Natural Mama Culture

Laundry Stain Stick 🧺

I don’t have time to follow complicated recipes (who does!), so I love that this Stain Stick is super simple to throw together and with a house full of boys, there’s some serious stains to remove from clothing.

Combine in a 30ml roller…

1/3 Thieves laundry liquid
1/3 Thieves dish soap
1/3 Thieves household cleaner

Apply to the stain as soon as possible. Wet the stained area with cold water and rub the stain stick onto the stain. For serious stains rinse with water and repeat until the stain is gone. For milder stains apply to the stain then throw the clothing straight in the wash.

It’s a great natural alternative to harsh commercial products which we choose not to bring into our home.

* if you don’t have all 3 of the products to combine just use the dish soap alone. It works wonders! These products are so versatile!

If you you’ve been wanting to learn the benefits of using essential oils in daily life plus experience the aromas first hand, come along the roller workshop we are hosting this Friday at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast.

Learn all you need to know to begin using essential oils right away and make your own custom rollers to take home with you.

Invite open to members of our community and non YL members.

Limited numbers so claim your spot if you’re keen.

Comment below or send me a message if you would like to join us.

It wasn’t until I had kids and I was introduced to young living that I learnt about greenwashing and the way companies falsely market their products.

Children’s products are not exempt from this 😢

Avoiding toxic chemicals is especially important when it comes to protecting our babies and children, who are so much more sensitive to toxic chemicals. Their bodies are still developing and studies show even small exposures during critical windows can lead to breast cancer, infertility, learning disabilities, and other serious health problems later in life.

Good, clean and sustainable products don’t happen by accident. It costs companies more to formulate these products so most take the easier and cheaper path which means undesirable ingredients sneak in. But the good news is, there are companies that take those extra steps to ensure no phthalates, BPA and BPB substitutes, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers, fragrances and other harmful ingredients make it into their products.

Young Living is that company for us 🍃

I cannot love this range more! Seedlings is a beautiful baby product range that uses plant based formulas and infant-safe essential oils and (of course) are free from harmful ingredients such as alcohol, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, animal-derived ingredients, synthetic preservatives or synthetic dyes.

What I also love about these products is that they are also very versatile! They can be used in a lot of different ways for different things.

But I’ll save that for another post!

What’s your favourite Seedlings product?

The postpartum hormone crash is considered the fastest and most significant hormone change any human can experience. Add to this the recovery and healing from birth, sleep deprivation and the responsibility of taking care of a newborn and it can all weigh heavy for a mum.

Swipe for some of my favourite products and essential oils that I found incredibly helpful after birth.

I also also continued to drink nettle tea and raspberry leaf tea - both great blood tonics, high in iron and incredibly supportive of the uterus as it heals.

Last weekend we celebrated our little Z’s 1st Birthday 🦕

He certainly felt all the extra love and attention and especially enjoyed smashing his own cake 🍰

Continuing on from my shares last week on my pregnancy and birth journey, this week I’ll share more on post partum support and low tox baby essentials!

Essential oils and products that are so helpful for mama post partum and bub.

I’ve used essential oils during labour for my last two births and found them sooo incredibly helpful. They provided emotional support as anchors (thanks to your limbic system of the brain) and physical support as my body went through the changes.

I suggest having a handful of oils to choose between because your preference can change a lot in labour and what you may normally like you might not in labour.

I suggest having on hand …
- oils to promote labour and uterine contractions

- calming oils for relaxation

- uplifting oils for energy and stamina

- soothing oils for muscle support/pain relief

I made a labour blend that has a combination of oils to help SUPPORT UTERINE CONTRACTIONS. I applied this to my labour acupressure points to support labour progression as my waters had ruptured with not much else happening.

Two key oils in this blend are

🔅Clary Sage
🔅Jasmine

I diffused Clary Sage and Jasmine oil together in 4 diffusers around the house.

For EMOTIONAL SUPPORT I used oils that were calming, grounding & relaxing (stress stalls labour)
I loved…

🔅frankincense
🔅orange
🔅peace and calming

For courage and empowerment which helped me keep going when I felt I couldn’t (hello transition) I used…

🔅valor
🔅believe

I had a lot of lower back/pelvis pain so I found amazing PHYSICAL SUPPORT with the …

🔅deep relief roller

My beautiful 6 year old rubbed this oil on my lower back and it helped sooo much! You could use the blend Panaway as well.

When I was exhausted and needed an ENERGY BOOST I used an uplifting spray I’d made with ….

🔅orange and peppermint oil

This was sprayed on the back of my neck in between contractions. This also helped cool me when I was feeling quite hot (hello transition).

When choosing what oils to diffuse, any oils that promote relaxation are great. Stress and tension can influence how we react to pain. By reducing stress, we can effectively ease pain.

Some other essential oils to smell or diffuse - ylang ylang, lavender, frankincense, stress away, roman chamomile, peace and calming, release, believe, valor, bergamot, orange, citrus fresh, sacred mountain, gentle baby.

Did you use oils in labour?

Pregnant mamas, reach out if you would like to grab any of these oils for your birth.

I homebirthed 2 out of my 3 babies. Some may think it’s crazy or unsafe but here’s why it felt right for me…

At home is where I feel safest so birthing at home felt safer to me than birthing in the hospital. Why is that SO important? Because stress hormones can stall and even halt labour in the early stages. “Failure to progress” might sound familiar.

Being in my own space with just those that I love and trust in the room was my wish 🤍 - this is important to stimulate oxytocin, a critical hormone for labour to progress but also to reduce cortisol, which can hinder progression.

As I learnt more about the physiology of birth, I became confident in my innate ability and I just trusted the process. It’s a well orchestrated natural physiological process that every mammal on the planet experiences yet humans seem to need help. Or do we, so much?

Birth is a physical event but even more so an emotional and spiritual journey. Your mindset is everything and many women underestimate their own power in their experience.

My birth with Ziggy was incredibly empowering and it wasn’t because of luck - I did a lot of inner work. Birth is a marathon! (just ask any mum!) It requires training so educating yourself is so key.

I used hypnobirthing techniques, meditation, anchoring with essential oils, body awareness and movement through yoga, affirmations and intention setting and tuned in with myself and my intuition - all things that helped me get out of my mind and feel into my body.

Our head gets in the way in most things in life. Birth is no different. It’s an involuntary bodily process and requires our “thinking brain” (neocortex) to be switched off so the birth hormones can work their magic.

Stats are 1 in 3 women experience a traumatic birth. What needs to change? Relearning what we’ve been told about birth - that its something to fear, that it’s scary, that it’s something we can’t handle or do ourselves 🙅‍♀️ Humans have given birth for hundreds of thousands of years!

Birthing Ziggy gently, at home, undisturbed and in my power was the most rewarding, empowering, most incredible feeling in the world.

I just wish that for every mama ❤️
1 year tomorrow 🥺

Following on from yesterdays post, these were some other favourites I used during my pregnancy.

𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐮𝐦 - I loved this daily ritual of taking the time to slow down, be present and connect with my baby while also nourishing my growing belly and it’s skin.

Gentle Baby and Frankincense essential oil are both so calming and both are both are really great at conditioning, nourishing and healing skin.

Studies also show that foetus’s can recognise their mothers touch over other peoples! So don’t dismiss how important your touch is on your growing belly.

𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐱𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐝 - this supplement was a game changer for me in pregnancy! Loaded with vitamins and minerals and packed with antioxidants, it’s an energy drink that is completely safe for pregnancy and helped me so much on those afternoons when being pregnant and parenting two other kids felt impossible. It promotes a healthy placenta!

𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐡 - The absolute best way to unwind, relax and supplement your body with magnesium. Plus the weightlessness is a relief! I loved adding a few drops of the blend Stress Away or Peace and Calming. Absolute bliss!

𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚⁣ - recommended by my midwife I drank this tea most days throughout pregnancy. It’s high in iron (amongst other vits) and helps strengthen blood vessels, oxygenate blood and reduces the risk of haemorrhaging.

𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐚 ⁣- rich in vitamins and minerals and helps tone the uterus and strengthen the uterine walls. Helps prevent excessive bleeding after birth and is know to decrease labour time. This one I took after 36 weeks.

𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲⁣ - a must have for all pregnant women! This spray is incredible for birth prep and post birth healing. I sprayed it on my perineum from 35 weeks and I was as good as gold after the birth. Amazing stuff!

Essential oils - my personal faves for pregnancy 🤰🏼

These are some of the key oils I leant on during my pregnancy with Ziggy. I used many others but found these were the ones I used the most. Most of these I grabbed straight from my starter bundle.

𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐭
An absolute game changer for nausea and fatigue. Applied on the back of my neck and diffused for an energy boost. Also helped me soothe my first trimester headaches.

𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞
For all the tummy support! A growing baby affects our digestion so this oil helps with that.

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞
Always my right-hand man before and during pregnancy to help calm and relax me. Inhaled from my hands is my fave way to use frankincense.

𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫
I gravitated towards lavender a lot this pregnancy. It’s soothing and calming properties helped me sleep well. I’d apply it to my neck before bed and also diffuse it with frankincense.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐲
Another favourite for emotional support when those pregnancy hormones have your emotions a bit all over the place!

𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐫
My favourite essential oil blend that calms and relaxes me and also empowers me. It promotes courage and confidence and with all the inner work that I do when it comes to birth I used this oil a lot in pregnancy.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬
Pregnancy brings about immune system changes and I became a little unwell in my 3rd trimester. Thieves helped to give my system a boost during that time.

𝐑𝐂
Suffering from a chest infection while heavily pregnant was not fun! RC helped open my chest so I could breathe better and helped my coughing.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲
I used this beautiful blend daily as my perfume and also because its an oil I use on my bubs. It has a calming and soothing aroma for both mum and bub and helps to release stuck emotions.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞
I picked up this oil a lot when emotionally I felt a bit stuck! A drop in my palm and inhaled through a scent tent worked wonders.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐬
I used this serum/essential oil for the first trimester to help support the right hormone levels to maintain pregnancy.

What oils were your must haves during pregnancy?

📷 Amy de Boer Photography

Our exposure to toxins starts in utero.

When a pregnant woman is exposed to synthetic chemicals these toxins can be transferred from the mother to the developing baby across the placenta.

A study done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) detected 287 chemicals in the umbilical cord of newborns, 180 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals, 217 of which are toxic to the brain and nervous system and 208 of which cause birth defects or abnormal development in animal tests.

These adverse health consequences can be lifelong and may even be transmitted to the next generation.

Harmful industrial chemicals and chemicals found in consumer products have been linked to premature birth, low birth weight, and birth defects.

These are products sold to us in our supermarkets. Products you would assume to be safe, but instead are filled with harmful ingredients.

Unfortunately any new products and ingredients are seen to be innocent until proven guilty. There are next to no regulations when it comes to what companies can put in their products.

Reducing your toxic load while pregnant is so important, especially since studies show neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting chemicals are showing up in higher levels in newborns than the mother!

The good news is you can easily reduce your own exposure to toxic chemicals thereby reducing your babies risk too.

Check out these 10 tips to help you do that.

📷 .photoandfilm

As my littlest man’s birthday week begins, its got me reflecting back on my pregnancy and our birth journey.

Its a bitter sweet time! I find it hard to let go of this first year. Let me stay in this baby love bubble a bit longer please! 😌

Follow along with me this week, I’m dedicating the week to my journey in pregnancy, essential oils and birth, what my favourite oils and products were to use and some thoughts around homebirth. 🤍

📷 .photoandfilm

Let me walk you through the Nature’s Home Essentials bundle 🍋

An easy way to switch your cleaning and household products over to the incredible Thieves range!

Thieves not only means you won’t be using harsh chemicals but it also provides health promoting benefits while you use your products because of the essential oils of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus and lemon.

Not yet a customer? Grab this bundle and you’ll only ever pay wholesale prices. No annual fees ever.

Best part is though, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your home is a safe environment for your kids and your pets.

We absolutely love our Thieves products ❤️❤️

Seriously the best products!

Who agrees?

Let me walk you through the Nature’s Home Essentials bundle 🍋 An easy way to switch your cleaning and household products over to the incredible Thieves range! Thieves not only means you won’t be using harsh chemicals but it also provides health promoting benefits while you use your products because of the essential oils of clove, cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus and lemon. Not yet a customer? Grab this bundle and you’ll only ever pay wholesale prices. No annual fees ever. Best part is though, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your home is a safe environment for your kids and your pets. We absolutely love our Thieves products ❤️❤️ Seriously the best products! Who agrees? . . . . . #lowtoxcleaning #natureshomeessentials #naturalcleaning #safeforchildren #safeforpets #chemicalfreehome #homesweethome #homeimprovement #mumsinbizaustralia #mumlife #busymamas #cleaningbusiness #goldcoastlife