Essential oils for postpartum is a wonderful topic to explore, providing opportunity for new mothers to support their emotional and physical health as well as their new baby with natural solutions.
I recently addressed a group of 750 health conscious people at the doTERRA 10th Anniversary Convention held in Melbourne. I spoke about essential oils for postpartum (with some prenatal info in there too). Convention was an absolute blast, full of energy, high vibes and so much wisdom from speakers who live and breath no-tox, habit driven healthy lifestyles.
I am excited to share my speech with you…
“Hello, wow it’s an honour to be here, My name is Tahlia Esler and today I will be talking to you all about essential oils for postpartum. This is a topic that I am so very passionate about, having been through this experience three times over, I absolutely love helping women on their own journey to cultivate the experience they so deeply want.
Can I grab a show of hands? Put your hand up if you are a mother or soon to be mother? Now keep your hand up – who here knows someone who is a mother, soon to be or is hoping to be one soon? That’s most of you in the room, you all know someone the information I am going to share today can help. And remember the best friends a women can have are those that support her through matresence. So this information can definitely help you to support someone going through this phase of their life.
Women are most vulnerable at this stage of their life, it tests us on all levels, our physical state, our mental state, our beliefs, our conditioning, but it shapes us and our relationships grow stronger. I think most partners have a new level of respect for the woman in their life after witnessing and supporting them into motherhood.
A little about me
I was a mainstream girl, I lived on some land growing up and ate beautiful homemade organic food. Yet my family was very western medicine and not much was natural in the medicine cabinet. Our cleaning, skin care and other products were store bought. I didn’t know any different.
Then the time came, we were starting a family. I needed to learn loads about becoming a mum and so the podcasts came out as I was on the road a lot with work.
There were two ladies on the sunshine coast that particularly drew my attention – Cyndi O’Meara and Kim Morrison – who are responsible for starting me on my no-tox path, this was when I was pregnant with my first child 9 years ago. Their up for a chat podcast played endlessly as each and every time my mind exploded at the information that was being shared. I literally felt like I’d been hiding under a rock for the last 10 years.
As sometimes it happens, and you may relate to this but suddenly when I knew I was bringing a little human into the world I started caring about what I ate, put on my skin and how I cleaned my home. It was like a switch had been turned on and I am was all of sudden aware and conscious to the threats around me.
Cindy inspired me to makeover the pantry and get a water filtration system. She inspired me to ditch the additives and go back to real food.
Kim inspired me to go no-tox, looking at skin care, cleaning and educated me on essential oils. That they were not just bottles of fragrance that made the room smell nice, if you found the right oils that they could be used to care for the health of your family. This part was super exciting to me.
Not long after the local health food shop had a doTERRA workshop. I attended, was blown away with what the oils offered and went home with my little sample vial of wild orange.
I gave it a big whiff and placed it in my bedside top draw. Soon after I was back in my room taking off the little lid to smell the incredible aroma once again. This happened quite frequently until hubby asked me why I kept going to the bedroom so often. I confessed that the wild orange just smells so good and it was from this moment that I knew these oils had a special power.
I was a sleep deprived mum who lacked energy and the wild orange made me feel better.
I was now so hungry to learn more now, I researched, listened to podcasts, read books until I had the info I needed to care for my baby without chemicals.
Once we had learnt this info, Clay and I could rinse and repeat for our next two children, each time getting more confident in our approach.
And our experiences, our challenges, our hurdles have bought us to this place today. We have lived and breathed pre and postpartum three times over and I really hope todays talk will inspire you to make positive changes for your family.
Giving your Kids the Best Start to Life
I want to start by sharing a story with you…
This lady, Jenny was her name, she was pregnant, beautiful soul, excited to know more, hungry for direction… and she reached out to me…
She said I want to give my baby the best opportunity to thrive.
I look around and I see so many children who suffer with skin, respiratory, cognitive, immune and digestive issues.
I don’t want that for my kids.
What can I do to create the best start for her?
I replied: You need to eliminate all the toxins in your life.
Creating a safe haven for your baby is vital, the air they breath, the water they drink, the food they eat, the chemicals they are exposed to through products all influence their health.
You need to be mindful of everything you use. And it starts now….
DYK: What you put on and in your body makes it’s way to baby, think about this – are you happy for those ingredients in your everyday products to effect your baby?
You have to make the changes now, start choosing wiser, read those labels, don’t put toxic products in your trolley.
Everything has an alternative, a safer, cheaper option.
I say to Jenny nurture yourself physically now while your bump is growing, rub a little Salubelle and fractionated coconut oil (FCO) on your tummy and say no to petroleum based belly oils and creams. Run yourself a magnesium bath with Aromatouch and say no to bath bombs and fragranced salts.
DYK Artificial fragrances cause havoc with our hormones, something we definitely want to avoid in pregnancy and postpartum and for those trying for a family artificial fragrances are one of the most important toxins to avoid.
Nurture yourself emotionally as your hormones change and you feel vulnerable and tired from growing a human.
Dab a little lavender peace or adaptive on your pulse points to be with you through out the day. Say no to perfumes that impact thyroid, respiratory and hormone health. Rub a little citrus bliss through your hair, become a walking diffuser and enjoy the experience that this brings.
Diffuse, diffuse, diffuse your oils, not only does this cleanse the air, it provides a peaceful and beautiful aromatic environment that supports your highs and lows.
Choose oils that calm and relax like citrus bloom, console or peace.
And then I go on to say, you can use the oils topically too, it doesn’t have to be just in the diffuser, so try topical application too that’s the beautiful thing about the oils they are versatile and can be used in many ways. To regulate the nervous system apply balance on the soles of your feet before you start your day.
I go to talk about the importance of nutrition and supplementation. I told her how I loved the LLV and how it increased energy for me. Giving me so much more than anything off the self could provide.
The fun fact here to note is always read the packaging for folic acid, folic acid is the synthetic version of folate, you want folate or the activated version of folate which is folinic acid (especially if you carry the MTHFR gene mutation). Do your own research and look into folic acid, there is more info on my blog that will be helpful. But know that leading research has found links with high folic acid intake and tongue and tip ties, asthma and autism in kids.
Jenny is fascinated by this, she is so unaware of these influences in our life. There are so many women I have these conversations with who are totally oblivious. That’s one reason I was so excited to stand up here today and speak with you all. So I could shed light on these important topics. And even if this information doesn’t impact you directly you can share it with someone in your life you know it can help.
The Big Day
I continue to chat with Jenny and go on to say being conscious in pregnancy is so important, it’s setting the foundations for what is to come but birth and postpartum prep is just as important.
She haggles me, tell me what else I need to know…
Well birth my dear, it’s a mental marathon, (I didn’t say this to shock her but merely prepare her for reality) – it’s the biggest mental game that you will ever encounter… it’s a battle between your physical stamina and your commitment and drive to push through.
It tests your:
- STRENGTH
- EXPECTATIONS
- COMMITMENT
- BELIEF SYSTEMS
- ENDEVOURS
- PLANS
- DREAMS
It makes you meet your edges and challenge you as a person.
So what do I need to do here?
You need to document your wishes and then communicate them, every single person on your birth team needs to know what you do and don’t want. You can do this in a Birth Plan.
Your partner needs to be trained up to protect your birth wishes.
You need to do an online birth and postpartum course so you are informed, educated and know what to expect. This will reduce the chances of birth trauma.
Delegate someone to put your diffuser on in the space, dim the lights and create an environment that supports the cultivation of oxytocin.
Create a quiet, safe and peaceful space:
- A little Balance on the feet goes along way
- A little ClaryCalm on the wrists
- A little Basil on the lower back with a warm compress
Breath, I always remind women to breath.
Physically doTERRA offers so much but now let’s chat about emotional support.
Many don’t understand the multi-faceted shift that comes with becoming a mother.
We all feel it but few consciously embody it.
Ever heard or maybe you can relate to….the loss of identify you feel becoming a mother.
You miss your old life.
You long to have the freedom you had before.
You stay up late trying to grip onto something that partly reminds yourself of the old you.
You may think or say to a loved one ‘Í don’t know who I am anymore’
But let me explain something to you. Becoming a mother is a transformation, one that is not spoken about, and often not well understood.
DYK: When you become a mother, your hormones, brain, emotions and spiritual self all change. You are a new version of yourself, you are a mother.
This rite of passage is the transformation from the maiden (the you before kids, free, fun, those late nights out, doing all the things) and your body physiologically changes, you are not that maiden anymore, you are a mother, one with responsibilities, sleepless nights, constant demands but with overwhelming love and protection for your baby. Once we understand this, we can embody this, we can celebrate and embrace our new self.
Create a new you roller to wear that reminds you of what you have achieved and supports you in this new stage of life.
Try something like
- wild orange, balance and frankincense
- ylang ylang, grapefruit and tangerine
- patchouli, Siberian fir and wild orange
Find the oils that you resonate with and make your own blend.
And remember, your maiden, that girl within you, she is still there, she has just taken a back step for awhile.
She says wow, no one has ever explained it to me like that. It’s so much more than I ever imagined it to be.
So what about postpartum, she says, what do I need to do?
Essential Oils for Postpartum
Once you have your baby in your arms you are going to feel all the emotions, add balance to your soles of your feet daily, this grounds you and supports you with the emotions as they come up. Add passion or adaptive to your wrists. Have an ice blue stick roller handy at all times to support those sore and aching muscles from recovery and feeding. Diffuse to add a calming aroma in the air I love sandalwood and eucalyptus, its grounding but cleansing.
And for baby well you remember what I said about removing toxins well this is vital for baby products too.
You hold a great deal of responsibility here, but don’t be alarmed it just means you have the ability to create a home free of chemicals, one that nurtures and nourishes. You get to choose what products you bring into the home, what you put on your babies skin. Making your own with your oils and simple ingredients is very empowering. I have loads of baby recipes on my blog you can access.
Lavender is a beautiful gentle oil for bath time and baby massage, 1 drop of lavender and frankincense with fractionated coconut oil is all you need.
Frankincense will support immune development and function.
Fun fact: In some cultures they rub frankincense down the spine of their newborn baby’s back to support immune development. It strengthens the immune system and supports the digestive system and is thought to facilitate postpartum physiological changes for infants (eg. breathing & digesting)
Myrrh is antimicrobial and will support your babies cord stump. Add 1 drop at each nappy change.
As for baby products you find on the shelf, be cautious, many popular brands offer a mix of toxins, you have to consciously and wisely choose what you expose your baby too.
Three things are vital:
1/ What you wash your babies clothes in – detergent and fabric softener are the worst
The other day I held a friends baby and you could smell the fragrance wafting off his jump suit. I remember thinking he can not escape that smell, it is with him 24/7. I can walk away but he cannot, every breath he takes is filled with artificial fragrance. Making it’s way into his tiny little body.
2/ What you clean with – consciously choose the cleaning products you bring into the home
Babies touch everything and put things in their mouth and their lungs are vulnerable – good air quality is key.
Imagine for one moment – think about cleaning your home, the strong smells, that make you cough and gag, you have to leave the room, think of a little baby vulnerable, think of them breathing in these compounds and what that is doing to their tiny lungs
3/ don’t wear perfumes around your baby
A beautiful friend Anita, shared with me a story of how her newborn daughter refused to feed from her when she wore perfume. Perfumes mask our mumma pheromones, the markers that our baby recognizes us with. I remember visitors coming wearing strong perfumes, when our kids were little, they would ask for a hold and when they handed back my baby he would wreak of their strong perfume. Then it would be the inevitable wash and clean process to try and remove this from him and his clothes.
In conclusion consciously think of the toxins you bring into your environment.
Hard fact – Can I say again, you are the one who puts these products in your trolley. You are the one responsible for your families health. It is important to accept this responsibility. It all starts with you!
So the answer to everything I have spoken about tonight
Can you guess? It’s doTERRA:
- doTERRA supported me emotionally and physically in pregnancy
- Gave me natural support in birth
- Gave us all the tools to support our newborn.
- Gave me natural wonderful selfcare options in postpartum
So Jenny says to me ‘’everything you have described can be supported with little bottles of botanicals extracts?’’
I said of course, they are the missing link in many peoples lives. And now you know the secret, you know how to empower yourself, create a safe, toxic free home for your baby, and give your little one the best start to life.
You will be empowered with doTERRA in your life and with that comes no need for third party opinions, no need to leave the house for most ailments big or small and knowing what it feels like to be fully in your power as a parent.
That is the biggest gift of all and we want all parents across the world to hold this power.
With the right knowledge and tolls you too can nurture and nourish your family without subjecting them to toxic chemicals.
To her I said this is truly the best gift.
So thank you everyone for listening, I hope you found that valuable and please share your knowledge to help others thrive.
You can find me at:
insta: live_well_with_tahlia_esler
fb: Live Well Love Wellness
pinterest: Live Well Love Wellness
For our online birth course it’s:
www.consciousbirthmovement.com
insta: consious_birth_movement
fb: Conscious Birth Movement
To get your hands on some top notch essential oils to support your journey through pregnancy to postpartum just go here. We can support you every step of the way to get the most out of your investment.
