Excited as I am becoming a grandmother for the first time, its been such a joy to me to observe my
daughter enjoying her own journey into Motherhood. Baby is thriving and my daughter is doing well at accepting her own mother's belief that Aromatherapy has a place in this very life changing time of her life.
I had my first baby in Sri Lanka at a time where life was more simple, we didn't have 'Google' or access to the world of information. We were recommended to choose one baby 'manual' and stick to it.
Nowadays new mums are bombarded with lots and lots of (often conflicting) opinions. Sifting through it all and connecting to our own Inner Wisdom seems to be harder than ever.
We women have to try to remember that we can all look for the help of nature to top up our arsenal of solutions for the challenges that life will throw at us. Of course there is a lot of the unknown in becoming a new mum, and also a lot of fear about things going wrong or baby becoming sick, but I do believe that part of our connection to our intuitive inner voice helps us to differentiate between knowing when there
really is something amiss and we would be wise to seek medical advice.
Aromatherapy used at home can help with all sorts of everyday issues and will probably make life more peaceful, calm and happy for everyone concerned. We use very low dilutions for babies (5 drops in 50ml) and they should never be given to a small baby internally or used neat on the skin.
Babies soon learn to associate a smell with love, warmth and comfort so using 1 drop of a sweet smelling oil such as Wild Orange or Geranium on a tissue while baby is feeding will help calm them down and also help your babysitter to have an easier time!
At a recent Botanical conference I attended, we learned how even a premature baby would smile and start its suckling reflex when a drop of Vanilla was wafted under its nose. A study proved that babies who were subjected to pleasant aromas gained weight quicker, had better appetites and were calmer when aromatherapy was included in its care. Enlightened hospitals are now using more pleasing natural smells (such as Eucalyptus, Melaleuca or On Guard*) for babies, rather than the harsh antibacterial chemicals usually used for cleaning incubators etc.
Bathing Formula - combine the following and just use 1 teaspoon full for babies bath.
5 drops of essential oil
1 teaspoon of honey
50ml water
I love to include citrus oils in a blend for babies. Lemon, Mandarin, Wild Orange or the lovely blend Citrus Bliss*. On an evening I would add a drop of Chamomile or Lavender to the blend for the bath or to diffuse in babies bedroom.
A diffuser is a bit of a necessity for babies and children. Endless snuffly nights when teething starts can be helped by having a few drops of respiratory helpers diffused into babies room to help clear the airways. (Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Air*)
There are great choices of diffusers or vaporisers at Doterra . For a small investment its value will be appreciated for many years.
Windy Babies
2 drops Mandarin or Wild Orange
1 drop Chamomile
1 drop Peppermint
(or 5 drops Zengest*)
30 ml carrier oil (Almond, Coconut or Apricot Seed)
Massage babies tummy and back 1 hour before feeding
Colic
Too much wind can become trapped and is then said to lead to colic. The burpy blend above can be used in a compress.
Put one drop of your chosen oil in a screw top jar with an inch of water and shake well. Add about a quarter of an inch of hot water, stir well and soak a compress or thin flannel in it. Place on babies tummy covering it with a square of cling film.
Boil 2 carrots in 250ml of water with a few Fennel fronds for 10 minutes, strain, cool and add a drop of honey. Either use on a teaspoon or 50 ml in a bottle. A mild infusion of Fennel tea bags may also help.
Teething
Most of us know how painful toothache is, clove extract is well known for helping numb pain in the mouth. It should never be used neat as it is an irritant, but 1 drop in 20ml of carrier oil can be rubbed on the gums and even on the jaw line to ease discomfort. A chunk of fresh carrot for baby to chew releases its own natural oils to help soothe inflammed gums.
Wakefulness
All babies are different! Who is to say howmuch sleep a baby needs? Hopefully there should be a demarkation between babies' daytime and their night time. I think regular routines go a long way to ensuring peaceful evenings for parents. A nice bath, a baby massage, a full tummy and a quiet aromatic nursery should have your baby hardly able to keep their eyes open! Try a few drops of Lavender, Roman Chamomile or Balance * in your diffuser.
Chicken Pox
Lemon and Lavender Essential Oils are a must for diffusing. Also the fantastic healing properties of Frankincense essential Oil mixed with a carrier oil can help sooth the skin and prevent ( or heal) scarring.
Colds and Coughs
Tea Tree, Melaleuca, Eucalyptus and On Guard*
Insomnia
Sandalwood and Lavender
Measles
Eucalyptus and Lavender
As always when I talk about essential oils, I think results are only going to be achieved by using good quality therapeutic grade oils. People ask me all the time which brand of oils I recommend. I use a variety of brands in my professional practice and take time looking at the ethics of how the oils are produced, their country of origin and of course their quality.
I do blend potions for specific problems such as eczema but for general every day use and in an effort to encourage everyone to reconnect with Mother Nature I do recommend Doterra for home use. I've found some of their blends to be excellent. I think every household should have a 'Family Physician Kit' available to cover most of the ailments and health challenges that having babies presents us with.
As always, I am open to questions if further advice is requested. E-mail me here
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Disclaimer Notice: This information is intended for educational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for medical care or to prescribe treatment for any specific health condition. Always consult with your health care professional for medical advice.