“SURPRISE! YOU’RE PREGNANT.”
That’s exactly how I felt as I sat staring at my EPT test in the Walgreen’s bathroom in September of 2013 – in total shock.
Not the classiest way to find out you’re expecting your first baby, I know. But I was determined to show my teasing husband that the reason I was “late” was because my birth control was playing tricks on me, not because I was pregnant. And of course, I wanted to prove that to him before I got back in the car.
Boy, was I wrong.
As exciting as becoming a new parent can be, Blaine and I were also very scared. We met in October of 2012, got engaged two months after that, and were married four months after the engagement. So, it was safe to say that we wanted to wait a while to have kids - and a “while” for us meant “years” in our vocabulary.
When we found out we were expecting just five months after our wedding, it was definitely a huge moment of realization that our lives were about to change forever, yet again, so soon. But we also knew that to get pregnant despite the birth control, this child must be one very special baby.
Gratefully, we were introduced to Young Living Essential Oils just months before we found out we were expecting. I was able to experience first hand how these oils and products kept me healthy right away, and I was stoked to see how these oils would promote my new journey as an expecting mother.
Blaine and I also decided early on that we were going to do a 100% natural birth at our local birthing center. And so it began – using Young Living Essential Oils for pregnancy and childbirth.
PREGNANCY
You hear about it all – the roller coaster of horrors that can overtake a pregnant woman’s body for 40 weeks. But I have to say, my first pregnancy was one of the easiest and most enjoyable experiences of my life – and I credit Young Living Essential Oils for allowing it to be that way.
Due to the continual and persistent use of the oils, my comfort and wellness levels were through the roof AMAZING.
Here is a list of what Young Living Essential Oils I used while pregnant, and how I used them:
Stomach and Esophagus Support: Young Living Lemon and Peppermint essential oils. Applied Peppermint on my neck and chest. Drank 3 drops of Lemon Vitality and 1 drop of Peppermint Vitality in a large glass of water.
Muscle Support: Young Living Valor, Panaway, and Peppermint essential oils. Applied all three oils topically on desired areas.
Digestive Support: Young Living Citrus Fresh, Lemon, Orange, and Peppermint essential oils, and the Ningxia Red antioxidant drink. Drank 3 drops each of Citrus Fresh Vitality, Lemon Vitality, Orange Vitality, and 1 drop of Peppermint Vitality in a large glass of water. Drank 2-4 oz. of Ningxia Red daily.
Emotional Support: Young Living Joy, Lemon, Valor, Stress Away, and Peace & Calming essential oils. Diffused combination of 3 drops of each oil in the Home Diffuser. Applied oils to wrists, back of neck, and over the heart. Inhaled directly from the bottles.
Energy Boost: Young Living Peppermint, Lemon essential oils and Ningxia Red antioxidant drink. Applied Peppermint on temples and wrists. Drank 1 drop Peppermint Vitality and 3 drops Lemon Vitality in large glass of water. Drank 2-4 oz. of Ningxia Red daily.
Head Tension: Young Living Panaway, Deep Relief, and Frankincense essential oils. Applied on temples, forehead, neck, and big toe. Dropped 1 drop of Frankincense Vitality under the tongue.
Healthy Skin: Young Living Lavender and Frankincense essential oils. Applied directly on affected areas. Bathed with 10-15 drops of oils mixed in epsom salts.
Tummy Support: Young Living Peppermint essential oil. Applied directly under the nose and over abdomen. Inhaled directly from the bottle. Drank 1 drop Peppermint Vitality in large glass of water.
Overall Health: Young Living Ningxia Red antioxidant drink, Life9 probiotic capsules. Drank 2-4 oz. daily. Took 1 Life9 capsule at night. (side note: After the birth, one of my midwives asked if I drank Ningxia Red during my pregnancy – because my placenta was one of the healthiest and most beautifully intact placentas she’d ever seen. Pretty cool!)
Restful Sleep: Young Living Lavender, Peace & Calming, Valor, and Stress Away essential oils. Applied directly on feet, spine, forehead, and temples. Diffused 3 drops of each oil in home diffuser.
Stretching Skin Support: Young Living Gentle Baby and Myrrh essential oils. Applied daily on abdominal area, breasts and thighs.
“Blowing up like a Balloon” Support: Young Living Lemon, Copaiba, and Lemongrass essential oils. Applied directly to affected area.
CHILDBIRTH
When they say there’s no greater pain than childbirth – they’re exactly right. But there’s also no greater reward and no more beautiful, spiritual experience than the miracle of birth itself.
I went through 36 hours of pre-labor and early labor contractions - all of which were bearable, tolerable, and exciting to say the least, because we knew baby was on the way!
After the 34th hour of laboring at home, my midwife came over to check my progress. I was only dilated at a 2 and 40% effaced, and she said it was highly unlikely that I would have my baby within the next 24 hours.
However, two hours after she left, my water broke as I was sitting in the bathtub – and that’s when active labor went into a raging full force.
To make matters more interesting, it was also right in the midst of 5:00pm Fort Worth, Texas traffic, and our birth center was easily 45 minutes away (in a traffic-free drive). Not to mention, we had to stop for gas in the midst of the congested chaos, because we failed to fill up our car beforehand. Smart, huh?
Now this is where my memory starts to become fuzzy – what was 3 more hours until baby was born felt like 15 minutes in my recollection. By the time we got to the birth center, I was dilated at a 4, an within the hour I had dilated all the way to a 10. So you can only imagine the intensity it was as a first time mom with such a fast and furious active labor with no drugs.
My midwives placed me on oxygen because I was failing to breathe properly during each contraction. They then had me sit in a horse-shoe shaped birthing chair, and told me to start pushing.
I was exhausted, drained, and have never been so fatigued in my entire life. But it was at the exact moment of sitting in that chair when my every feeling “down there” completely ceased. I never even knew when I was contracting anymore, I just pushed every time I had the slightest ounce of energy.
My husband sat behind me, holding me up and supporting my back. Our entire family looked on as they prayed, recorded video, and encouraged me with their loving words. My midwife, doula, and 3 other midwives were speaking words of wisdom and praise, massaging me, checking baby’s heartbeat and monitoring my vitals. Our photographer was snapping photos of priceless moments that will forever be remembered. Praise and worship music was playing and the entire atmosphere shifted into one of glory to our Lord and Savior.
And just minutes later, our daughter Lace Avery Crews was born. A 6 lb., 14 oz,. 20 inches long, perfectly healthy baby girl, with her daddy’s eyes and her mommy’s nose. And to us, she was the most beautiful thing we had ever seen.
During the entire labor and delivery, my family was applying Young Living Essential Oils on me and diffusing in the room, and we even used oils on baby Lace immediately after she came out of the womb.
Along with the incredible support from all who were present, I also credit the success of my childbirth process to the amazing effects that these oils had on me and my daughter.
Here is a list of which oils were used during labor, delivery, and post partum:
Anointing Baby: Young Living Frankincense essential oil. Applied directly to the top of the head.
Anxious Feelings: Young Living Valor, Peace & Calming, Joy essential oils. Applied on temples, over the heart, back of neck, and wrists. Diffused 3 drops of each oil in home diffuser.
Back Support: Young Living Frankincense, Valor, Panaway, and Deep Relief essential oils. Applied directly on location of discomfort.
Breastfeeding (nipple ointment): Young Living Tender Tush. Applied directly to nipple areas immediately after every feeding.
Contractions (to help move things along): Young Living Clary Sage, Fennel, Ylang Ylang essential Oils. Applied on ankles and wrists.
Tummy Relief (baby): Young Living Dill, Gentle Baby, and TummyGize essential oils. Applied directly on baby’s stomach area, and neat on the bottoms of the feet.
Digestive Support: Young Living Citrus Fresh Vitality, Lemon Vitality, Orange Vitality essential oils, Ningxia Red antioxidant drink, ComforTone dietary supplement. Drank 2-3 drops of each oil in large glass of water. Drank 2-4 oz. of Ningxia Red daily. Took 2 ComforTone capsules daily.
Diaper Ointment: Young Living Tender Tush Diaper Ointment. Applied before every clean diaper.
Equilibrium Support: Young Living Peppermint essential oil. Applied down the neck and behind the ears. Added 5 drops in the bathtub during labor. Diffused 5 drops in the home diffuser.
Emotional Support: Young Living Bergamot, Gentle Baby, and Valor essential oils. Applied on the back of neck, wrists, temples. Diffused 3 drops of each in home diffuser.
Tummy Relief (for Mommy): Young Living Peppermint essential oil. Applied directly under the nose, on the chest, and stomach. Inhaled directly from the bottle.
Perineum Cleansing, Repair, and Support: Young Living Lavender and Frankincense essential oils, Lavaderm and Claraderm sprays. Added 2-3 drops of each oil in peri-bottle of warm water. Used after bathroom visits, and as often as needed. Sprayed Lavaderm and Claraderm after bathroom visits, and as often as needed.
Umbilical Cord: Young Living Myrrh and Frankincense essential oils. Applied directly to the umbilical cord before cutting, until it was done pulsating.
WHY YOUNG LIVING
Even though I used Young Living Essential Oils during a drug-free natural birth, I have many friends who also used Young Living Essential Oils at their hospital births too.
Using these oils and products throughout our entire pregnancy, labor, and delivery processes gave us peace of mind – knowing we were using genuine, 100% pure, therapeutic grade products that were safe and free of toxins for both mommy and baby.
I am beyond grateful to Young Living, the oldest and most researched oil company, who sets the standard of the essential oil community for the entire world. Our journey with these oils is far from over.
To order Young Living Essential Oils for 24% off, click here.
