Baring It All About Birth

October 8th was such a whirlwind. I’ve finally had 8 weeks to process it and I’m ready to write about it and share it with y’all. Everything I read said you can make a birth “plan” but be flexible because anything can and does happen when it comes to childbirth. For me, it was really post-birth that didn’t go according to plan. But the rest of the experience proved to be more intense than I ever imagined! Here is my story...

Early on in my pregnancy, I did some research and decided adamantly against a routine hospital birth, unless in case of an emergency. I also decided that a home birth wasn’t what I wanted either because I didn’t want to give birth in an inflatable pool and I was nervous about complications arising. A birthing center was the perfect Goldilocks choice for me with its big beautiful birthing tub and it’s proximity to one of the best women’s hospitals across the street. 

I was almost positive I would go three days past my due date all pregnancy long. Call it a premonition but I never thought I’d go early. That is, until Jackson began dropping a couple of weeks before my due date and I began experience symptoms of what they call prodromal labor. I readied myself with oils, energy work, and by meeting with my backup doula because my hired doula was out of town. Sure enough, on the morning of October 8th (four days before my due date) I awoke with what I thought were contractions—not the period cramps I had been experiencing before. I began timing them on my app and sure enough, they were already 5-6 minutes apart.

What the?! My books, my pregnancy forums, and my childbirth classes all said to prepare for 3-12 hours of early labor. But now the contractions were pretty intense and almost 5 minutes apart?! I guess we kinda skipped early labor. So I texted Sally, my backup doula, and she was over at our house within the hour. Labor progressed way faster than I thought with me hearing a pop at 4 am (just two hours after I woke up) followed by water coming out in the toilet. And then all over the floor. After that, shit got real fast and I found myself on my way to the birth center where they could check my cervix and baby’s heart rate. Three centimeters dilated and 100% effaced. Heart rate good to go!

6 am. Contractions stronger and more painful now. They wanted me to walk down the stairs and around the birthing center. I told them I couldn’t. They gently cajoled me into it so my labor would progress even more and I took two very excruciating trips around the birthing center, pausing every 3-4 minutes to moan in pain. 

We made it back inside and they admitted me into the only birthing room I didn’t want to be in—the one without windows. I complained and they said they would clean one of the other two rooms once the women in there went home with their babies. The birth center doesn’t keep you more than 12 hours after you give birth. Around that time, I got super nauseated. I was sitting on the bed and I eyed a trash can in the bathroom. I calmly told Erik to grab it because I was going to throw up and I did. I lost everything I had in me. I hadn’t eaten much since labor started because I didn’t have much of an appetite. This would prove to be a horrible idea later on down the line.

I labored in the cave room in the garden tub, on a birthing ball in the shower, and on the bed. Everywhere I went, the contractions were excruciating—worse than any other period cramps I had experienced. I knew an epidural was not an option so I moaned and breathed rapidly through them. Eventually I got word that one of the other women left so they cleaned the room and transferred me to a room with big beautiful windows. It was lightly raining outside and I felt relieved to see nature through the glass. It was probably 10 am by that time I guess.

Noonish? Contractions were out of control intense. I went from the shower where Erik sprayed my back with hot water to the bed to the tub again. The warm waters of the deep garden tub were my happy place, still the water had nothing on the freight train contractions—spaced very close together at this point. Erik got in the tub with me and held me and spoke words of encouragement while my doula gave me cold water to drink and applied oils to me at my command. I used peppermint on a wet rag to cool me down, lavender on my chest to calm me, and Copaiba on my lower back to help with back labor. 

Eventually the nurse asked me to do some more walking and I said “I CAN’T!” At that point every minute or so I was in excruciating pain so walking seemed like a dumb idea. She got on my eye level and firmly looked at me saying, “you are right there. Walking will make him come faster.” I almost cried and slowly got up and forced myself to walk. Every other minute I was down on my knees with Erik holding my arms from above as a wave of muscle spasms took me down to the floor. The noises I made were guttural—primal. I can’t describe it. Animal.

I only walked down the hall and back before I was back on the bed, grabbing the pillow and yelling into it. At this point, I was exhausted. I had had nothing to eat in hours and they kept trying to feed me honey sticks to give me energy. My bladder was full from all of the cold water I kept demanding but my body wouldn’t void it. My throat was sore from yelling and my lips were dry from the breathing. (At this point you’re probably thinking a natural birth sounds like a wonderful idea aren’t you?!) I began wondering why I opted for it and thought twice about asking to go to the hospital but told myself not to let myself utter the words. This is what I wanted and by God I was gonna get it.

After hours of labor I finally felt the urge to push. This stage only went on for 45 minutes but it. Was. Intense. I ended up on an inflatable birthing stool with my legs shoved up against the midwife whose back was against the tub on the floor. I hardly had any physical energy left but the midwife, nurse, my doula, and Erik were all cheering me to push again...and telling me to bear down because I kept wanting to breathe, push, and scream from my chest. Finally when they said they could see his hair (and I finally understood what they mean by the ring of Fire) I gave one last humongous shove and out he came. Seriously. Once his head was out, his shoulders and the rest of his body slid out effortlessly. I was spent but elated. A part of me thought I wouldn’t be able to do it—give birth to this boy vaginally without an epidural. But I did it!

They placed him in my arms, Erik behind me, and I stared at this miracle child in disbelief. We held him and cried; it was so beautiful! I was assisted to the bed where I learned that he came so quickly in transition that I suffered 4th degree tears. After I had just finished pushing a baby out of my nether regions, they were gonna sew me up with nothing but lidocaine. In other words: UGH. It was as fun as it sounded. Erik got some skin to skin with Jackson while I was being doctored up, and I got some baby snuggles as well. 

Up until now, I got the birth I planned for except for the significant tearing. Now is where it’s not so gravy. Two problems came up. Because my blood sugar was so low and I had just been through birth on very little energy reserves, I became lightheaded and lethargic. The midwife decided to put give me a glucose IV because wasn’t looking too good. Erik took care of Jackson while I sipped soup and built up my blood sugar. 

#2, and the worst part: Jackson’s breathing was faster and more labored than the midwife liked to see. We stayed skin to skin with him for a few hours while they monitored him. Eventually, she decided that instead of sending us home, she would feel more comfortable if St. David’s NICU across the street took him in to monitor him overnight. So around 1:30 am we were wheelchaired to the hospital, exhausted and worried.

As it turned out, I had drank more water during labor than anyone the midwife or nurse had ever seen. Remember when I said I couldn’t void my bladder? When they catheterized me to drain my bladder, they couldn’t believe how much liquid came out. A full bladder blocks the birth canal and makes it difficult for a baby to navigate around and come out. So I shoved him out so quickly that he didn’t have time for the fluid to be forced out of his lungs resulting in rapid breathing called transient tachypnea. This led to a 5 day stay in the NiCu until we were finally released. 

So there ya have it. I got my natural birth...just some postpartum scares I hadn’t planned for (like you ever do!). If I’m blessed with another pregnancy, I will do two things differently during childbirth: EAT MORE FOOD before labor gets too bad, and DRINK LESS WATER. All in all, we made it. I’m proud of myself for what I endured and thankful for my birth team—especially my supportive husband. Thanks for reading! I hope this doesn’t scare you away from a natural birth, as it was a very beautiful and life changing experience! You live and you learn!

Waiting For a Rainbow: The Story of a Dream, Loss, Belief, and Determination

In many ways, I'm the little girl who never grew up. As a child, I was obsessed with Lisa Frank. Do y'all remember her stuff? She had a line of folders, binders, stickers, etc that were blindingly brightly colored and littered with puppies, kitties, unicorns, and rainbows. As a young lass, I was in awe of rainbows...I wanted rainbow everything. And rainbows in the sky? Well that was just the most magical thing in the world to me. I dreamt of pots of gold waiting just for me at the other end of these magnificent natural phenomena.

Flash forward about three decades and I'm still that little girl inside. In fact, I happen to believe that the little kid within us never truly leaves. Some of us are just better at hiding him or her. Well I don't hide her. I'm 35 years old and I love to dress what some others call "a tad young for my age". I have a unicorn tape dispenser in my office with rainbow colored tape. Glitter is my middle name and I still believe that allowing yourself to sparkle on the outside gives other people the courage to do the same.

A lot of people don't know this, but the baby in my belly is a sheer miracle almost eight years in the making. His nickname is Rainbow Jack, which is short for Jackson and there are quite a few rainbows in his nursery already. Why? Well because he's what's known (albeit not quite commonly yet) as a rainbow baby. A rainbow baby is a baby born after a loss, a miscarriage, or a difficult journey with infertility. They are symbols of hope for a rainbow after a storm, or a promise of sunshine after the darker parts of life. Allow me to share with you four seasons--or life themes, if you will--that I believe we ALL encounter that build strength and character. And it's these seasons and traits that can lead to all sorts of colorful rainbows of your making if you just have enough patience and grit.

#1 You Must Have a Dream 

This seems self-explanatory. I mean, we all have dreams right? No, I mean you need at least one big dream for yourself that you TRULY believe is all yours. That you're destined to live it. A dream that you are adamant will not stay a dream, but will become a reality no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. 

My dream? When I married Erik, I inherited an instant-family. He was a single daddy raising two young kiddos, a step-son from his first marriage who was 11 and Alexis who was 7 by the time I married into the family. He was such a wonderful father to those kids, I couldn't wait to create life with him. Little did I know how difficult a task that would prove to be. When we finally began trying about five years into our marriage, I always dreamed I would have two babies--a boy and a girl. We discussed what we would name our babies. I began to envision myself as a mom to babies, even though I was already getting plenty of practice as a mom to two young children that I didn't birth. 

Imagine your dream as a reality. Make vision boards. Journal about it. Keep doing it, because sometimes it takes years to come to fruition, such as was the case for us. After four and a half years of negative pregnancy tests and painful periods, doubt began to creep in. Lesson here: you will most certainly doubt the feasibility of your dreams at some point. Until one day, you may find yourself there.

Seemingly out of nowhere, in August of 2015 I found out that I was pregnant! Finally a positive test! Soooo... why, then, was I bleeding?

#2 You May Experience Setbacks

Or a loss. The path to your big, wonderful, delicious dream is most likely not linear and clean. It's probably a quite a bit messy. Fraught with detours and roadblocks and NOs and again, more self-doubt. This is the character-building phase. The patience-testing part. It's not fun, but it's actually quite integral to the process. 

My setback? Miscarriage. It's a word that women don't like to talk about, although I've since learned it's alarmingly common. After waiting four and a half years for that positive pregnancy test, I thought, this is it! It didn't take long for me to learn that...welllll, maybe not exactly. I was bleeding slowly every day. Getting blood drawn every other day was proving what the back of my mind knew to be true...my hormone levels were not high enough to sustain the pregnancy. Even after the fertility doctor put me on progesterone, my hormone numbers continued to drop. What little glimmer of hope I had was slowly fading to a quiet darkness.

Listen up y'all. When you have dreams, sometimes it may look like they are finally coming to fruition and then something bad happens. It doesn't mean that you need to stop pursuing them. Maybe it does mean that you take a break from it for awhile, or reevaluate your process. Maybe you take awhile to grieve a significant setback. It will be different for everyone. For me, I grieved for a little bit. I decided to get a tattoo of a bird taking off on my wrist as a symbol of letting go of control and sadness and moving on. The way I saw it, I could either wallow in misery and have four more years of "why me" and "it's not fair" or I could change my mindset and allow myself to 

#3 Press Into More Hope and BELIEVE

There is perhaps nothing more powerful than BELIEF. There is science that shows how when we change our thoughts, we actually affect change in our circumstances. Whole books have been written about it, and they are best-sellers. Guided meditations have been created as a way to influence our thoughts, subconscious patterns, and therefore our outer realities. I recommend looking into all of this!

I could've looked at this miscarriage as a sign that maybe it's just not meant to be. Maybe I was wrong about my dream...maybe I should just do all of the fertility measures that everyone has been harping on me to do. Maybe I should adopt even though my heart isn't in it yet. Maybe I should just give up on this dream of being a mother to my own children. 

Instead, I decided NO. I will not give up. In fact, I will see this heartbreaking experience as something good. I chose to look at it as a victory. For once we had actually conceived! No, it wasn't the ideal conception and it appeared to be doomed from the start. But we GOT PREGNANT. I saw it as a sign that pregnancy was a possibility for us. If my body had done it once, we could do it again. And this time, we would prepare better than we had before.

Lesson? Keep believing in your dreams. If they are truly worth it to you, step up and own your birthright. But is that all you need? No, a dream and belief alone are not enough. You need

#4 Determination, Grit, & Manageable Steps in That Direction

Dreams without follow through stay dreams. Yes keep the overall forest in your field of view, but take a look at the trees, for the trees will get you there. Chunk your big, scary goal into mini goals. Take manageable steps in the right direction. One of my favorite sayings is "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." 

Erik and I decided after that miscarriage to make some changes in our lifestyle. We had already began using essential oils, but we began researching on how to use them to support our bodies hormonal balance. I used oils to boost my progesterone and he used oils to boost his testosterone. We started eating healthier and eliminated most processed foods, while working on our gut health using probiotics and food enzymes. We kicked the nasty chemical-laden cleaners and personal care items to the curb and began using plant-based products. We continued to work on meditation and mindset and filled our heads with more of what we wanted to see in our worlds. In short, we went to work manifesting health and wellness by making our bodies and minds an inviting place for a child to thrive.

And sure enough, without a single fertility drug or Petri dish, we were again with child. And THIS time, my hormone numbers were excellent. This time, we knew that this pregnancy was here to stay. This baby, the one following a loss, is called a rainbow baby. And his name is Jackson Douglas. This baby will paint our lives with colors that have yet to be discovered. This baby is our dream come true, almost eight years in the making.

I know you have dreams for yourself. Perhaps even outrageous ones. You've no doubt spent time visualizing them and seeing yourself victorious. You may even have experienced one or more setbacks or detours. I pray that you have continued to hope and believe that the world deserves to see you living out your dreams. And no doubt you have the wisdom to know that you must walk a little more towards your dreams everyday, step by step by step. Keep all of this up and you'll get your rainbow. 

As Judy Garland so beautifully sang, "Somewhere over the rainbow, dreams really do come true."

My Old Self: A Desperate Druggie

My life 8 years ago...

🛑 WHOA. Major flashback and reflection moment. 

This was my life 8 years ago. Scrambling to find someone to loan me some pills for my migraines because they were so frequent and horrendous. Topomax is a horrific drug with irreversible side effects and I’ll go to my grave crusading against it, and yet here I was begging for it. Did you know that I was so desperate for relief, that as a self-supporting college student with my own job paying for all of my bills, I paid $24 for each Imitrex pill before the generic was released? My prescription was for 9 pills a month. You do the math. 

What I didn’t know then that I know now is that there is a much better way. It’s called making your body an inviting place where wellness thrives. It’s called feeding and watering it appropriately. It’s called using plant-based hormones to help your body regulate itself. It’s called ditching the harmful chemicals in your house that “smell so good” and finding an authentic alternative. It’s called relying on holistic remedies FIRST and saving the rescue pill for the absolute last resort instead of always reaching for that orange bottle with the childproof white lid.

Doctors were more than happy to just write me scripts and send me my way out the door. It was I who did hours and years of investigating to see that my migraines were not food-induced, but stemmed from taking artificial hormones in the form of birth control to help regulate my endometriosis (that went wrongly diagnosed for over a decade). Also chemical fragrances too. You see, I got tired of business as usual and took my health into my own hands because 13 years of going to doctor after doctor had done nothing but occasionally manage symptoms and in some cases made me sicker. I tell you this, nobody cares about your health and well-being more than YOU do. So if you are struggling in that arena (and most people are in one way or another), and you are tired of the same song, thousandth verse; reach out to me. It’s my passion to help people in multifaceted ways; not just essential oils, plant-based household products, quality health supplements (although you better believe I’ll tell you all about those!). Happily Oily After has grown to be a network of people who can support your health and well-being in non-invasive natural ways, including but not limited to:

• health/life coaching
• nutrition advice
• Bowen work
• Chiropractic
• Massage therapy and myofascial release
• Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine
• Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness
• wellness doctor recommendations 

Please know that there is a much better way and although it is not a quick fix (it involves commitment, research, and the tenacity to see it through), it has long-term rewards that are more than worth it. The baby who is nestled snugly in my womb is proof of it. I love and care about y’all. Thanks so much for reading. Again, please reach out to me if you or someone you know could use a different way of doing things...

Love,

Michelle

Is Your Own Home Making You Sick?

Environmentalists love to rant about the air quality outside...air pollution is killing us all, they say. Industrialization and carbon footprints have doomed us! Not to impugn their outcries, but what if I told you that the air in your home may be far more toxic than the air you breathe outside? Just listen to these startling claims:

• A 5 year study conducted by the EPA found that the average air in the home has 70x greater chemical contamination than the outside air.

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission found more than 150 chemicals in ordinary household products are directly responsible for causing cancer, allergies, birth defects, and numerous psychological disorders.

• An estimated 1 in 2 will develop cancer in their lifetime, largely due to environmental factors, and most of us spend hours in our homes. In fact, the average woman applies 168 chemicals to her body every day.

These claims are sobering. Today I aim to both educate you AND convince you to strongly consider switching to a plant-based cleaner, for the sake of your and your family's health. I intend to do that by discussing:

1. Which cleaning supplies are contributing to my toxicity exposure? 
2. Which chemical ingredients are in them so that I may avoid them later? 
3. What is this Thieves alternative and what can it replace?
4. And finally, does it REALLY clean and kill germs as good as the toxic stuff?

Let's talk about where you can find these toxins that are contributing to poor air quality and unwellness? The main three areas are: your laundry room, under your kitchen sink, and in your bathrooms. 

Your laundry room contains three main culprits: laundry soap and two huge ones--dryer sheets and fabric softener. Dryer sheets and fabric softeners contain a hefty amount of harmful chemicals and we expose them to the clothes that touch our skin everyday. 

Under your kitchen sink also contains several chemical villains. Dish soap, carpet cleaners, mopping solution, glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaners, you name it. Yep, not a one of those is clean--pun intended. 

Your bathrooms probably contain the most diversity of toxin-laden products. These include bathroom cleaners, shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions, toothpastes, deodorants, and much, much more. Guess which two are the worst and should be ditched and switched before any others? Toothpaste and deodorant. 

Wow, I just listed the entirety of your non-food grocery cart items, didn't I? Just because it's on the grocery store shelves, doesn't mean it's safe for your family. Many of these products are made with ingredients that were "grandfathered" in and are not held accountable for their toxic load. Because of this, the FDA has only banned something to the tune of 11 ingredients, compared to over 1300 that European Union has banned. Shocker, huh? So just what are these dangerous ingredients so that you can keep an eye out for them as you start reading your labels (you will start reading your labels from now on when you leave this room, amiright?)

We don't have time to discuss every single harmful chemical, so I'll touch on the major ones. #1 Fragrance/Parfum. If your item is scented with fragrance/parfum, that one term can hide a myriad of ingredients that are super harmful to your health. (And hint: most items are scented with fragrance). We aren't even going to touch on candles, air fresheners, and plug-ins, just know that those are EXTREMELY TOXIC and should be disposed of immediately. The word fragrance is a nice term for phthalates and phthalates are endocrine disruptors. That simply means that they mimic hormones in your body and hormones are the chemical messengers that control, hmmm, pretty much everything in your body. Remember that laundry soap and dryer sheets I mentioned? Yep, loaded with fragrance. Shampoos/conditioners/perfumes, you name it.

#2 Sulfates. Sulfates are foaming agents and are found in dish soap, laundry soap, body washes, and shampoos. Sulfates have been linked to organ toxicity and cellular damage. Aren't cells the body's building blocks? Yes. So why are we exposing them to an ingredient that can hurt them? Because bubbles. Bubbles psychologically make you feel like things are getting clean.

#3 Parabens. Ethylparaben, methylparaben, diethylparaben. If you see any part of the word paraben in your products, think again: endocrine disruptor. Parabens mimic the hormone estrogen in the human body so think about the surge in breast cancer. This is bad for women, but men don't want an excess of estrogenic compounds in their systems either. Where are they found? Lotions, conditioners, and in a slew of cosmetics. 

For time's sake, we won't even get into aluminum found in deodorants, flouride found in toothpaste, and several others. But feel free to come to one of my nontoxic home classes to learn more! Now that I've adequately presented a clear case for ditching these harmful products; what's my solution? It's called Thieves!

Thieves is a plant-based alternative to toxic cleaning and personal care supplies and is formulated with essential oils and other plant-based surfactants.The key ingredients are cinnamon bark, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and lemon. Thieves oils were first used in the bubonic plague era (the bubonic plague was highly contagious and fatal) when spice traders had knowledge of their health-promoting and air-cleaning properties. They used them to be able to rob the dead and dying without contracting the illness themselves. Flash forward a few millennia and now Thieves oils have been used to formulate an all-purpose cleaner, laundry soap, dish soap, hand sanitizer, and even toothpaste. All without the necessity for harsh detergents, toxic chemicals, and dangerous bleach. 

This one bottle of cleaner can go in your dishwasher, your washing machine, your mop water, on your granite counters, wood floors, windows, and ceramic tubs and commodes. It's so gentle that you don't have to call the poison control center if consumed; simply drink water to dilute in the tummy. Bonus: It doesn't give you a headache when you walk in the house after someone has been cleaning with it (a surefire sign that something isn't right). This is the power of Thieves.

But does it REALLY work? Does it really clean as good as the other stuff??? Prove it, Michelle! In short, YES. Take a look at these images. 

Lysol and Bleach aren't near as effective.

Some of the dirtiest surfaces in your house are not cleaned by Lysol

I thought Lysol was supposed to kill 99.9% of germs. So why doesn't it? And why does nothing grow in the same vicinity as Thieves? Simple: it's made with high-powered essential oils that are known for their health properties. Take a look at this:

Thieves oil is made largely with cinnamon bark and clove essential oils. How 'bout them apples? It even works on mold; check it out:

Mother Nature has always done it better. Somewhere we came up with the notion that we can make things cheaper and more effective in the lab, AND profit it off it. But at what cost? We are finally seeing the detriment to human life as the consequences of using these hundreds of chemicals in our homes, day after day, and year after year is manifesting in some pretty widespread and debilitating conditions. The case has been made for plant-based products that not only WORK, but keep us healthier in the process. What's stopping you from making the ditch and switch today? If you haven't already, I challenge you to begin looking closer into the products you use everyday and seeing where you can make a change and then do it. Your family's wellness depends on it. 

Sleepless in Austin

Hey baby,

I can’t sleep. Which is ironic because I need all the sleep I can get right now. Today, 8/17/18, I’m 32 weeks pregnant with you and I can’t believe you could be here any day now. I’m emotional thinking about how long being pregnant with you has been an absolute dream of mine and I still occasionally look at my round belly in disbelief that you’re actually real. I don’t know how my heart will survive the explosion of love I’ll feel when you’re actually in my arms, because right now it already feels full to capacity. 

You should know how absolutely special you are. You have been prayed for for years. You have been dreamt and wondered about for as long as I can remember. Your daddy and I went through so much—working on materializing you from our imaginations to this Earthly realm—and we want you to know that you were worth every doctor appointment, every failed pregnancy test, every painful period, every hot tear-stained cheek, every invasive test, every moment of doubt, every fear of never ever meeting you.

Know this, baby. Hope is a million times stronger than fear. YOU get to choose how you respond to adversity. Also, one more big lesson for you: YOU have the power to ALTER your destiny, no matter what diagnosis you’ve been given. You don’t like something the doctors told you? Research it. Fix your body. WILL yourself into balance. Same with anyone that tries to tell you that you can’t. Can’t do this, can’t do that. If you want it badly enough and it’s worth pursuing to you, use that stubborn tenacity and relentlessly grab ahold of that magic that is belief in your dreams. And should you ever find yourself in a moment of doubt or despair, that’s okay too. It happens. Know that we are here to back you, sweet creation. 

You are evidence that dreams really do come true. Somewhere over the rainbow doesn’t have to be a myth...we create the rainbows in our lives...some just take longer than others. Oh but those rainbows—those promises fulfilled—they are so worth the grit and patience.

Shel Silverstein wrote “And all the colors I am inside have not been invented yet.” I find myself awake at almost 5 am wondering what new colors you will splash into our lives. 

Love, Momma

Dear Jackson

Dear Sweet Jackson,

I haven't written in awhile. Probably because I've been writing tons of short posts about you and putting them on FB! Well I thought I should update you on everything in case you read this someday...

Everything is chugging along. I feel you everyday, multiple times a day. You're an active little baby and I absolutely love connecting with you in this way. So much time passes between my appointments, that I sometimes wonder how you're doing in there. When you kick or turn, it's fun for me!

I'm now 30 weeks and my belly is getting rounder by the day! Everyday someone comments on my belly and I have you to thank! I'm getting the nursery ready, slowly but surely. Some sweet mama donated tons of reusable diapers and other baby stuff and it took awhile to get it organized, but it's done! I am trying to hold off on buying stuff until my showers, but I'm getting antsy. Please arrive on time; I'm still trying to prep the house for you! Nesting has begun and I'm slowly organizing and cleaning, even though my back starts to hurt and I don't have the energy I once did.

Still I'm trying to stay fit so I can birth you naturally at the birthing center! I go to the Y twice a week and work out my arms and legs, sometimes in the water and sometimes on the treadmill. I get Bowen work weekly to keep my energy in a good place and to deal with the discomforts of my changing body. Yes, it's becoming harder and harder to sleep at night. I do toss and turn and have some carpal tunnel which isn't fun. But I don't blame you one bit! It's all a part of this beautiful process that I wanted so badly for years, so I will take it all. Other than that, it's been a great pregnancy and I don't have much to complain about.

EXCEPT, baby, it's getting HOT here in Texas and because it's hard to breathe, the heat does not help. It kinda makes my feet swell up after I walk Presley at night. Again, I will take it all because you are more than worth it. But I sure am praying to God that rains and clouds come our way because it keeps the temperature manageable. You are a little incubator in there!

Oh, also, I am wanting to eat everything bad for me. Carbs and sweets. I didn't crave them at all at first and now it's all I want (pancakes are in my dreams). My glucose numbers are borderline, so I have to make sure I'm eating lots of protein and veggies and staying away from all of those tasty treats. It sure is difficult, but I also want to make sure that your palate is primed for healthy foods!

Dad and I have researched all the big health decisions for you. We plan to breast-feed you and not induce you or have any contraction-inducing meds, so long as everything goes well. You'll learn what circumcision is later, but just FYI dad says he wants to let you decide if you want that later. We plan to support your immunity naturally, even though tons of people will fight me on this topic. Don't worry; we've done our research and know we are making the best decision for you, sweet child. There are so many essential oils in this house; you are going to love it!

Dad and I sing to you a few nights a week. It's so cute to see dad put his head to my belly and sing sweet songs to you! He also reads books to you as well and he cannot WAIT to do more of that when you say hello to this world! Just so you know, your dad is a book-o-holic so you will have a huge library waiting for you in your room! I'm decorating your room with fun colors and polka dots and rainbows and animals, even though you'll probably sleep in our room for awhile at first. I pray that you and I get into a regular sleeping and feeding pattern quite quickly!

As far as our hopes and dreams for you, we are are trying not to put our expectations on you. We would love to see what you bring to the table and what you can teach us about life. We do not have everything figured out by any means, so we are on this journey right alongside you as we figure things out together. Along the way, just know that we have a huge community of people that already love you and are here to support you as well. You have tons of family and friends who can't wait to meet you. But again, cook longer, dear one!

Love,
Momma
8/6/18

Your Mom and Dad in the Lavender fields in Utah!

Fulfill Your Destiny

Today, I decided to vacuum Jackson’s nursery with Fulfill Your Destiny essential oil (in the filter). And here is the letter that poured forth as I vacuumed:

Dear Baby Jack,

What is your destiny? Well right now it’s just to be born. After that, you get to decide. Whatever it is, we have no doubt you will fulfill it in every way, with flying colors. Because that’s who you are—just a bunch of undiscovered colors. Your daddy and my favorite children’s author Shel Silverstein said it best: “And all the colors you are inside have not been invented yet.” It is our joy to stand by and watch you invent your colors, Jackson. Who do you want to be? How do you want to be it? As long as you’re kind and loving, your options are limitless; your destiny is as wide as the open ocean. So yes, you will fulfill YOUR destiny. You ARE. And ours? Well we’re working on ours too. But can I tell you a secret? You are the colors we are inventing now. You are an immeasurable part of our destiny now. You are a welcomed new adventure full of colors yet to be discovered. And we thank our lucky stars (God) every day for the opportunity to witness you fulfill your destiny, whatever that may be!

Love always,
Mom & Dad
#rainbowjack2018

Frankincense: The King of Oils

Frankincense. Most of us have heard of it from the story of the three wisemen and Jesus' birth. They brought to this most important infant three precious gifts: gold, myrrh, and Frankincense. But did you know why those three items were chosen over all the valuable wares in the ancient world? And guess which one was the most valuable of the three, pound for pound? You guessed it: Frankincense.

Frankincense has sparked my curiosity since I got my first starter kit of true, pure essential oils in 2014. I'm not talking about the little vials you got from the church store, or worse some of the incense you may have smelled in the past. I'm talking about the pure therapeutic-grade essential oil, distilled with steam and zero fluff added. 

The dictionary defines Frankincense as an aromatic gum resin obtained from an African tree and burned as incense. That's about as basic as you can boil down this aromatic resin. I've found that it's actually far more complex and beautiful than Merriam-Webster suggests. When you distill it into an essential oil, the benefits of this ancient botanical are many and even downright miraculous. In this researched topic, I will share with you the basic types of the frankincense trees, some facts about the history of frankincense, and it's therapeutic use among doctors and lay people today. My hope is that you will leave feeling educated and inspired to obtain your own bottle, or perhaps set of oils, to begin using and loving as I do.

We'll start with some basic plant information. There are multiple species of frankincense, all from the genus Boswellia. The big four varieties are Boswellia serrata, carterii, frereana, and papyrifera, which can be found in West India, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan. As you probably guessed, Frankincense requires a particular climate and soil type which is why you won't find them growing anywhere near the US.

There is a 5th and very precious species called Boswellia Sacra or Sacred Frankincense. It is only found in one country, Oman, and until a few years ago was reserved for Saudi royalty. It is HIGHLY prized, and they do believe that it was the variety given to the Christ child due to it's geographical location to the camel caravans of Biblical times, and the fact that it was reserved for the elite of the day. On that note, let's talk a little bit about the history of this cherished organic material.

I mentioned earlier that frankincense was, pound for pound, more valuable than gold. In fact, only those with great wealth and abundance possessed it. According to one article on Frank, "The allure of frankincense enticed adventurers from afar who sought the irresistible resin, and the Frankincense Trail in Oman’s Dhofar region was purportedly visited by the notable explorers Marco Polo and Lawrence of Arabia." Some of the compounds in frankincense, including alpha-pinene and boswellic acids, are responsible for an analgesic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Knowing this, one could conclude that Frankincense was carefully chosen as a gift for Jesus due to its ability to keep this baby alive and healthy, during a time when the infant mortality rate was about 30%. In other words, approximately 1/3 of babies in the 1st century Roman Empire did not live to see their first birthday. Frankincense was indeed a wise choice for the babe born in Bethlehem. Other ancient uses include perfumery and religious ceremonies where it became the basis of the holy incense, where it is still used today in Catholic Churches, especially.

Speaking of today, I'd like to wrap up with how the ancient love of Frankincense never died and has actually been resurrected with the availability of pure frankincense essential oil. Frankincense is one of the Swiss army knife-oils, with a variety of uses and therapeutic value. For one, "the smoke from burning frankincense is effective for driving away mosquitoes and other pests, thereby reducing incidences of malaria." For locales prone to pest-borne diseases, you can imagine that frankincense would be quite the commodity. According to researchgate.net, frankincense constituents  "reduce inflammatory conditions in the course of rheumatism by inhibiting leukocyte elastase and degrading glycosaminoglycans." All that medical jargon to say, it contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help remedy conditions such as arthritis. Other medicinal uses for frankincense according to this same study include reducing the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis, as well as ameliorating digestive distress caused by ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome. Talk about a one-stop-shop!

Perhaps the most fascinating use that many progressive doctors are employing in clinics, is tapping into it's anti-tumoral properties. Yes, we're talking about using it on the big C word: cancer. According to Cancer Versus Essential Oils and Other Super Nutrients, "in addition to myrrh and many citrus oils such as orange, Frankincense is in the forefront of research in combating cancers. Just listen to these findings: 

K. Hostanska of University Hospital in Zurich concluded that "boswellic acids from frankincense exert anti proliferative activity toward a variety of malignant cells." 
S. Waxman of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York surmised, "it seems that boswellic acids are potent apoptic agents to cancer cells." 
And according to YS Park in the department of Neurosurgery of Cleveland Clinic Foundation, "Boswellic acids from frankincense gum exhibit potent cytotoxic activity against central nervous system tumors."

Wow! This is true research being published and replicated across the world and it's fantastic news for those facing a cancer diagnosis. In fact, that same booklet goes onto say that humans and animals have had their tumors effectively shrunken by frankincense essential oil. And all this without the horrible side effects of chemotherapy and/or radiation. 

In summation, Frankincense trees contain constituents that can provide great therapeutic value to human life. It has been used and prized for thousands of years for it's religious and medicinal purposes and was likely given to the Christ child to ensure his longevity and wellbeing. Frankincense is used now in essential oil form amongst people looking to support respiratory health, digestive health, and normal cellular growth. In fact, so much research is being published that doctors have begun using them in cancer wards across the world. After hearing all of this, are you interested in getting your hands on frankincense and maybe some other essential oils that are just as fascinating? If so, I think I may know someone. ;)

Sources:
https://www.youngliving.com/blog/the-true-legendary-omani-frankincense-boswellia-sacra/
http://www.mei.edu/sqcc/frankincense
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292140720_Frankincense_-_therapeutic_properties
Cancer Versus Essential Oils and other Super Nutrients, Dr. Terry Friendmann, MD., Copyright 2006 Life Science Publishing

Why Gary's Death Is Hitting Me Hard

Who was Gary Young to me? Simply put, the founder of the company I work for. But that's as simple as I can get it.

Why, then, did I weep and sob for hours upon finding out that he passed away? Is that a common reaction for 1 of 4 million members to have, especially one who has only worked in his company for about three years? The day I found out, I wrote this tribute post which you can read here. And it's since been a few days and I've been able to chew a little more on why I have continued to feel a deep sense of loss for a man I've technically met once and have seen on stage about ten times. And I believe I've boiled it down to this:

Everywhere I look, there is a story.

You know how when you lose someone close to you, it's particularly hard to get over because you have so many memories together? Everywhere you look there is an item that reminds you of that person and you start crying all over again? There are songs and places and things that are constantly coming to mind, which makes the grief fresh and new again?

That's how it is for me with Gary. Except that my memories of actually seeing him are quite few. I can count those on two hands. And my memories of spending time with him are ONE and even that was brief. For me, it's the products. And the stories behind those products.

You see, everywhere I turn there is a story. A story of Gary Young tied into the products I use every day. And more importantly, a story of how that product has altered my life unequivocally for the better. The products I use everyday forever tie me to Gary Young and I feel personally indebted to him for creating them for me, and millions the world over. Allow me to share some of those stories with you now.

Every morning, I open the fridge and take out a cold bottle of Ningxia Red and I think of the story Gary told us about how he came to formulate that delicious beverage. He talked about hearing of a people group all the way in the Ningxia Province of China and how so many of them were centenarians, dying of old age (we're talking 100+) and not of disease. Ever the curious mind, Gary set out to find out the magic formula for their longevity and they showed him the "red diamonds" as they called them--Wolfberries, a goji berry super food. But this particular variety contained all of the essential amino acids and a high protein content. So he came home and made Ningxia Red, formulating it with other fruit extracts and citrus oils for their d-limonene content.

And my story? Ningxia was something I slowly got into, but once I did, I fell head over heels. I started drinking it at my first convention (as many do with the ever-flowing Club Red bar) and then came home and committed to 1 ounce a day at first and slowly increased it to 2 ounces a day. That Ningxia Red is making my placenta rich and nutritious for the baby I'm growing in my womb so I don't ever miss my daily drink! From one trip to China to my refrigerator, I think of Gary Young every time I take a drink.

Another story:

Valor. That pretty little purple bottle. But it's what's inside that holds all the magic. Valor is my all-time favorite blend, specifically the original formulation with the rosewood. I save my original Valor (what's left of my two opened bottles) for the days when I really need it. Every time I open the bottle and inhale, I can't describe the feeling I get but I can relay a story. A story that Gary told us at convention of how Valor's formulation came to be. I'll spare you the details (mostly because I don't want to get the story wrong and Gary tells it best) but essentially Gary was up against a lawsuit, of which he knew he was in the right. He decided to be his own defense and was feeling a mite nervous the night before. He remembered somewhere he read a story about Roman soldiers who bathed in a botanicals the night before battle to bring forth courage for the big day. And from that story of the Roman soldiers came a little bottle of Valor that Gary used to defend himself at court. And do you know what? He won.

My story? Valor was an oil that came in my premium starter kit years ago in October of 2014. I liked it at first, but wasn't in love with it. It reminded me of grapes. But little by little, the more I used it, the more I craved it. There was something so soothing about the smell, but even better, was the effect it had on my energy field. Every time I applied it, I felt more balanced, centered, and connected to my spiritual self. I began to feel that this oil possessed some sort of mystical qualities and would use it on my upper back each morning to promote alignment and would look forward to the beginning and end of every Raindrop as Valor is the keystone blend. Now that the original formulation is no more, I cherish the few drops I have left. I have since replaced it with Valor's new formulation which is very similar to the original but still isn't my baby. I will always think of Gary and the courage he needed to fight his legal battle as I apply Valor with the set intention to win my daily battles.

One more story:

Lavender is THE oil that everyone has in their homes, even if it's a crappy brand. Essentially, when most people think of the word aromatherapy, their first thought is Lavender oil. When I see and use my lavender oil every day, I think of a story. I think of the story Gary Young told at convention and that I re-read in Mary Young's D Gary Young book. Once upon a time in the eighties, a man named Gary Young wanted to learn all he could about essential oils and distillation so he spent a ton of time studying under the French aromatherapy masters who had learned a thing or two and were glad to impart their wisdom to such an eager American. Gary wanted to try growing and distilling his own plants, so before leaving he took some seeds from France's true lavender fields and shoved them into his boot. This was before the days of having to take your shoes off at the airport, so Gary Young literally bootlegged lavender seeds from France and took them back to start his own farm. Long story short, the plants grew very well and we get our fantastic lavender oil from some of the fields that are descendants of those first pioneering plants. There is a crazy side to this story. Because at some point a few years ago, the lavender crops in France began to ail. French farmers struggled to preserve their lavender against drought, viruses, and fungus which is not good because France is known for their lavender industry. Gary's lavender was flourishing, so he returned the seeds he bootlegged some 20 years before. The lavender that is currently thriving in Provence, France is original French lavender that had been transplanted by Gary Young to America, and then returned back to French soil to save the day.

What's my story? My story is that I started my oil journey with another company. GASP! I know, blasphemous. But I'm grateful for it, because it was using those oils side by side with Young Living's that gave me a greater appreciation for the superior quality of our oils. The other company's lavender smelled really sweet and enticing and I really liked it at first. When I received Young Living's lavender, I was like OMG, this is SO STRONG. It smells kinds of herbaceous! Not sweet and bath-bomby like all lavender I had spent my life smelling. But as luck would have it, I would go through a LOT of lavender, it being the Swiss army knife and all. So I ended up using both bottles and then some. And do you know what happened? Young Living's strong lavender oil WORKED better and therefore began smelling better to me. It actually reminded me of a lavender PLANT and not a bath bomb, which now that I think of it: I think your lavender oil should smell like a plant. So it won me over (side note: the exact same thing happened for me with the competing companies' peppermint oils as well)! And now, there's not a day goes by that I don't use lavender for something. And every time I do, I'm reminded of Gary's tireless effort to study under the best of the best, his cunning way of getting the best into the hands of Americans (and now the world), and how grateful I am that I never have to run out of such a staple ever again.

I could tell more and more and MORE stories about Gary and his products and how they have seamlessly worked their way into my life and have impacted my family for the better. I could talk about how Gary came up with the Thieves blend and how Thieves is GOD at the Harvey household. Or how Gary shared Mary Young's skincare secret for looking so young (Royal Hawaiian Sandalwood) and how that was my first splurge oil and I had to convince my husband that I deserved a $95 bottle of oil. Or how the baby in my belly is tied to Progessence Plus and Idaho Blue Spruce and how Gary Young has stories about how those products came to be as well.

To wrap up a long post, losing Gary cannot be out of my mind. He is everywhere I turn in my house. He is in every supplement, essential oil, cream, and serum I use. His signature is on the back of the bottles that dot every room of my house. His stories from the stage are ingrained in my memories. But most importantly, the stories of how my life has been enriched are wrapped up with Gary inside of them. And maybe even more importantly, the lives I help change by introducing them to YLEO and their testimonials will forever tie me to the man who started it all. The man who kept pushing through adversity after adversity because giving up was not an option. The man who started a company and a foundation that is changing the world.

So I will never stop carrying that torch and sharing his stories with all those I encounter. And I will grieve as hard as my heaving body will let me, for he may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. D Gary Young is etched into my sense of purpose like a story written upon my heart and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Love always,
Michelle Harvey

My Tribute to D Gary Young

Breathe. 

I just learned of our founder D Gary Young’s passing, and I keep vacillating from sobbing to denial to quiet. This is no ordinary CEO of a company; in fact, he gave that position to his wife because he’d much rather be on a horse, in the fields, and exploring other countries than in a business suit in a meeting room. I began sifting through some of my favorite photos of him to shed light on the kind of person he was: an adventurer, a pioneer, a maverick, a botanical genius, a master formulator, an inspiring leader, a compassionate philanthropist, an engaging teacher, and a doting husband and father. And so much more.

He has battled health setback after health setback and has pushed through them all, until now. He’s battled ridicule and bad press, but he kept pressing forward—building more farms, creating more jobs, funding more humanitarian projects, and changing the lives of everyone who has made their way into his beloved company, Young Living.

I can imagine the tears spilling all over the planet, for the lives he touched were spread far and wide. Ecuador. Australia. France. Croatia. Oman. Nepal. More....

Our company has lost the mastermind behind these life-changing oils—My life—Has been forever transformed, deeply, through and through...because of his genius—his hard-headed genius, his tenacity, his keep-on-keepin-on spirit that led to the creation of the products that I choose never to go without. It was also this raw stubbornness that led to him pushing personal boundaries far beyond any limits others could place on him. Jousting, dog mushing in subzero temps in his late 60s, building schools, farms, houses in Nepal with his own bare hands...telling his body that it could do more and more and more; believing in—never doubting—the power behind the very products he created for the world.

I am sad for those who will never watch him light up the stage with his brilliant stories. I weep for his wife and sons; good Lord the love they had for that man is something fierce. I pray that the vision of this company will not only continue, but will flourish in the legacy he leaves. I will not say RIP for Gary doesn't rest. Ride on, DGY, ride on. 

Did you know...?

That in the dressing rooms of maternity clothing stores, there are fake belly pads? Yeah neither did I. 

Until, that is, a few weeks ago when I needed to go swimsuit shopping for our Hawaiian anniversary/babymoon trip. It had become quite clear that my growing belly was no longer going to fit in my normal-sized bikinis so I hit up a little store called A Pea in The Pod. I was surprised that I was able to pick out several one-pieces that I liked and took them into the dressing room.

One after one, I tried them all on and snapped pics to send to my friends for their input, never noticing the padded fake belly hanging off to the side. And then I saw it. Genius, I thought! Whatever swimsuit I buy would need to last me for the entire Texas summer of hot death and I would just keep getting bigger. Using the fake belly, I could see how the suits would fit me when I'm 7-8 months along. 

So I velcroed that shit to my mid-section and began trying them on. The following pictures are what resulted. 

So based on these photos, which two swimsuits would you have selected? ;)

Signed, 

Having Too Much Fun Being Pregnant