Surviving the Newborn stage – essential oils, lactation, and massage

The newborn stage is HARD.

I mean. I love the baby cuddles stage and laying with your newborn nursing fabulously and you feel like the entire world is happy…

but what about the fussy baby time and exhausted mom and raging hormones stage??

Here’s a few things that totally are game changers and I just WISH I had known about these people and things with my firstborn!!!!

Preface: My firstborn didn’t nurse well, had problems gaining weight from a shallow latch (that I had no idea was a “thing”) and was crying and screaming a ton from an unhappy tummy.

I wanted to LOSE MY MIND.

I’m pregnant with baby #5. How is that possible if my first was such a hard baby??!

Well, #1- my husband is pretty darn cute.

#2- I’ve found mom hacks that have been a total game changer with newborns that help me keep my sanity

So let’s stop the chitter chatter and get to the HELP ME stuff!

First off- two ladies you NEED in your life.

Beth Collins of Collins Complete Family Care. 

She is a lactation guru-and helped me keep my sanity with my 3rd baby. I was at a lost, crying, cracked and bleeding by day 6 of a baby who couldn’t get a good latch….and she taught me HOW to nurse a baby where I wasn’t losing my mind every time I had to latch.

If you feel like your nursing is just not what you imagined it would be- EVEN if your baby is gaining weight, if YOU feel bad or hurting, PLEASE contact her.

It took me till my 3rd child to realize that pain in nursing was NOT a right into motherhood.

I didn’t know that. The RELIEF after feeling how a well latched baby nursed, was amazing.

Even better is she is a Nurse Practitioner, and has a family practice… so you can take the whole family to her!!

Laura Barton of Mercy Touch Massage

I love this woman so much.

Here’s why:

2 prenatal massages with her helped my 4th birth become my BEST birth yet. How is that? She worked out my thighs and legs which had NEVER had a deep massage, and MAN I was so tight!!

In birth, you NEED strength in your lower body, and I really attest a huge part of why my birth was painless (yes, you read that right, I thought it was crazy too!) was because of her working my body into the best place it could be beforehand.

Now, I’m NOT saying you won’t have discomfort in your birth if you get a massage from her. BUT I am saying that getting your body prepped for birth makes a crazy huge difference in how your body preforms…and this was the FIRST time I had done it, and my 4th birth.

For Baby:

I had never heard of “Cranio-Sacral massage” before talking with Laura.

It’s basically soothing and slow touching that helps your body feel amazing.

With our 4th child, I had Laura come right after her birth…and that was my first time to see it done. Shaphirah was born with the cord wrapped tight twice around her neck, and she had some restrictions from that, along with tongue/lip ties.

After having Laura work on her, she nursed better than ALL my babies had. I was hooked.

I went to her after our awful and traumatic car wreck (I totaled our van with all my babies in the car) and I felt more grounded emotionally during my session than I had experienced before.

It was AMAZING, mama!!!!

Here’s what she says on her website for “what it is”

“Light engagement of the cranium, the sacrum and the nervous system in between. Intended to lead the body to restrictions and release strain patterns in both the myofascial tissue. Further connecting the healing body with unresolved emotional and physical trauma. Intended for adults and children. Specialized approach for those who are planning or who have underwent a tongue and lip tie release.”

So basically, schedule you AND your baby to see Laura. You can even nurse during your postpartum session while she massages you!!

Click that photo ^^ for my favorite oils to use for birth and postpartum!

Every mother who birthed a baby NEEDS ClaraDerm in their life. 

It’s the best blend EVER to spray “down there”. Yep, for THAT awful

I-feel-like-my-bottom-is-never-gonna-be-the-same feeling.

It’s relieving and also gives  a numbing feeling that is blissful.

I won’t ever birth without it.

Seriously.

I just started using oils 4 years ago, when I was pregnant with my 3rd baby.  These are a few of my must-have’s for mama and baby, and there’s a fuller list in the video above!!

oh oh!!!

and I can’t forget Rose Ointment!!

It’s my “booby butter”, to rub on the girls when your sore. Which, with the help from a fabulous lactation gal like Beth, shouldn’t be as often… but still. A good one to use. Also helpful for any bumps, scrapes, or “I need a soothing cream for that” moments.

Click on the names to grab them-and if your stumped or need something NOT on my list… send me a message over on FB and I can tell you what to grab!!

or you can jump on www.youngliving.com, add things to your cart, and use “2004569” at checkout so I can get you in a sweet FB group!

Lavender essential oil

Great for adding to your diffuser while your nursing, rubbing a drop on your feet to calm your body after a long day….or putting 5 drops in a cup of epsom salt and throwing in the bath.

When momma feels good, the world is a better place.

Tip: a 5ml bottle (a small one, pictured is the 15ml) comes WITH the Starter kit, so you can skip this one if your grabbing a kit!)

TummyGize essential oil blend

Oh man-this is a fussy baby GAMECHANGER.

It has all kinds of help-soothe-tummy oils in it, and it’s diluted for kids and littles so it’s ideal.

You CAN dilute it more if you wish with little babies, it’s totally up to you.

Grab one of these roller tops (ps, there’s also one that comes in the Premium Starter Kit!!)

and add it to the bottle.

If your stumped on HOW to put on the roller top, check out this video on youtube

Then roll on the bottom of your little one’s feet, and on their belly button area.

Mom tip: If you choose not to use oils directly ON your babies skin (which is totally up to you!!) you can put a drop on your palm, and hold close to your little one’s nose and let them smell it.

Even just that can help settle their little tummy.

Peace and Calming

Oh girl. If you have never smelled Peace and Calming…. let me just say, that it is how I survived pregnancy and postpartum with my 3rd child. It was a ROUGH time, let me tell you. I was anxious and overwhelmed a ton, and this blend helped me feel a little more like myself.

I use it now ON my kids- when I need to conquer shopping and toddlers at the same time.

And on me, so I don’t freak out on everyone inside Aldi’s.

Premium Starter Kit – basically what you need!

Easiest way to get started is the kit.

You have everything you need, including:

• A diffuser of your choice (I love the Mountain Mist-it changes colors!!)
• 10 essential oils and oil blends
• + a bonus bottle of Stress Away oil blend
• Concentrated sample of the only main cleaner I keep in my house, aka Thieves Household Cleaner —make 2-3 bottles with this sample, just add a TBS to a spray bottle and fill with water!
• 2 Ningxia Red packets-I use this fruit supplement daily to keep my mama energy on point
• mini bottles to share a few drops of your favorite oil with friends so you don’t feel obligated to share your bottle (hoard those, mama!!!)
• membership that gets you 24% off retail on the YL website

PS. Make sure to put my referral number “2004569” in the “who referred you” spot when you make an account, so I can get you into a super supportive Facebook group!!!

Now the best part about having a membership with Young Living is you get access to Essential Rewards

What is Essential Rewards?

It’s how I save the most money $$, hands down on my oils.

I order once a month, for whatever we need that month-and it ships to my door and I DON’T HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.

Or put on real pants. Which is a bonus.

It’s optional, but is feeling sane…and I really like to keep my sanity.

😉

You also get cheaper shipping, (or you can get on the new YL Go program and get prepaid shipping which is the CHEAPEST option!) they send you FREE oils every 3 months for the first year, AND you can score extra free oils and products to try out with qualifying orders!

FREE oils just for ordering monthly on Essential Rewards, as found on www.youngliving.com

Now it’s YOUR TURN to tell me-what’s something that helped you a ton with the newborn stage???

comment below!!!

and SHARE this on FB 🙂