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I promised that this was coming! It’s been a labor of love though, no pun intended, because I am packing all sorts of oily goodness this third time around. Here’s the thing, just like I said my other hospital packing guide, I am a person who would prefer to err on the side of over-prepared rather than wishing I had something and not have it. Especially in a time like labor, you don’t want to be wishing you had something to give you that extra support you are needing and not have it with you. Now, I don’t think being over-prepared always means over-packing. I have a teeny tiny carry on size suitcase that has everything I need for me and baby during labor and recovery. In my opinion that’s pretty good! So in addition to the other things I feel I might need, I created a guide of all the oily things I’m packing up and lugging to the hospital with me this time around. Plus, I plan on writing an update after I give birth just to see what I actually did use and what I maybe could have lived without.
All of these essential oils and products I’m talking about are from Young Living, and some of them are exclusive products and supplements you can only purchase through their website. If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils, Young Living, or want to try something I mentioned just shoot me an email or a message and I would be happy to help you out!
Items for Pregnancy
+ Citrus oils: I constantly had citrus oils diffusing to help ease my nausea. Think things like lemon, orange, tangerine, or grapefruit. Grapefruit and Spearmint were my two favorites to do together. They neutralized any weird smells in the house but also were light and fresh smelling so they didn’t mess with my nausea.
+ Alkalime: take every night before bed to help maintain a healthy PH in your stomach and as needed when you have heartburn or stomach discomfort for quick relief. It’s a powder that you add to water and it creates a fizzy lemon lime drink, I actually love the flavor. I have to say that I have had major heartburn with all three pregnancies I popped Tums like it was my job, although it never took away the issue fully and I hated the way that it made me feel. This has been a game changer for me!
+ Ningxia: this is a powerhouse antioxidant drink exclusive to Young Living. It is packed full of all of the goodness and women who have consumed this drink during pregnancy have shared stories of receiving complements on their placenta after delivery. How crazy is that? It also did great things for my morning sickness in the first half of my pregnancy. I knew that I was getting lots of goodness even if I couldn’t bear to eat a bite of food.
+ Clary Sage essential oil: can be used on inner ankles to help kick start contractions once labor has already started
+ Tranquil Roll On: this on my big toes at night before bed puts me to sleep so fast. I use it all the time actually but when I’m pregnant I need extra help to unwind at bedtime.
+ White Angelica Essential Oil: this is another item exclusive to Young Living and it’s a blend of amazing oils that are all incredible for emotional support. This oil for me in the diffuser helps so much with my crazy pregnancy dreams. I like to pair it with Frankincense and Orange or Lavender and Cedarwood essential oils but you can also diffuse it by itself.
+ Immunity Roller: every night at bedtime I roll my immunity blend on my feet to help keep me above the line of wellness. If I’m feeling under the weather or exposed to icky germs I will use this a couple more times in throughout the day. It’s a blend of Thieves, Purification, Frankincense, Lemon, and Oregano essential oils.
+DIY Peri Spray: this time around I made my own spray for “down there” to help prep the area for the stretching that happens during delivery. The blend of oils in this mix is incredibly nourishing for your skin and can help prevent tearing in delivery.
Items for Labor & Delivery
+ Orange, Gentle Baby, and Valor Essential Oils: I’ll be putting all of these in the diffuser together as soon as we get settled into our room, or rather I’ll have Christian do it haha. Orange is uplifting, gentle baby is relaxing and calming, and valor is great for promoting feelings of courage. All super great vibes for labor and delivery!
+ Peppermint: to inhale during transition and help curb nausea (this is when I typically throw up, TMI) and energize me.
+ Deep Relief /Valor/Copaiba: for pain relief during labor. I’ll use these to apply for back cramps or pain during contractions. I’ll have Christian rub this on my back and probably alternate between the three, but you can easily just use one.
+ Frankincense: for ALL of the things! There’s a reason they brought this to baby Jesus, and if it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for me and my baby boy! It has an incredibly grounding sent that can help promote relaxation and focus so I’ll probably be inhaling it straight out of the bottle. Obviously you can also diffuse it! It’s also going to be used for anointing baby, put a drop in your hand, hold over heart and say a prayer, use finger to dab a little on crown of head and heart. This is a little bit hippy, I know it’s almost even too much for me, but I know how amazing these oils are!
+ Ningxia Pouches: for energy during labor. I have Ningxia pouches (think like tinier capri sun pouches but obviously not filled with a nasty chemical filled excuse for juice) Like I mentioned before these are FULL of antioxidants that help boost energy levels naturally. I plan to sip on these during labor to help me through since I won’t exactly be eating for however long we are there.
+ Cinnamint Lip Balm: because, duh, I am a lip balm addict. I wouldn’t go anywhere without and you better believe I packed an extra one in my labor toolkit. Cinnamint from Young Living is my jam and it’s the best I’ve ever tried hands down. Some lip balms sit on your lips feeling waxy and not really nourishing the dryness. This one from Young Living leaves my lips super happy.
+ Stress Away: to roll onto my wrists and feel like I’m in a tropical paradise instead of a cold and bland hospital room.
+ Seedlings Baby Wash: for baby’s first bath, fingers crossed about this one. Obviously I would much prefer to not have my baby lathered up with all sorts of chemicals minutes after being born. It’s not a great way to start things off if you ask me, however I know that there could be a whole lot going on in the moment and there is a chance I may not remember to request it. There is actually and entire line of all natural baby products from Young Living, the Seedlings line, that is infused with essential oils that are safe for baby and also super calming.
Items for Recovery & Postpartum
+ Helichrysum Essential Oil: drop on umbilical cord stub/belly button to promote fast healing
+ Rose Ointment: use on sore or cracked nipples when breastfeeding or on any dry patches in baby’s skin
+ Thieves Hand Sanitizer: theres a few reasons why this hand sanitizer is our absolute favorite, but mostly I love it because it doesn’t have any of the unnecessary chemical in it. It sanitizes hands without exposing baby to chemicals that are maybe just as bad as the germs friends and family bring in. I’ll have the big pump size in my room for visitors to use.
+ Peppermint Essential Oil: to drop in toilet for “first time” going to the bathroom after baby, and I don’t mean just going number one. You catch my drift. There are so many horror stories of going number 2 after baby. It was not as bad after Elouise as it was with Sully but I know some women have it much worse. So rather than taking stool softeners I’ll be trying the peppermint oil trick!
+ “Happy Mama” Essential Oil Roller: two huge words for postpartum life are “emotional support”. I read somewhere that after childbirth women experience the biggest drop in hormones typically in their lifetime. I don’t have a source to quote, but I sure believe it! We need all the help we can get, that’s why I love this roller blend, I use it every morning and will certainly be bringing it to the hospital. It’s a mix of Joy essential oil blend and Grapefruit essential oil.
+ Geranium & Joy Essential Oils: I plan to be diffusing this duo in the room during recovery because both of them are uplifting and provide great emotional support.
+ DIY Peri Spray: I talked about this spray above as a way to prep your body for delivery but it is also the most amazing spray for helping your body heal and recovery down there.
+ DIY Padsicles: I’ll be making these to keep at home in the freezer. With Elouise they told me to cut open a diaper and fill it with ice then line it with Tucks pads. Basically a super ghetto version of a padsicle. These versions are made on my organic pads, with natural ingredients like 100% pure organic aloe and the DIY peri spray.
+ Progessence Plus: on forearms in morning and ankles at night (about 6 drops). This is Young Living’s all natural hormone balancing oil blend. After giving birth, our hormones are all over the place and this can help get things back to functioning in a healthy way.
+ Super B: mamas need all the energy after childbirth and with a new baby. Since this will be my third baby I do not have the luxury of resting and relaxing as much as I would like. On top of my encapsulated placenta (yup, did it after Sully and for sure am doing it for this baby too) I will be taking Super B for all natural energy boosting. Young Living sells this supplement and it has all sorts of derivatives of vitamin B that provide you with the right forms of the mineral and allows your body to absorb it properly.
+ Ningxia: this stuff all day, every day, for all of the things. Again I talked about this above but its a great all natural energy booster and delivers a powerhouse punch of antioxidants.
+ Valor: on my wrists and over my heart because with postpartum hormones I need all of the liquid courage I can get!
So there you have it! All the goods I have researched and plan to use during delivery and beyond (plus a few of my favorites from pregnancy). I’ll be updating this post soon with how things went, and hopefully I’ll have some answers soon since I’m wrapping this up on baby boy’s due date. Come on little dude!
