Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Labor & Delivery

Our family has been using essential oils for 3 years and I have loved using them during pregnancy. There is no better time to use essential oils as there are no medications or drugs that are safe for our unborn babies. I realize there are many conflicting views regarding essential oils on the internet. It is not my purpose in this post to try to "prove" that they are safe. I also do not endorse any other oils except Young Living oils. These are the only oils on the market that have been rigorously tested for safety and purity and are the oils that are recommended below. I believe it is a true joy to take responsibility for our own health and to experience the wonderful benefits. In the beginning you may just want to start by smelling the oils or using them well diluted. And that's okay- as you use them, your confidence will grow!

After lots of research and reading, these are the oils I feel very comfortable recommending for your pregnancy, labor, delivery and beyond. *But, of course, please always consult with your health care provider before using any essential oils {I have to say that, right?}

To Halt Early Labor: rub generous amount of Lavender on the belly, can also be added to a warm bath. Peace & Calming can also be applied to the feet and/or diffused. I have found that Lavender is wonderful for soothing Braxton Hicks contractions and also helps alleviate round ligament pain.

Pre-Labor Perineum Spray: softens and thins the membranes to prepare for birth (place in glass spray bottle)

3 weeks before delivery

  Geranium- 8 drops

  Lavender- 5 drops

  1 oz. carrier oil

1 week before delivery

  Geranium- 8 drops

  Lavender- 5 drops

  Fennel- 5 drops

  1 oz. carrier oil

To Encourage Labor:

Jasmine, applied topically or inhaled (do not ingest). I added this essence to my baths during my last few days of pregnancy- just a drop or 2 in some Epsom salt.

Clary Sage- massage a few drops on the inside of ankles or ingest 1 drop every 15 minutes until contractions/dilation progresses. Clary Sage also relieves anxiety. This is also a good oil to combine with Myrrh to help move labor along.

Labor:

Frankincense for pain; this is also calming. Rub directly on back and/or belly. Also good to diffuse in labor room. This is probably my favorite oil and one that I highly recommend. If you can only get a few oils, invest in this one.

Many women use Peppermint, Pan Away or Wintergreen for pain (remember Wintergreen is a natural form of aspirin, so should be used cautiously during pregnancy; Pan Away contains Wintergreen as well)

Basil is a great oil to use when contractions become hard to manage (close to transition). Rub with a little carrier oil on lower back.

Black pepper is also good for pain management and is especially helpful with back labor.

Labor blend (from Gentle Babies by Debra Raybern) Mix the following in ½ oz carrier oil AFTER labor starts. Massage several drops on inside of ankles, little toes, little fingers, lower belly and back…

           
                Helichrysum- 4 drops

                Fennel- 4 drops

                Peppermint- 2 drops

                Ylang Ylang- 6 drops

                Clary Sage- 3 drops

For fatigue during labor: En-R-Gee, applied on the spine, behind ears and/or feet

Oils to help you focus: equal parts of Peppermint and Orange

Oils for relaxing/grounding during labor: Peace & Calming or Valor (With the shortage of these oils there are new formulas with similar benefits called Peace & Calming II and Valor II that are just becoming available)

Perineal massage once labor is well established: Myrrh applied to the perineum, diluted in carrier oil. This helps numb the “sting.”

Crowning oil blend:

Mix 20 drops each of Helichrysum and Frankincense with 1 oz. fractionated coconut oil. Gently massage this blend while baby is crowning on both the perineum and the baby’s head. Helichrysum is the oil of choice to help reduce swelling, bruising and bleeding

For hemorrhaging: mix a few drops of Gentle Baby with a few drops Helichrysum and rub on lower back, belly and on inside of ankles. If you have a history of bleeding postpartum, you can use these oils for the week prior to giving birth.

For nausea during labor: inhale Peppermint (on a washcloth) or place one drop on tongue

Afterbirth Blend:

This helps expel the placenta and tone the uterus. Mix the following with carrier oil

                Geranium- 10 drops

                Lavender- 10 drops

                Jasmine- 15 drops

Thieves can be diffused in the labor room after the birth to kill germs and freshen the room

Trouble urinating post-partum: add a drop of Peppermint to the toilet. I learned this trick from my midwife and it really works!

Post-partum Spray:

Add 40 drops of Frankincense and 40 drops of Lavender to a 2 oz. glass spray bottle. Fill up to almost the top with distilled water and shake well. Use this spray to help soothe and heal the perineum. This same spray can be used for boys who are circumcised.

Afterbirth pains:

Basil- can be applied topically or taken internally (a few drops in a capsule)

Other oils that are helpful (and safe for baby if he/she were to touch your belly) are Lavender and/or White Fir

Oils for newborn:

• Baby can be anointed with Frankincense & Myrrh. Frankincense offers protection and helps with bonding
• Clara Derm spray can also be used for a few days after birth (contains Lavender & Frankincense)
• Valor can be applied on baby’s spine and feet for proper alignment following birth.
• Peace & Calming can be applied to baby (and mama’s) feet for relaxation
• Melissa can be applied to bottoms of the feet to repair DNA, and to help with trauma and negative emotions that baby may have experienced in the womb. This oil helps bring harmony and is also very beneficial for mom as well.

Lactation:

A few drops of Fennel sublingually or in a glass of water or tea every 2 hours. Can also be applied to breasts after nursing.

Basil is another great oil to increase breast milk- add a few drop to a capsule and swallow.

(Peppermint oil is known to decrease milk supply in some women, so use cautiously)

Post-partum Depression:

Frankincense- apply topically or diffuse (lifts the spirit and is healing at the same time)

Ylang Ylang, Rose, or Joy- add a few drops to bath water (can add Epsom salt or sea salt and some carrier oil as well) or rub on wrists, or diffuse

White Angelica- place a drop on each shoulder; protects against negative energy, lifts spirits

UTI’s while pregnant:

2 – 10 drops of Idaho Balsam Fir in a capsule twice a day

Can also apply Idaho Balsam Fir, Frankincense and Lemon (a few drops of each) over the bladder area and massage in- this is a powerful combo. Although I haven't had to use this personally while pregnant, I have used this with great success on one of my children. Purification and Idaho Balsam Fir can also be used together to fight a UTI- again, massage a few drops of each over the bladder area. You can add a carrier oil if you like- especially if using this combo with children.

Yeast Infections:

For Baby (if mom has yeast)- apply Melrose (diluted or neat) to lower abdomen

For Mom- Apply Melrose neat to lower abdomen

Mountain Savory- take 3-5 drops orally, twice a day (this is highly effective against yeast and candida)

Vaginal suppository: in a base of coconut oil, combine Mountain Savory (2 drops), Frankincense (2 drops) and Myrtle (2 drops). Use nightly for 2 weeks

Hemorrhoid ointment:

Combine the following oils with a few drops of carrier oil and apply to the area…

   Peppermint (1 drop)

   Helichrysum (2 drops)

   Cypress (2 drops)

   Geranium (2 drops)

Varicose Veins:

Massage legs every day with Cypress, Helichrysum and Tangerine and/or Lemon- a couple of drops each with a carrier oil of your choice. This formula has been a life saver for me. I combine these oils in a small glass spray bottle with fractionated coconut oil for easier use. I also add some peppermint oil which is great for throbbing and "hot" feeling veins. {At first I didn't use the Helichrysum because it was so expensive, but adding this oil made all the difference. Since using this blend I don't have any pain, nor have I gotten any more veins}

Drink Ningxia Red- at least 1 oz., twice a day

Gestational Diabetes:

Ningxia Red (available through Young Living)- drink 3 oz. throughout the day

(This supplement, although expensive, is highly effective at regulating blood sugar levels)

Ocotea- take 2 drops orally, 3 times a day (can be added to Ningxia Red if desired) This oil is powerful in lowering blood sugar levels

Edema/Swelling:

   Aroma Life- 10 drops

   Cypress- 10 drops

   Lavender- 5 drops

   Ginger- 5 drops

   Lemon- 5 drops

   Mix these oils with 2 oz. of fractionated coconut oil or carrier oil, and apply to legs, ankles

   and feet.  These oils can also be added to a warm salt bath.

Heartburn/Indigestion/Nausea:

Peppermint and/or Digize- add to water or make into a tea. Can also be rubbed on the belly, just below the diaphragm

I drank Peppermint ice water liberally throughout my first 14 weeks when my nausea was severe. It helped a lot. I also carried a bottle of Peppermint in my purse and would place a drop on my tongue (neat) to combat nausea. This helped me to be able to get food shopping and errands done without getting sick!

For overall well-being while pregnant (Mary Young’s protocol- wife of Gary Young, founder of YL)

Mary applied Valor to her belly, back and hips every morning and every night. She would follow this with other oils she was drawn to- Joy, White Angelica, Peace & Calming, or Gentle Baby… to name a few. These are both great for your skin as well as for your developing baby.

Turning babies that are in the wrong position:

Myrrh is known to turn babies- apply liberally to belly

Peppermint- apply to area you want the baby to turn from (if baby is breach, place a drop of Peppermint at the top of the belly)

Feeling sick/fighting illness while pregnant:
If you feel like you're coming down with something or fighting a cold or flu, make an oil "tea" with the following- 1 drop Thieves, 1 drop Lemon, 1 drop Frankincense and 1 drop Peppermint. Add a little raw honey and cream, if desired. I have never had to drink this more than twice to fight off anything. Best used when symptoms first start...This is a family favorite at our house and is very effective.

Spray bottles and roller filaments are super handy during labor- they make oils easier to apply and keep hands clean

I only recommend using Young Living therapeutic grade essential oils. These are the highest quality oils available today (and I have used and studied many others!). They are the only company that has the SEED to SEAL promise of purity- they grow, cultivate, distill, test and seal all of their own oils. No other company can claim that- most are merely bottling companies, and most oils on the market today are adulterated and made for the perfume industry.

Oils generally avoided during pregnancy: Basil, Birch, Calamus, Cassia, Cinnamon bark, Hyssop, Idaho Tansy, Rosemary, Sage and Tarragon

Oil blends must be stored in glass bottles or containers. Essential oils will break down plastics.

To purchase oils or become a wholesale member (saving 24% of retail price), visit my website here

FAQs About Essential Oils

I know when I first started using essential oils I had a lot of questions. In this post I hope to answer many of the basic questions you might have in regards to essential oils.

How are oils used?
There are 3 ways that oils can be used...

  Topically: oils can be applied on areas of concern for both localized and systemic effects. One of the best
   places to put oils is on the bottoms of the feet.

  Aromatically: oils can be used aromatically to impact mood and emotions, open airways,  and help reduce
  pathogens and allergens in the air. This can be done by inhaling a few drops in the palm or by using a
  diffuser.

  Internally: oils can be used internally using a capsule (you can add a few drops of carrier oil if desired) or
  added to water,milk/milk substitute or a little honey. It is very important to use high quality oils if 
  taking internally!

What does "neat" mean?
Undiluted essential oils are called neat. Many oils can be applied to the skin without a carrier oil. Some oils are better used with a carrier oil. Good carrier oils are coconut, jojoba, olive or almond oils. Oil blends combining several carrier oils are also available (like Young Living V-6).

How much oil do I use?
Oils are very powerful, so more is not always better. Typically 1 to 3 drops is all that is needed in an application. It is better to use a little and repeat, then to use large amounts.

How many drops come in each bottle?
A 15 ml bottle contains approximately 250 drops while a 5 ml bottle contains approximately 90 drops.

Can oils be mixed?
Single oils can be layered on the skin. Be careful not to mix oil blends- these have already been appropriately mixed and you don't want to change their chemical properties.

How do you store oils?
Oils should be stored in a cool and dark place to preserve their quality. A kitchen cabinet or drawer will work just fine.

Why is it so difficult to find pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils?
Producing the purest of oils can be very costly due to the fact that it requires several hundred or sometimes even several thousand pounds of plant materials to extract 1 pound of pure essential oil. The majority of oils produced in the world today are used for the perfume industry, so these oils are being bought for the sole purpose of their aromatic qualities. For this reason most oils are mass produced to generate large volumes at a faster rate. Although these oils may smell similar and cost way less, they will lack most, if not all, of the chemical properties necessary to produce therapeutic results.

How do you know whether an essential oil is pure and safe?
Oils need to undergo testing to ensure that the proper constituents are present in the right amounts and that there is nothing present that shouldn't be there, like fillers or pesticides. All oils should be tested using a gas chromatograph (GC) and a mass spectrometer (MS). Just because a bottle says 100% pure doesn't mean that it is. Most essential oils on the market today are synthetically produced. If the bottle says "do not take internally," that is a good indicator that it is not a good quality oil. Do your research! Using high quality, pure and safe oils is very important!

What are some of the health benefits that pure essential oils provide?

1. They fight unfriendly microbes in the body without destroying the friendly ones
2. They balance bodily functions
3. They are antioxidants that purify our systems
4. They help clear out negative emotional baggage
5. They raise our bodily frequencies restoring it to its normal, healthy level
6. They can help with spiritual awareness and healing

Other precautions when using oils:

• Use glass water bottles or pitchers if adding essential oils to water. Oils can break down plastic, so plastic water bottles should be avoided.
• Don't handle contact lenses right after handling oils for the same reason!
• Avoid getting oils in your eyes. However, if this happens, add a few drops of oil, not water.
• If applying oils and they burn or sting, dilute with a carrier oil, not water. This is especially important with children who are more sensitive.

{If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils, click here. If you are interested in purchasing high quality essential oils at wholesale pricing, click here}

Intro to Essential Oils

I was first introduced to essential oils over 15 years ago. Although a friend lent me a CD and it sounded very interesting, it seemed way "out there" in my nursing mind. Simply rubbing oils on your body and inhaling them could bring about healing? I wasn't all that convinced. Fast forward many years later, pregnant with my tenth baby, and my search began for natural remedies to help with pregnancy and delivery. I had used herbs with several pregnancies, but they all seemed to stimulate contractions before pregnancy, and didn't cause contractions when I needed them to! Baby # 9 had been 14 days late, so I really wanted to find natural, alternative remedies. My search led me to essential oils; I bought a few oils recommended for the last few weeks of pregnancy as well as for my birth, and I loved using them. I will share in a future post what oils I used for labor, delivery and postpartum as well.

I didn't give essential oils much more thought after that until a few of my kids came down with the whooping cough last fall. I immediately called a friend who also had gone through this horrible cough with her family and she gave me a few essential oils to give to my children, both to help those that were sick and to prevent those that weren't sick from getting it. The oils she gave me were Young Living Oils and I immediately saw a difference in these oils compared to the ones I had used previously. Half of my children, including my 11 month old baby, never got the whooping cough. You can read more about how we treated whooping cough here.

During this time I began to read up on and really study essential oils. My friend had given me several little booklets as well as a Reference Guide for using essential oils and I was fascinated by their many uses. My kids also caught on quickly and started using oils all on their own. We now use oils every day for all kinds of things- headaches, growing pains, poison ivy, rashes, concentration, relaxation, sleeping, burns, warts, sore throats, allergies, sore muscles, skin care and the list goes on. As the saying goes, there's an oil for everything! My 11 year old daughter is the oil expert in the family and the go-to person when someone needs her to rub some oils on! She even learned to do the Raindrop Technique, a great cleansing and healing technique using a variety of oils on the spine.

So what exactly are essential oils? They are the life blood of the plant. They are called essential because they are necessary for the plant to stay alive. In plants, these oils regulate growth (like hormones), help with plant metabolism (like enzymes), and help ward off diseases when the plant is damaged or cut. These life giving oils do much of the same thing when introduced to our human bodies. These oils consist of tiny molecules that can easily pass through all of our tissues and into our very cells- right through our cell membranes. Any essential oil placed anywhere on the body can reach every part of the body within minutes!

So, how do they compare to man-made pharmaceuticals?

                           DRUGS                                                         ESSENTIAL OILS

Druggists & Doctors want a drug to have no variation and to be very predictable. They strive for consistency.	Oils have variations from batch to batch making resistance to them impossible- there are too many variables, which make them work so well.
Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and new, stronger drugs have to be formulated. Eventually this cycle will end- their days are numbered!	Oils are as effective today as they were thousands of years ago when used by ancient civilizations.
There certainly is a place for man-made drugs, especially in emergencies and life threatening situations. But their benefits are temporary, not causing true healing.	Oils can help boost the immune system and help our bodies bring true and lasting healing.
Antibiotics cannot fight viruses, so they are helpless against things like the common cold and flu.	Many essential oils are not only antimicrobial, but also combat viruses in the body making them very beneficial in fighting off colds and flu.
Most drugs don’t work well together and many contradict each other. Man-made pharmaceuticals confuse the body.	Oils can work together well in the body to achieve overall harmony and health.
Thousands of people die from physician administered drugs and procedures every year.	There is no recorded case of anyone ever dying from an essential oil that was administered according to common sense precautions.
Antibiotics kill all bacteria- both good and bad. This often causes more problems in the body.	Essential oils, by God’s design, kill only harmful bacteria and viruses, while leaving the friendly and useful ones alone.
Drugs are generally used for one specific use.	Oils can help with many functions in the body- for example; an oil like peppermint can clear the sinuses, relieve a headache, relieve heartburn, break a fever, take away itching and reduce inflammation, among many other things.
Drugs have many side effects.	Essential oils have no side effects and are safe to use. Many can be used during pregnancy.
Drugs make one dependent on the medical system, often for a life-time.	Using essential oils promotes health and often brings freedom from the medical system.

What sets Young Living oils apart from other companies? Many other companies add chemicals to enhance aroma or make their oils stretch. Young Living is the only company I know of that has the Seed-to-Seal guarantee. They grow their plants from seed, cultivate, distill, test and seal all their own oils.You are even welcome to tour a distillery. Young Living oils are so safe that most single oils can even be taken internally. It is vital that the oils you use are pure.

If you're ready to enjoy the amazing benefits of oils, you have 2 options. You can either purchase them at a retail price here. OR you can become a Young Living member and enjoy all the oils at wholesale pricing. You can find more information here.

{There is a great testimonial website where you can search what oils help for varying conditions OR you can type in the name of an oil to see how other people have used it. You do have to register, but it's free! The link is here}

Pertussis In Our Home

Although we had planned to go apple picking, eat a picnic lunch at the park and finally start Eva’s therapy, we ended up in the throes of dealing with pertussis instead. Not fun.

Eva was the first to come down with a cough. It lasted for about 2 ½ weeks and I didn’t think too much of it. It was dry and annoying and I chalked it up as an allergy. No cold symptoms and none of the other kids got  it. After 2 ½ weeks, she started to have episodes (called paroxysms) of intense coughing during the night that would wake her up. A few times she would spit up mucous. She would have a few episodes of this during the day as well, but otherwise she was just fine- playing and running around as usual. A family we are friends with had the same symptoms with their children and she contacted me and said that there was a chance they had pertussis. It all started to click…

I spent hours researching whooping cough as I wanted to know what I was up against. It is not my purpose to tell you everything about whooping cough. There are many great websites available that can fill you in. One that I like in particular is www.whoopingcough.net. This sight has links available to allow you to listen to a whooping cough- one with the whoop, and one without. Fifty percent of kids don’t have the characteristic whoop. Eva did not present with the whoop either. But I found it helpful to listen and realized she sounded just like the recording, confirming in my mind that this is what we were indeed dealing with.

We’ve only had our oldest 2 vaccinated and our third had whooping cough when she was 15 months old (12 years ago), although it went undiagnosed for weeks. I finally determined that it was whooping cough, because she would only “whoop” during the night. She appeared totally fine and healthy when I brought her to the doctor’s office. My experience has been that the cough is much worse at night. It picks up in intensity as the sun goes down!

Exactly 21 days after Eva started her cough, Edmond and Ashlyn woke up with the same dry, annoying cough. The immensity of having 7 children as sick as Eva hit me and I broke down. Nights of little sleeping didn’t help, of course. I wanted to have a diagnosis, so that I wasn't quarantining our family for no reason. On Monday I tried to find a doctor to see her, but the office I occasionally go to was 2 weeks out. In God’s providence I ended up going to a really nice doctor at a local office- one who believes playing in dirt and eating whole foods is much more important to one’s immunity than vaccinations. What a gift from the Lord! He was not at all judgmental. He agreed that Eva seemed to be presenting with pertussis and placed her on an antibiotic. He also saw Edmond the next morning and had both of them swabbed at the health department. That was an awful experience. A big metal scalpel thing up the nose and inserted way, way up- cringe! Three days for the initial results and 2 to 3 weeks for the cultures to return… and a round of antibiotics for the whole family. The initial PCR test came back positive for both kids. I wasn't surprised...

We chose to only put the youngest 7 on antibiotics (our 10 year old on down to the baby). I’m certainly not big on taking antibiotics as I prefer to treat things naturally. We decided for it for 2 reasons. One, because it shortens the time we will be contagious. In a family our size, we could be contagious for weeks. Second, because those without symptoms could possibly be spared from getting it. Antibiotics will kill the pertussis bacteria but will not, however, cure it or alleviate the symptoms. Long story short, they can still cough for weeks, thus the term “100 day cough.”

I was determined to do everything possible to build up my children’s immunity to fight this bacteria as well as to rebuild their bodies, particularly their lungs. We cut out all dairy (besides a little butter) which is known to increase mucous production and reduced our grain intake, for the same reason. We already don't eat sugar, and I tried to encourage fluid intake by filling up a large do-it-yourself thermos for the kids to help themselves to lemon water. We also added many natural remedies to our daily routine. This is what we are doing and will continue to do for the next few weeks:

1.       Vitamin C: I give each of the kids 2 packets of Emergen-C a day. You can go up to 4,000 mg, but my children couldn’t handle that much (loose stools). Some of my kids are also eating dried goji-berries, a powerhouse of nutrients and high in vitamin C.

2.       Healing Carrot Bisque: one of the recommendations is to increase your intake of beta-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A which helps heal the mucous membranes of the lungs. Since I don't believe taking vitamin pills is as beneficial as consuming whole foods, I came up with this healing soup rich in beta-carotene and immune boosting mushrooms. Don’t worry, your kids won’t taste them, promise! We are eating this soup every day for lunch. See recipe below…

3.       Garlic: raw garlic is nature’s antibiotic. We eat raw garlic spread on bread or crackers (with a little butter) every day with our soup. The kids love it! I also made some garlic syrup (just Google to get a recipe)- but this was very time consuming as I had to peel and chop a pound of garlic and let it steep for a few days. No matter how you decide to take it, garlic is very effective both in prevention and healing.

4.       Teas: I gave the coughing kids Herba-tussin tea (by Traditional Medicines) which contains beneficial herbs to soothe the lungs and help expel the mucus. My favorite homemade tea is Thyme Tea. Steep a few twigs of thyme leaves in a quart of boiling water for 15 minutes. Discard leaves and add raw honey to taste. Drink a half cup 2 times a day. Thyme is an expectorant (helps the mucous to be coughed up), a sedative (for sleep) and an anti-spasmodic (relaxes the lung muscles). This is great to drink before bed. We had great success with this herb. My 8 year old "farmer" found this remedy in one of his books and shared it with his mamma! Can also be used for other lung conditions such as asthma or bronchitis. (Note: pregnant women should avoid this herb as it may cause uterine contractions).

5.       Natural cough syrup:  there are many variations to this recipe. I mixed 1/3 cup honey, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 2 teaspoons turmeric and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Give with a little bit of melted coconut oil (also strengthens the immune system) You can also drink warm milk mixed with 2 teaspoons of turmeric to help with coughing. I prefer canned coconut milk, but any milk will do. Turmeric is a yellow spice often used in cooking that has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties and is a natural antiseptic and natural painkiller.

6.       Daily probiotic to replace healthy bacteria in the gut, especially when on an antibiotic. Make sure you take the probiotic at a different time of the day as the antibiotic. I use a powder form and mix with a spoonful of applesauce.

7.       Daily intake of fresh vegetables and fruits, especially berries. We drink smoothies made with canned coconut milk, raw honey and strawberries and/or blueberries or freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice. I also open up several capsules of Juice Plus to boost nutrients...

8.       Zinc: zinc is recommended to promote healing. I gave the little ones a natural product called “Zarbees” before bedtime. It contains honey, Vitamin C, Zinc and Melatonin to promote sleep. I found this worked especially well for the initial dry, hacking cough. You can buy this in the cold care section at Wal-Mart.

9.       Essential Oils: this is probably my favorite natural remedy! My friend, Anna, gave me a crash course on oils that help with whooping cough. I hope to write a post soon explaining how essential oils work and bring healing to the body, but for now, here are the ones we are using and they REALLY work:

·         Thieves: rub on chest and on feet several times a day. Alternate at times with other essential oils like frankincense or eucalyptus globulus. I added 2 or 3 drops to a little coconut oil and rubbed onto chest and bottoms of feet. Thieves is a blend of cloves, lemon, eucalyptus radiata and rosemary officinalus. Thieves has a very high action against viruses, bacteria and fungus.

·         Lemon oil: a drop or 2 inside a glass of water helps to cut mucus. My one son also really was helped by a drop of peppermint on his tongue. It helped him open up when he felt like the mucus was stuck in his throat. Caution- do not use just any essential oil internally. The only company (that I know of) that makes essential oils that are safe to consume internally is Young Living.

·         Diffuse: we took turns diffusing different essential oils (using a Young Living cool mist humidifier). I moved the diffuser to different rooms throughout the day and even moved it between bedrooms at night. I wish I had more than one! Diffusing Thieves helps to clean the air and builds up the immune system. Diffusing Frankincense helps fight infection, stimulate the immune system, relax muscles and ease congestion (among so many other things).

·         Peace & Calming is good for both massaging on feet before bed and for diffusing to bring calm to both mind and body. This blend is a combination of blue tansy, patchouli, tangerine, orange and ylang ylang.

Each evening the children lined up to receive their oils before bedtime. I found Thieves to especially help the baby, since I couldn’t give her many of the other things I was giving the older kids. One night she was a little raspy in her chest, and the next morning she was totally fine. I found she took her longest naps when I diffused Thieves or Frankincense by her bed during nap time.

Here is the recipe for the soup… I add a package of cremini mushrooms (baby portabellas) to this soup because these mushrooms contain an antibody that has been found to reduce harmful bacteria and viruses and boost immunity for several days after eating them. This soup is pureed, great for little kids- even the baby likes it...

Healing Carrot Bisque

Coconut oil (I use Spectrum for cooking) or olive oil

1 large onion

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 8 oz. package of cremini mushrooms

1 pound of organic carrots, washed well and sliced

4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 quart homemade chicken or beef stock

Water

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Herbs to your liking (rosemary, thyme, parsley) or leave out

Coat large pan with coconut oil. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, herbs, salt and pepper, stock and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 1 hour or longer. Puree with an immersion blender adding more water if necessary. Add more seasonings if needed. Enjoy!

We are 1 month into this sickness and so far we have one on the upswing from a few really rough nights. (This is the child that won't take garlic, drink thyme tea or many of the other natural remedies we are doing.) I have 1 coughing pretty badly , especially at night and 2 that are coughing occasionally around the clock with just a dry, hacking cough. The baby has been raspy a few times during the night (I would explain it as a heaviness in her chest), but is generally happy and has been sleeping more than usual. The other 5 kids have no symptoms at all. Apparently we still have 3 weeks in which all of them could come down with it or get worse! Praying that the Lord will spare my precious children in the weeks to come and that He will bless my humble efforts in helping to build their bodies to fight this.

Will keep you posted!