Postpartum Secrets that Nobody Tells You

By Stephanie Fritz | June 19, 2020 |

We talk so much about pregnancy and birth, but sometimes we forget about postpartum. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a mama say…” I wish I would have known…about postpartum”.

Well, mama, I’m here to tell you all the things! Well, maybe not ALL the things, because there are SO many, but this is a good start.

Those afterpains can be brutal and now to add salt to the wound… what about that belly massage every 15 minutes!

After Pain Magic

When you experience after pains, trust that this blend can aid your uterus while offering you support for discomfort.

Put in a 10 mL roller bottle and fill to top with FCO.

Apply generously to low abdomen after birth for discomfort and supporting the uterus as often as needed. These are all very gentle oils, so no worries if the baby’s skin comes in contact with this blend on mama’s tummy.

TIP: Nursing stimulates the uterus, using this blend just before nursing will be very supportive.

Don’t even bother with heavy flow pads, trust me, just be prepared with adult diapers, they will be your friend.

You go from needing to pee every 30 minutes to not being able to pee at all after birth. Try putting a drop of peppermint in the toilet. It works like magic, the coolness helps you relax, and all the fluid you took during labor will just flow out.

The instant feeling of love/bonding might take a few days, especially if it has been a long traumatic experience. Please don’t worry about this, Frankincense to the rescue! A drop of Frankincense on your baby’s spine and the top of her head will support this bonding process. Give your body time to process all that’s happened, and soon you won’t know how you got along without this adorable human in your life.

Say goodbye to your car’s front seat for a while because you will probably want to sit right next to your baby in the rear-facing car seat for the first few car rides.

Day 4-5 is HARD! You’re home from the hospital, because of our current social distancing you are left alone without much help, your hubby had to go into work for a few hours, and you’re home alone for the first time with your new baby. Your milk came in two days ago, and you’re super uncomfortable with engorgement. No one told you it was going to be this hard. You want to cry, but you don’t know why, this should be such a happy time for you, after all, you waited nine months for this baby, and it’s finally here!

These three oils wild orange, copaiba, and Adaptiv are for the mama who is trying to keep it all together on the outside, but on the inside is falling apart and doesn’t know where to turn! They can be such incredible support as you work through feelings of anxiousness and overwhelming feelings of stress. They can help release that stress in healthy ways instead of through anger or isolation.

Wild Orange’s happiness comes to the rescue on day four… trust me on this. Diffused or a drop in your palms and cupped over your nose and mouth will bring peace and balance to your thoughts and will calm your racing heart.

Copaiba – a drop or two under your tongue brings instant relaxation to your muscles, and you will feel the tension releasing immediately both physically and emotionally.

Adaptiv is a natural and non-addictive way to help promote calm and happy feelings! Everyone thinks you should be on top of the world, and you are ashamed to admit that you’re not. Diffusing, inhaling from your palms, and applying on pulse points is super uplifting.

You’ll soon learn you can function on next to none hours of sleep! You thought 3rd trimester was hard. It was just preparing you for postpartum.

Here’s some of my favorite sleep diffuser combos:

For the anxious sleeper:

4 Roman Chamomile
4 drops Marjoram

For the restless sleeper:

4 drops Wild Orange
4 drops Cedarwood

For the one who wakes up a lot:

4 drops Clary Sage
3 drops Sandalwood

For the light sleeper:

4 drops Lavender
3 drops Bergamot

Breastfeeding the first month can take your breath away, but trust me… it gets easier, and it’s SO worth it. Please don’t hold on to guilt or shame though if it’s not right for you, honestly fed is BEST! This is a soothing cream that you can make ahead of time to help in time of need.

Mama’s Soothing Nipple Cream

¼ cup coconut oil
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons Beeswax pastilles
8 Lavender
8 Geranium
8 Roman Chamomile
8 Yarrow/pom
8 Copaiba
4 Frankincense
4 Marjoram

Melt coconut oil if needed over low heat—cool coconut oil before stirring in essential oils. Pour salve into a jar and place it in the refrigerator until solid. Store in a cool, dark location. Massage into breasts as needed. If you are breastfeeding another little one, massage oil onto your breasts after feeding, and clear residue with an oiled wipe (2-3x) before the next feeding.

Mastitis is the worst! If you start feeling body aches, sore breasts, and just plain yuck all over, you can almost always assume you have mastitis.

To help nursing moms relieve the occasional clogged ducts that can turn into more serious threats that cause pain and tenderness in breast and body aches I have recommended the remedies below with GREAT success.

10 drops of Cypress
10 drops of Copaiba
10 drops of Lavender
10 drops of Juniper Berry

Put in a 10mL roller bottle and fill to top with FCO. Apply several times a day massaging the area

Put a grated potato on the affected area with a covering like Saran Wrap, then a dark bra or tight tank top to hold it in place. The sulfur in the potato will draw out the infection.

Put in a gel cap every 3 or 4 hours and lots of water. Continue this 3-5 days after you are feeling better to a sure the infection is completely gone.

I also highly recommend a homeopathic remedy for chronic mastitis or mastitis that keeps coming back.

Phytolacca in a 30c

You can get it at a health food store that carries homeopathic remedies. If not, order it online.

You will only need 3-4 pellets under your tongue 2-3 times a day for 3-4 days. It works like magic. You do NOT want to be without this.

Every six weeks or so, your baby may go through a growth spurt, and you think you’re nursing every hour! This is your body and baby working together to increase your milk supply for your growing baby. This blend may help.

Milk Maker

Mix in 10ml roller

Put in a 10 mL roller bottle and fill to top with FCO.

Apply to breasts avoiding nipple area after nursing. You should only need this blend for 2-4 days to notice an increase. Then you can stop and use it again when needed, like when the baby is having another growth spurt.

TIP: If you use it continuously, you may want to make two rollers, one with fennel and one without fennel, because I recommend only use fennel for ten days before needing a break.

Also…1-2 copaiba softgels 2x a day for 2-3 days may help increase your supply.

You thought you were right-handed… NOPE, now you’re ambidextrous!

Baby acne is real, but it won’t last for long. You can pretty much blame hormones for causing this… but don’t get it twisted – they’re not your baby’s hormones. They’re yours!

For nine months, your hormones have been circulating in your baby’s bloodstream. It’s your hormones that stimulate the oil-producing glands in your baby.

This doesn’t mean that your baby is unhealthy. Actually, quite the opposite, the hormones which cause baby acne also develop the immune system for your baby. Keep in mind, this is only temporary and will not last for more than two weeks, and with the help of home remedies, you will be able to help balance baby acne fast.

Breastmilk is the most natural and safe home remedy. It has healing properties in it and is a natural antimicrobial and antibacterial liquid that exfoliates the skin to support you when experiencing baby acne. Breastmilk not only protects your baby’s skin but also hydrates and heals the skin.

You can mix up this breastmilk lotion blend, or even just use breastmilk on its own.

Breastmilk lotion for healthy skin support

I use 4oz of breastmilk,
4oz fractionated coconut oil
1 1/4 tsp of beeswax,
5 drops of vitamin E oil
1-3 drops of Cedarwood

Mixed all that and put it in a small mason jar and put it in the fridge and apply 3 times a day.

That lush, thick hair you had in pregnancy suddenly appears to be falling out in the shower. Note that this is very common, but there are things you can do to help.

Normally, we lose around one hundred strands of hair on any given day, but in pregnancy because of our increased progesterone levels, the process of that hair loss is minimal, so less falls out. Your hair may feel fuller and even look healthier and shinier. This is not only because of increased progesterone but also your prenatal vitamins play a significant part as well. After the baby arrives, everything changes…

While you are baby mooning even though on the outside, everything seems wonderful, you still may have the quiet tears that only you see as you shower and see handfuls of your hair in your hands.

Need a little support to have your thick hair back? Your body is craving nutritional TLC, so give your body what it needs with the Life Long Vitality pack and stimulate new hair growth by supporting your scalp with the doterra’s Root to Tip Serum. Together, these will support your hair to be stronger than ever before!

Also, did you know there may be a zinc deficiency? A good zinc supplement added to your LifeLong Vitality supplements will be your friend.

Clary Sage is all about supporting hormones, and when it comes to postpartum, your hormones need a LOT of support. You may have heard me say to avoid clary sage in pregnancy, so this blend is one you will save for postpartum hair support.

One of Rosemary’s superpowers is increases cellular metabolism that stimulates hair growth while thickening hair at the same time. Cedarwood and Siberian Fir may help stimulate the hair follicles by increasing circulation to the scalp.

Postpartum Hair Support

Gently mix and massage some of the mixtures into your scalp at least 30 min before you wash your hair (but it can be the night before you wash it in the morning) Just use it each time before you wash even if it’s not every day.

Babies can poop every day, even ten times a day, but your friend’s baby only poops once a week, and both are normal. If you feel like your baby has a tummy ache, you can use this blend to help move things along. For breastfeeding mamas… cut out all dairy.

Tummy Tamer

Fill to top with FCO.

Apply on the bottom of feet at every feeding.

Kids Tamer or DigestZen touch are also options.

Another natural solution for colic, constipation, and other gas-related problems is the Windi, it works instantly, and moms swear by it.

Baby girls may have a little pink-tinged diaper the first week, but again…no worries, this is just hormones being released from your hormones circulating in the womb.

You will constantly worry if you are doing the right thing, remember… YOU were given stewardship over this baby. Trust your gut and your intuition, and you have legions of angels to help you!