Essential Oils {A Birth Circle Topic}

This month's birth circle was so exciting. I cannot begin to describe to you how much essential oils can benefit your family! From coughs and colds to sprains and morning sickness, there's an oil for your ailment, and even an oil to keep your family well.  You've heard the phrase "an apple a day"? Well I bring you, an oil a day keeps the doctor away! Ana Hansen and Kara Peterson shared with our lovely mamas doTerra Essential Oils. They each shared a wonderful testimonial about how essential oils have impacted their lives and wonderful ideas for how you can use essential oils during your pregnancy, for your birth and for years to come; from infancy through aging adults, essential oils can benefit you!

Here's a sneak peak into what Ana presented at the Cottonwood birth circle for our lovely mamas to be:
Please, click on her picture to learn more about her!

Good Sleep Feet Rub:

Ana Comacho Hansen

3 Tsps of Organic Coconut Oil
5 drops of Lavender
Optional: 5 drops of Frankincense
Any small container


Awaken Energy Spritz:
6 oz Distilled or Purified Water
10 drops Wild Orange
10 drops Lemon
1 6 oz spray bottle


Good Stomach Roll-On:
4 oz Organic Sunflower Oil
10 drops of Peppermint
10 drops of DigestZen Blend Oil
Any Roller Container



Kara Peterson presented our Prescott area mamas with some great homemade products for their sweet bundles of joy. Her pic &  bio coming soon!

Talc-Free Baby Powder:
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 cup Arrowroot powder
1 drop of Roman Chamomile
1-2 drops of Lavender
1/4 cup finely  ground oats
Directions: mix well and put in a shaker style bottle.


Diaper Cream (Cloth diaper friendly):
1/2 oz beeswax
3.5 ounces Fractionated Coconut Oil
2 drops of lavender
2 drops of tea tree oil
Small jar
Directions: Melt beeswax in a double broiler, stirring until smooth. Slowly add the oil. Remove from heat and add essential oils. If too firm, re-melt and add more coconut oil.


Baby Wipes:
1 roll of paper towels (cut in half)
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp of fractionated coconut oil
3 drops of lavender essential oil
3 drops of tea tree oil
Airtight storage container.
Check out this guide for "how to" or try Kara's personal recommendation using cloth wipes. Put the ingredients in a spray bottle; she likes to add lemon essential oil and peppermint!

Other Birth Circle Topics:

• What's A Birth Circle
• Frequently Un-Asked Questions
• Childbirth In Pop Culture
• Nutrition in Pregnancy

Share your story of how essential oils have benefited your family on the Journey of Life!
What are  your favorite oils/blends?

www.facebook.com/ycbirthcircle

www.ycbirthcircle.wordpress.com

Rally to Improve Birth

Where will you stand this labor day?  <--Click the link to find a rally near you

September 2, 2013

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

ImprovingBirth.org Brings you the Rally to Improve Birth. I'm sure you know someone, or perhaps you are someone, who has felt taken advantage of during birth. It is becoming far too common in our culture for women to be uninformed or misinformed. Far too often, care providers are not offering evidence based care. We can fix that! Agnes Sallet Von Tannenberg said, 

If we are to heal the planet, we must begin by healing birth.

That statement could not be more true; birth matters! 

Every mother should be nurtured and respected as she brings her baby earth side. The way her birth experience makes her feel will have lasting impact on her life, shaping the kind of mother, lover, friend and person she is. This is the start of the Journey of Life and babies also deserve the best start; that begins with a healthy pregnancy in which a woman takes an active role in the decisions surrounding her pregnancy and birth. That begins with a birth that evolves around a woman's individual choices; informed choices that are derived from full and accurate information about her care options, including the potential harm, benefits, and alternatives.

The Importance of Baby Friendly Hospitals

What makes a hospital baby friendly?
Essentially, it understands, promotes and educates moms on the importance of breastfeeding.

The 10 steps are

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practice “rooming in”– allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

 Get the details here. A baby friendly hospital strives to provide moms and babies with the best start possible. The hospital near to you may not be the best choice for your birth. Ideally, the new family will have immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact for at least an hour, if not two, after birth and be coached in breastfeeding.

Sounds simple right? So why aren't more hospitals in Arizona involved? And why is this so important? And scroll down to "because it does matter" in this post. Successful breastfeeding is found most easily in support; that support should begin at birth, if not before!

Don't have a baby-friendly hospital near you?
Don't fret! Just remember the rap ;-)

• skin-to-skin is best
• hold off visitors (especially well meaning family) until after The Magical Hour
• delay or forgo newborn procedures
• Is Erythromycin Eye Ointment always necessary?
• 10 Decisions for Parents of Newborns: Part 1 | Part 2
• delay or forgo the baby bath
• Why the newborn bath should wait
• resist artificial nipples
• room in and feed on demand
• join a local La Leche League 

This is the earth-side beginning of the Journey of Life. Why not give babies and moms the best start?  

What was your immediate postpartum experience like?

Liquid Gold

In honor of the culmination of world breastfeeding week, August 1-7, 2013 I would like to congratulate all of you mamas who have fed your babies. That is each. and every. single. one. of you. Whether you have breastfeed for 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 years, you have positively supported the growth and wellness of your baby.

This really is liquid gold!

Infographic courtesy of www.lactavist.net

How long did you breastfeed for?  What was your goal?