Post Partum Feels

Now that the third trimester has finally ended, welcome to the fourth trimester! This one is all about mommy. Alongside dealing with body issues like post partum bleeding, cramping, sore and engorged boobs, you also have to worry abut maintaining your sanity. The next few months are crucial as a new or once again mom because they set the tone for YOU. When I first had Nolan, I had no idea about natural ways to fight post partum depression and remember nights/early mornings up with a crying baby wondering how was I ever going to do it. Thankfully as the months went by, I chose (and still continue to do so) to educate myself on myself as a mom. By the time Harper came around, I was so confident as a second time mom that I can count on one hand how many meltdowns I’ve had. Nolan seasoned me, being proactive in my journey by seeking advice from like minded crunchy mamas, reading books and articles by people who follow my same parenting styles – all helped contribute to this growth.

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give to anyone that is about to have a baby is to find someone trained in placenta encapsulation and start setting aside money for it. I asked for gift cards during my baby sprinkles and applied what I needed towards these services. It’s a must in my book, like we must buy diapers and wipes and we must pay to have my placenta encapsulated. Placenta encapsulation is so important (and not gross like everyone thinks – we aren’t eating it with a fork and a spoon right after birth)! Ingesting 3-5 capsules a day helps your body heal faster (say bye bye to bleeding), your milk become more bountiful, increased release of the hormone oxytocin, which helps the uterus return to normal size and encourages bonding with the infant, increase in CRH, a stress-reducing hormone, and decrease in post-partum depression levels. I cannot begin to tell you how much having my placenta encapsulated has helped post partum, just know that it saved my sanity having two kids 20 months apart in age.

Alongside having my placenta encapsulated, I always diffuse and apply essential oils. During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly referred to as the “emotional brain.” Application of essential oils works because our skin is somewhat permeable. The active chemicals in essential oils are absorbed just like the ingredients in common pharmaceuticals such as hormone replacement therapy cream and nicotine patches. There are essential oils that you can combine together to create a blend that will help you deal and bypass post partum depression. If you’re new to essential oils, please read this post on how I suggest starting and why I chose the Young Living brand. I’ve included essential oil combinations below that will help with post partum depression. If you have any questions about placenta encapsulation or essential oils, please email me at [email protected].

Blend one:

-1 drop of Rose
-1 drop of Wild Orange
-3 drops of Sandalwood

Blend two:

-1 drop of Lavender
-1 drop of Ylang Ylang
-3 drops of Grapefruit

Blend three:

-1 drop of Bergmont
-1 drop of Clary Sage
-1 drop of Grapefruit
-1 drop of Wild Orange
-3 drops of Frankincense