding lemon juice or oil to my water every time I could remember, the strange symptoms are back to a normal level. I'm back to being only a little tired, forcing myself to have water often throughout the day, and the tingling feet... That's the second part of this post. 

The before mentioned tingling feet didn't go away as quickly as I would have liked. The feeling kept waking me in the middle of the night and was becoming painful in my shins. I did a little reading on restless leg syndrome during pregnancy to discover that it is quite common during the third trimester and could be related to low iron. While I waited for my iron to adjust I had to find a way to get better sleep at night. After more reading I decided on two different Young Living blends. I started putting YL Tranquil on the bottoms of my feet and YL PanAway on my shins at bedtime. Since starting this routine about a week ago I've had no problems staying asleep at night because my feet and legs are no longer hurting! I've continued the routine because honestly I like the way the blends smell. Plus, the PanAway feels wonderful on tired legs. 

Needless to say I'm grateful for essential oils especially during this pregnancy. Simple solutions for common pregnancy discomforts were exactly what I was looking for. I'm not big on supplements to begin with so this was just another way essential oils played their part in my life. 

Oils and Kiddo

Our journey with essential oils started after kiddo was born. I was suddenly aware of what we kept in the house and how we used medication. From the beginning with him we used a blend called Gentle Baby. This blend encourages bonding between mom and baby among other things. Plus, it made kiddo smell amazing. 

We really started using oils when kiddo got Roseola on his first birthday. Roseola is a common childhood rash that has a fever that hangs around for a couple of days before the rash shows up. We were told to rotate Motrin and Tylenol until the fever went away. Whoa, whoa, whoa... This fever had already been around for 24 hours and stuck around for another 48. Maybe I'm crazy but I wouldn't take that medicine for 3 days straight so why would I give it to a toddler? 

I knew that kiddo had a fever to help him fight the virus but it made me uncomfortable when the fever got too high. After some reading I figured out that peppermint oil would ease the fever. So, we went with peppermint to keep the fever low. Using oils through this childhood illness opened our eyes to how amazing they really are. 

Since our run in with Roseola we've  used essential oils to battle potential ear infections, teething, Mosquitos, sleeplessness, & anxiety in Cohen. For mom and dad, you can add oral health, allergies, sinus infections, migraines, sunburns, and muscle aches to the list. For a kicker we even use oils to get fleas off the dogs! Our family has experienced the benefits of Young Living essential oils and we just can't share enough! 

Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to try out any of these amazing oils!

Sunburn Relief

This past weekend my little family visited a metro water park with my mom, sister, and nephews. After I prepped Kiddo with his sun precautions, he was up and running. The only problem with this is that Daddy-O was left to take his own sun precautions. After about 2 hours at the park we sat in the shade for a moment, it was during this time I noticed how "crispy" Daddy-O's back was.

When we got home Daddy-O was feeling his sunburn. You could tell where he attempted to get his back by the un-burned lower back and shoulders, the rest of his back was a mess. We broke out the lavender oil and got him some relief as quickly as we could. You see, lavender essential oil has amaxing soothing properties along with anti-inflammatory benefits that make it a great oil for soothing skin. After each application Daddy-O informed me that the burn was feeling much better. It has been 5 days since the initial burn and there is still a little pink left but no peeling or blisters in sight.

We love our lavender oil and the purpose it serves for our family. Now if only I could get Daddy-O to ask for help ;)

Migraines Anyone?

Migraines have plagued members of my family for years. I was unfortunate enough to get this problem passed on to me. In the past I've used OTC medications to fight them off but I still ended up with full blown migraines. Back in March I started having 2 or 3 a week so I went to the doctor to see what we could do. Of course I was prescribed a miracle drug that would "stop the headache in it's tracks." After doing some research on the drug I decided it wasn't for me. Too many people simply did not wake up after taking it.

I desperately needed an answer to these headaches so I looked further into the oils I already loved. I read about several different oils that could possibly help and behold I already had one on hand. 

Just last weekend while were enjoying Daddy-o's 10 year high school reunion I began seeing the aura that precedes a migraine. Instantly, I ran to the car to get this little gem out of my purse. I rolled the oil onto my neck and temples then returned to the festivities. Within minutes the aura was gone and I was back to feeling great. I put a little more on one more time just for good measure and that was that. This wonderful blend of oils gave me almost instant relief from a headache that could have ruined my day and possibly weekend.

There just isn't a way for me to express how truly grateful I am for this amazing oil. In the past I thought a prescription was the only chance I had at stopping migraines. Young Living products continue to change our lives and this is just one of the many. 

Please feel free to contact me if you with any questions you may have or if you would like to give these amazing products a try! 

Toothpaste Revolution!

In December 2013 I decided to give up traditional toothpaste after reading about the shady ingredients in some commercial toothpastes. (Gasp!) For the first week or two I brushed with only water and followed up with a drop of Young Living peppermint oils to get that extra freshness. That worked out great. It didn't take long for me to find out about oil pulling (google it, it's amazing.) I read that this method can completely heal cavities! That's crazy right?!? I though I would give it a go. This method worked very well and I even noticed whiter teeth after a couple of weeks. The bad thing about pulling is the time it takes. Come on... 20 minutes? I have a 2 year old to chase around!

This is when I went back to water brushing for a bit until I learned about this amazing product.

I had been using Young Living essential oils for about 2 months when I found Thieves toothpaste. I already loved the oil by itself so why not the toothpaste?  I love it! It's fits well with occasional oil pulling and isn't filled with creepy ingredients. 

So what's the benefit of this change? 

1. No more canker sores. I didn't get them all of the time but if I ever bit my cheek or crashed into my gums with my toothbrush I would usually get one. Since I've stopped using commercial toothpaste I haven't had a single one! I still bite my cheek and crash into my gums with my toothbrush but no more painful side effects.
2. This product is completely safe for the whole family. Kiddo still isn't super great at the process of brushing his teeth but there aren't any toxins in this product if he happens to swallow a bit. It took awhile to get Daddy-o on board but last week he told me I needed to order more. When I asked him why he said it was because he knew I was almost out so he used regular old toothpaste for 2 days and already had a canker sore. If that doesn't say something about the ingredients I don't know what will.
3. The clean feel is like any other. Thieves oil works as a highly anti-viral, antiseptic, antibacterial oil that is utterly refreshing. This oil alone brings so much to the cleaning and health aspect.

It has been over 6 months since I've made this change and it looks as if we as a family will be sticking with it! I hope someone finds this useful and maybe even ventures out to try something new. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.

I've Got to Start Somewhere

Welcome!

Thanks to a long time, very dear friend's encouragement, this is the first post to what I hope will become a well of information for moms and women of all ages. Since my pregnancy with my first child I have been conscious of what I put into and on my body as well as what I expose my child to. In the last three years I have learned so much about green living and I strive to keep chemicals out of our home. Earlier this year I began a journey with Young Living essential oils and let me tell you it has been incredible! I hope to use this blog to provoke new thoughts and ideas while introducing other to the amazing products this company has to offer. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about products or requests for specific topics. There are several ideas floating around right now, I'm just not sure which direction to go. So, a little input could be very useful. 

Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned!