Here we are, 8 months after this blog has gone live, and I’ve yet to really dive in and tell you all about how I got started using essential oils in our home.
It all began two years ago, this October. I remember seeing a dear friend make post after post on Facebook, about her successes using oils on her children. And I also remember thinking, “what is this snake oil she is using??” I seriously thought she had lost her marbles. So I’d casually scroll on by. Barely pausing, with a teensy hint of curiosity.
Fast forward several weeks and I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia at 34 weeks. I won’t go into all the details of that (I’ll save Little Miss T’s birth story for a later post), but it was an ordeal. My dear friend whom I mentioned above, also happened to be my Doula for both boys, and she graciously made the 2 hour trip down the mountain to be there for baby #3’s arrival! Labor with this one was the hardest I’d experienced, and I found myself crying through most of it. I had difficulty catching my breath between the contractions and tears, and she asked if I would want to try something to help me breathe a little easier? I had no idea where this was going, until she whipped out a kleenex and a little brown bottle, from her purse. She proceeded to tell me that she was putting a few drops of Peppermint essential oil on the kleenex, and that I was to hold it up to my nose and inhale deeply. I most definitely laughed in my head at the thought that just a few drops of whatever she pulled out of her voodoo bag, could possibly help me feel better. But with the state I was in, I was not going to deny anything that might have even a smidgen of a possibility of helping me. So I complied. I grabbed the tissue, stuck it in my face, and inhaled.
WOAH. What just happened? It smelled a-mazing. But more than that…I had a feeling of clear breathing for the first time since the worst contractions had begun hours earlier. I noticed that my tummy was feeling less upset, and I was able to be somewhat calmer and more focused. I honestly have no idea what happened after that. I was in my own little world of contractions and Peppermint oil. I think I held onto that tissue until the nurse told me that the Magnesium drip I was on was actually working against the Pitocin, and I wasn’t progressing like they had hoped. Um…what?! You couldn’t have told me this 18 hours ago?!
Fast-forward past 1 epidural that didn’t take, a 2nd one that did, and my daughter’s miraculous arrival, after which she was swept away to the NICU.
She spent almost the first month of her life in that NICU, with me by her bedside, and my husband an hour and a half away…holding down the fort with our 14 month old and our 3 year old. It was a trying time for sure…most of which was spent in prayer and research. While she was there, she got pretty sick. And before we left the doctors and nurses told us 2 things: to keep her as ‘regular’ as possible so she doesn’t experience any further issues with her intestines, and to keep her as healthy as possible. Since she was a preemie, and her little immune system was underdeveloped, if she got sick it could land her in the hospital, vs. a simple doctors visit. It was at that moment I began to panic. HOW are we supposed to keep her healthy, when my husband works out of the home and we have two germy little guys running around the house? My mind immediately went to my friend. I frantically stalked her Facebook profile and re-read all of the posts she had been putting up over the past few months. I began asking questions, and attended an Essential Oils 101 Facebook class.
I thought to myself, “What do I have to lose? If it works, great! If not, at least my kids and house will smell good, right?” So with the agreement of my sweet Mountain Man, we jumped in and got a kit through my friend, from dōTERRA. I’m about to lay it all out there for you guys. I got this kit and it sat on my counter for a month. A MONTH. Had I had any idea what little treasures resided in that box, I would have busted out that bad boy as soon as I got it. But it took my oldest falling off the couch and busting his head open on the fireplace for me to even think about trying them.
We began to slowly use them here and there. We started by taking On Guard each day to boost our immune systems. We moved onto using a few other gentle oils to help sweet Little Miss T maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract, and help ease the gassiness that is so common with babies. Then as we got more and more comfortable using them, we started using them every day. And when we did that, we noticed that our bodies responded better and faster! Mountain Man finally found some relief from his seasonal discomfort. I started seeing a difference in my energy levels during the day, and my kids were learning how to take care of themselves in a safe and natural way! That alone made this mama’s heart so, so happy.
It was at a moment of, “Why didn’t I know about essential oils until now?”, that I knew I had to share my experiences with everyone I knew. You see, I didn’t find out until after I started using these oils, that I actually had many friends who had been using oils…for several years. But did any of them ever once share them with me? Sadly, no. Coming to this realization made me sad. I think of the months…no, years that I missed out on learning about a better way to take care of myself and my family. So…Regardless of what strange looks I get. No matter the eye rolls, unfriends, or unfollows that occur. The dozens of samples I pay for and send out with zero response. This is way more than a business for me. This is my ministry. Everyone needs to know about these amazing gifts of the earth, and I plan on telling everyone I know, of their amazing benefits and how they can support our bodies.
I’m an open book. And if you can’t tell, I love my oils, and I love talking about them, and sharing them. So if you’re one of those people who have been quietly watching from the sidelines, as your friends post about their “snake oils”, I have just one question for you. What do you have to lose? Feel free to contact me with your questions. I’d love to help share these gifts of the earth with you, too!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
