For the Expecting Mother: How to Make Your Own Pregnancy Belly Oil to prevent Stretch Marks

07/28/2010

Belly Rub OilAbout the beginning of the second trimester, your clothes will be feeling tighter as your abdomen swells. This is a good time to start using this Essential Oil moisturizer. It will help keep your skin supple and elastic and enhance collagen production (this is a good thing !). And it will feel good for Mama and the Baby to be.

How to Make Your Own Pregnancy Belly Rub Oil

What you will need

  • 2 ounces of basic organic oil (you can choose from sesame, almond, sunflower, jojoba)
  • 2 ounces of organic oil (you can choose from Wheatgerm, Hazelnut or Macadamia Nut but if you can’t find any of these then just use any of the basic organic oils)
  • 24 drops of Organic Lavender Oil OR 12 drops Mandarin oil and 10 drops Neroli oil

About the Ingredients It’s important to use organic oil since regular oils are often obtained using a solvent extraction. Side note:What does “organic” mean? Check with the Organic Trade Association.

Remember that some of these oils will have a noticeable aroma, so only use it if you like the smell. Hazelnut, Macadamia and Sesame are more expensive oils but contain lots of vitamins and have amazing skin nourishing abilities so it’s great if you can include one of these in your blend.

In terms of the Essential Oil, lavender is the easiest by far to find and very reasonably priced. However I have to say that Mandarin and Neroli are absolutely heavenly. Mandarin is reasonably priced but Neroli which is extracted from Orange Blossoms is quite expensive.There are 100 drops in a 5 ml bottle.

Recipe for Pregnancy Belly Rub

Measure out a total of 4 ounces of Organic oil into a clean jar. Then add a total of 24 drops of essential oil (the essential oil jars come with a built in dropper). Stir well and you’re done.

How To Use

You can begin in the first or second trimester, whenever your abdomen starts to “grow”. With gentle circular movements apply oil to the abdomen twice a day. You can also use this blend on your thighs, sides and anywhere else your skin is stretching. The important thing is to start using it before the stretch marks appear. You should continue to use it until about 1 month after the birth as rapid decrease in weight can leave stretch marks as well.

Important if this is the first time you are massaging either the basic oil or the essential oil on your body, do a patch test first to make sure you don’t have any allergies to the ingredients. Just rub a small amount of the finished blend on the inside of your elbow and wait 24 hours. If there’s no rash or reaction, you’re good to go.

Added Tip : Whether you or someone you love are applying the Belly oil , this is a good time to send loving thoughts to your growing and changing body.

By Rachael Flug | Posted in How To's | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

"Celebrate Green" Authors Offer Green Baby Shower Tips

02/27/2010
I came across this video this week and wanted to share with these great “Green Baby Shower” ideas from http://www.celebrategreen.net/ Celebrate Green authors: Mother/Daughter Team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell authors of the book Celebrate Green….http://www.celebrategreen.net/buy/…Eco-preneurs, authors, speakers, radio hosts encouraging people to celebrate green :
The guest of honor and shower guests will greatly appreciate your efforts to reduce waste and embrace a more organic and natural theme to celebrate the upcoming arrival of her new baby!
Ideas:
Set an Organic table-
Placesetting
No disposables…use your dishware or china (rent or borrow)…
Use Cloth Napkins….Organic Baby Rattle is an adorable idea for a napkin ring!
Centerpiece- Organic Cloth Diaper Cake made with organic cotton diapers…
Guest Favors (beautiful idea)- glass Jars- with a candle- have everyone light the candle when we recieve word the mom to be has gone into labor! Beeswax candles
Instead of wrapping paper- use a recieving blanket…cards with sustainable or recycled materials.
Run a clothesline- guests can hang outfits along the clothesline…eliminates need for
Good safe, organic toys gift & eco friendly recommendations..
Make a special Handkercheif into a baby bonnet…use for other special days
The authors of “Celebrate Green!” Lynn Howell & cori Hoshow Parents TV Host Juli Auclair how to throw a fabulous, eco-friendly baby shower.

Hosting a baby shower is one of the kindest gestures a friend or family member can do for a Mom to Be. In my personal experience, I have seen more and more pregnant women express their wishes to celebrate the new baby with an Organic and Natural theme- and there are numerous ways to accomplish this goal.  Other than being more earth friendly, some of the benefits of hosting a Green Baby Shower are saving money (disposable items and wrapping paper can add up) and the appreciation you will get from your guest of honor & shower guests for your efforts to reduce waste and embrace a more eco-conscious theme.

I came across some wonderful green baby shower ideas this month and wanted to share a video this video featuring the Mother/Daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell,  authors of the book Celebrate Green .  This piece contains a  number of clever & easy ideas on how to “green” your baby shower.

I love their ideas of setting an organic table by banning disposables and utilizing your own china (also can be borrowed and rented).  Also, Organic Baby Rattles are an adorable idea to use as a napkin ring over cloth napkins….other tips:

  • Make an Organic Cloth Diaper Cake (I know just the Cloth Diapers to recommend!) for the centerpiece..
  • Place a Beeswax candle into a glass jars and personalize it.  This makes a beautiful table decoration- and a meaningful guest favor.
  • Instead of wrapping paper- wrap your gift with a recieving blanket.
  • Run a clothesline along the wall where guests can hang baby outfits along the clothesline….this serves as a meaningful decoration and eliminates need for wrapping paper.

There are so many tips and cute ideas in this video- Enjoy!

By eileen | Posted in All Things Organic, Baby Shower Ideas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Cloth Diapering 101: FAQ's About Diaper Covers, Double Diapering and More

01/19/2010

Cloth Diaper CoversNew parents are understandably overwhelmed with the numerous decisions they have to make for their baby.  Unfortunately, they are also faced with conflicting information as they attempt to navigate they way through their pregnancy.

As I have said before, there are many false “myths” about cloth diapering that sometimes cause unnecessary confusion for young parents.  My goal is to provide information and resources for expecting mothers and fathers so that they can make informed decisions about their diapering systems.   I get a lot of questions about Diaper Covers- here are my recommendations:

How many diaper covers do you recommend?
We recommend 6 diaper covers per size. The reason we recommend 6 or more is for convenience. This way you can have one on the baby, a few in the laundry, one in the diaper bag, etc., without having to think about them too much.

How often can I use them without laundering?
You can use your covers 2-3 times before you launder them. Just wipe the inside dry and put a fresh diaper inside the cover. In general, first time parents want to wash them after every use but second time parents will use them several times before laundering.

What size do I need?
Our diaper covers are true to size. If you do not purchase the correct size you may find that you have a leakage problem. Please refer to the size chart which is located by clicking on the product. Sometimes parents wonder if they can skip the newborn size and go right to the small – if you expect a baby over 9 pounds you can, otherwise you will have leakage problems if you skip the newborn size.

How do you double diaper?
Here’s the anatomy lesson! Little boys need extra absorbency in the front. Try placing one diaper inside another in the following way. (a)Take a diaper and lay it down. (b)Now take a second diaper, fold it into thirds lengthwise so it forms a long thick panel and lay it in the middle of your first diaper. (C) For an even thicker panel, fold the second diaper in half again and place it all in the front of the first diaper. This will put all the thickness in the front — where little boys need it most.

Little girls need extra absorbency in the middle. So follow steps (a) and (b) above. You should find that the extra protection in the middle helps to control any leakage you have with a girl.

Double diapering is usually necessary at bedtime, as the baby gets older and starts sleeping longer.

How many cotton diapers do I need?
It’s a question of balancing convenience (how often you’ll need to wash the diapers) versus how much money you want to spend. Most parents prefer 4-6 dozen.

How often should I change a cloth diaper?
Generally about every 3 hours. At night you can always double diaper so that your baby can sleep through the night comfortably. (Question 7 talks about double diapering)

What kind of cloth diaper is best?
There are several choices, so it depends upon what you are looking for in a diaper and how much you want to spend. Please see our Diaper Guide which describes which diaper is best for what.


How much will I save if I buy cotton diapers instead of disposables?
You will save about $3,000. (Disposables start costing a lot more as you move up the sizes.)


Does it really make such a difference for the environment what my one little baby wears as a diaper?
Yes, you can make a world of difference Please see our why cotton diapers and your Environment.

By Rachael Flug | Posted in How To's, Natural Diapering | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)