I had truly hoped for vaginal birth this time around. For my first I had an emergency C section due to a placenta abruption during my first trimester which lead to a retro-placetal bleed along with my little girls inability to get all the nutrients she needed, she wanted to bust out early. I went into labor at 32 weeks and the doctors had to perform surgery and then she was in the hospital for almost 2 months. It was all super traumatic and I was determined to go for the complete opposite experience this time. Right from the start I bought the Natrual Mama baby book and was reading about water births and home births and doulas. I was talking about natural births and vbacs I was so excited to have the opportunity to actually be present for the birth of my child seeing as the last time I had been completely unconscious and woke up and was conscious a few days later not even remembering I had had a baby.
So anyways, it was a nice wish, but not at all what
happened. My doctors got a scare that I had what's called a placenta accreta.
Which has kind of a high mother mortality rate especially if you dont have a
c-section. In the end I got a weeks notice that my baby would be born at 34
weeks via c-section with the possibility of a hysterectomy!
I guess I'm destined for traumatic birthing experience!
Haha!
Anyways I tell you all this, but I'm fine.
If you are looking for essential oils to help with the first
trimester, click here.
Here’s the thing. During my first pregnancy I was not into
essential oils. I was barely out of high school and had no idea who I was yet
as a person. I did know at that point that I wasn’t a fan of doctors, hospital
or medication though- which is part of the reason why I didn’t find out I was
pregnant until I was way into my second trimester and getting really sick. But
this time around I am older, and I have grown into who I am. I know that I
enjoy a natural approach to medicine and that essential oils are something I
have been working with specifically for 5, almost 6 years now for myself, my
family, and those around me. What I hadn’t done thus far was learn about
essential oils for during pregnancy, and this was a daunting aspect for me
since I found out very quickly that my first OBGYN wasn’t going to be any help
and that I was now in a situation where I was going to need medication and I
had no one to help point me in the right direction. My husband and I had been
struggling for the past 4 years with fertility, and conceiving, and
unfortunately went through the grief of a few miscarriages, but things finally
took a turn for the better.
If you are looking for essential oils that can help increase
your fertility, click here.
**Before I get started letting you all know what I took,
let me start with a quick disclosure notice, because essential oils in general,
and the products I am about to mention are not FDA regulated. So, let me
confirm that I am not a doctor, or a chemist, or a prenatal specialist of any
kind. No one is paying me to write what I am writing, and none of these facts
have been checked by the FDA. What I will do is provide links to articles and
additional material so that you can do your own research. The information given
in this post is not meant to take the place of doctor treatment or
recommendations and I always recommend that you ask your doctor before trying
anything new. Essential oils, just like many other things can interfere with
medications and treatments and should not be used without your doctors’
consent.**
STEP 1: The first thing I did was make sure that what I was
using was legit. – Most therapeutic or essential oils out there are total BS
because essential oils do not fall into a category that is FDA regulated. So, I
did my research and was pleased to find that not only were the oils I was using
as pure as pure could get, but a lot of the accusations online about people
saying things about the products not working or being dangerous were also
debunked. Whew! … but that was only step 1. I do want to mention for those of
you reading this that you will see me mention using some of these essential
oils internally and depending on what companies you use this is probably not a
possibility. If you are interested in using the same company and products as
are listed throughout this blog, I can help you with a free consultation.
Another thing I did was to find myself another OBGYN who was
at least willing to help guide me in the right direction when it came to
holistic health and contact a Douala and a midwife.
Step 2 was to find out what I absolutely could not take, and
the list is quite long and is not the same on every site. I played it really
safe only using things when absolutely necessary and even then I didn’t use
anything without talking to my doctor and midwife first. Most oils are
perfectly fine to having while giving birth compared to some of the longer
lists of oils to avoid during pregnancy. Here is a list I have compiled of oils
that shouldn’t be used while giving birth:
Peppermint- I wanted to breastfeed so peppermint was no go
Yarrow: yarrow is a blood thinner, so it should be avoided
especially if you are like me and are having complications or are high risk.
First off at the top we have my overnight stuff. A typical
c-section recovery time is 4 days so I packed for 4 days:
4 of the shampoo and detangler samples- I am probably not
going to be hopping in the shower right away due to my scar, but I have found
that whenever I spend any time in a hospital or in an airplane, my hair always
gets instantly greasy so with some help from the hubby I'm planning on washing
my hair.
8 of the onguard toothpaste samples- these are actually the
perfect size for 2 uses, but I'm bringing extra in case I loose, or misplace
them, or if I end up having to stay longer.
1 extra chapstick- hospital air is dry so so dry so I am
prepared. There is also a possibility that I end up undergoing general
anesthesia in which case a breathing tube is place to help me breath which
doesn't allow for any normal saliva to reach the lips for moister, thus
creating super nasty dry cracked lips. Also a nervous tendency of mine is to
bite and peel my lips especially when they are dry so keeping them moisturized
is a big one for me.
A handful of onguard throat drops- a c-section is pretty
major surgery, so I am coming fully armed against the possibility of infection.
Plus contrary to popular belief hospitals are not always the cleanest places
due to the amount of patients and everything they are carrying.
Balance deodorant- must have! So when your pregnant you gain
water weight which once you deliver needs to come out. Its typical for women to
experience an increase in sweating and BO right after giving birth. So we bring
the deodorant to help make sure I dont stink every body out.
Winter itch lotion- as I mentioned, hospital air is super dry. After any surgery,
your body is spending time focusing on repairing the damage from the surgery
and doesn't have as many resources available to fight off dry skin, so I'm
bringing my winter itch lotion to help fight off dry skin.
OnGuard Hand Sanutizer- the NICU does a really good job of
making everyone wash and sanitize before entering, but when baby is my room, I
dont always have a nurse outside making everyone wash up before entering. Being
that my immune system is going to be working overtime because of my surgery and
baby is going to have a still developing immune system, I am bringing the hand
sanitizer to offer to EVERYONE to help lower the possibility of germ spreading
when they come visit.
Fractionated Coconut Oil FCO: this comes with for a few
reasons. I am bringing a bunch of oils and I will probably want to dilute some
of them. FCO is also great as a quick lotion for anywhere and everywhere for
both me and baby (great for cradle cap too). FCO is also extremely healing for
the skin and can be use to help with my scars healing process.
Deep Blue and Arnica creams: these two are for the aches and
pains. Between the pain of surgery, the pain of having a baby, the pain of
having to lay in a hospital bed for days on end, I could end up in loads of
pain. A lot of women talk about developing restless leg syndrome towards the
end of their pregnancy with sometimes effects them for a week or 2 after
delivery as well. With all of these factors, I am being cautious and bringing
my go-tos for aches and pains.
Next are the oils:
Breath Touch- the touch rollers are prediluted with FCO and
perfect for on the go. Breathe has been packed to help me fight the dry
hospital air.
Digest Zen Touch- I know how cliché of me since I hate this
smell, but I cant eat anything for 8 hrs before my surgery and that includes
vitamins so the oil will have to do. A lot of women who undergo a c-section get
nauseous from the over stimulation of their digestive organs so I'll be using
this as a preventative method before surgery on the bottoms of my feet- to help
avoid the smell.
Clary Calm-after giving birth many women experience post
partum depression due to the rush of hormones being released during and after
surgery. Clary calm is specifically formulated to help balance out hormonal
shifts during your cycle, menopause and post delivery. Seeing as I am having an early c-section, I
may need a little extra help navigating and
triggering these shifts and hormones. This is also for helping to bring in your
milk supply.
Rose Touch- with baby coming early she may need to be in the
NICU for some time and not be near me as much as I would like. Rose is great
for helping to mend a broken heart and for stimulating the heart chakra, so I
am bringing with to help me in navigating those emotions.
Immortelle- major scar alert! Immortelle is the anti aging
oil blend, but it works wonders on scaring as well.
Milk Mama roller- this a roller bottle is one that is to
help my milk come in if I run into any post-OP milk issues. In a 10 ml roller
bottle add 2 drops of basil and 2 drops of fennel, then top off with FCO.
Frankincense Touch- I mean really if your having surgery of
any kind, your should have your Frankincense.
It has healing powers from the Gods!!! No, but really, it's an amazing
healing oil that is great for not only scars on the skin, but internal healing
within the body for your organs, and even deeper on a cellular level. I have
the touch roller bottle to help my scar and its healing process.
Frankincense- and I have the oil to take internally to help
with all of the internal healing I will be undergoing.
OnGuard- I am bringing my diffuser to my post-OP room and
will diffusing onguard to help disinfect the room when we have guests and bring
ten the air with its warm and uplifting scent.
Balance- balance has been scientifically shown to change the
bodies frequencies and with the massive hormone releases and emtional shifts
that are going to be happening after the birth and post-OP I am bringing
balance to diffuse in my room on tough days as well as to apply on the bottoms
of my feet. Balance is also found in the deodorant I am bringing (and use
daily)
Roman Chamomile- with the chance of baby needing to be in
the NICU without me and the rest I am going to need post-OP Roman Chamomile is
a great option for a little relaxation and help sleeping. (I also will have
lavander but that's in my purse)
Peace- this is the reassuring blend. Along with the
relaxation provided from the Roman chamomile and lavender peace will help to
steady my nerves at night and promote full relaxation for a good nights sleep.
Serenity- this is the calming blend. Not everything always
works the way we want it to, so I am bringing the calming blend as a third
option for relaxation. Sleep is so important after surgery and giving birth so
I plan on getting as much as I can while baby sleeps her first few days.
Non-essential oil products
I love my oils but
there were a few things I needed that were oil related.
Magnesium supplements- the PP dump is a killer. Magnesium is
shown to help you go easier. You can ask your dr for some while your at the
hospital but the price youl pay for 1 tablet there is about the same as buying
a whole bottle of it at home and bringing it with you.
Iron- with all the blood loss and fact that I'm already
anemic I wanted to bring this as well.
*I will list the rest of my supplements in my fourth
trimester blog.
A front zipper robe- you dont really think about this often,
but after you deliver via c-section pants are a no go for a few days,really
anything on your waist is a no go. I brought this robe because it would keep me
covered and warm in the hospital while not irritating anything.
Tablet- I really wanted to be productive and read some of my
year 1 book but I was exhausted. The maternity ward was on one floor and the
NICU on another. My oldest daughter had strep so my husband had to leave right
after I gave birth. Every 3 hours I would shuffle run down to the NICU to nurse
and then shuffle run back up to maternity so I could pump, eat and wash my pump
parts out enough for next time. At night I would try to sleep instead of eat
but that was just as difficult. Then I would run back down stairs again to
nurse. It was the toughest week and I'm so glad it's over. I really learned a
lot that I will share with you all soon. Anyways I had my tablet because when I
wasnt sleeping or running I entertained myself that way.
Books: for those of you who may enjoy a book more so than a
tv show or movie, a book is a great way to help you stay occupied during your
down time.
Slippers- get yourself a pair of slippers for when you go.
It's cold in hospitals and your going to want to be comfortable.
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