I wanted to tell you about the products I used to prepare my body for the IVF process and getting pregnant. As you know, I am a health & wellness educator and birth & postpartum doula. Over the past 4 years, I’ve educated dozens and dozens and dozens of mommas on how to prepare their body for conception, use natural solutions during pregnancy, and support their birth and postpartum experience with essential oils and other holistic supplements & treatments.

Alright so next stop, Los Angeles. I was already booked to attend a DONA birth doula training in Seattle, so it was convenient to add the California portion of the trip. We scheduled our medical screening with the IVF doctor for the week of Thanksgiving. Brad, the girls and my Mom met me in LA, and we went to D*I*S*N*E*Y*L*A*N*D and Thanksgiving dinner with our extended family (my Momma is from Orange County). At this stage, not even my Mom knew we were going through this process. We kept it very discreet.

We have news! I’m 27 weeks (6 months) pregnant with a baby girl. Yay! But the baby is not ours. I’m a gestational carrier for a wonderful family based in LA. The baby is not genetically related to me or Brad. She is her parent’s daughter and I have the privilege of carrying her until she arrives earth side. We are thrilled for them, and excited to share our journey with you. We have been keeping this news to a small group of friends and family for so long, and now we are making it internet public.

Today I wanted to revisit three reasons some people claim you should not use essential oils for health care. I am all for freedom of expression and all that jazz, but these are simply unfounded.

We prevent head lice with essential oils. Our “Uku Spray” is 3-5 drops each lavender + melaleuca + rosemary essential oils. Fill up a 2 oz. glass spray bottle with water (regular tap water is fine), then add your essential oils. Shake up, then spray all over the head.

Frankincense has a variety of uses and has been utilized for centuries. It is known for its ability to rejuvenate skin, and to promote cellular health and immunity. Frankincense supports the central nervous system, and is great for emotional balance too. It can be applied on soles of feet, or base of skull. For older kids and adults, it can be taken internally – either under the tongue, or in a capsule and swallowed. Frankincense is also an amazing oil to help manage inflammation.

There are some fantastic essential oils for camping that can really come in handy and can make for a much more enjoyable experience. Today I’m going to give you a list of 4 essential oils you should bring along on your next camping adventure.

This week, I want to talk to you about 3 books I recommend you read and refer to often during your childbearing year. Each of these books have impacted me personally on my maternity and doula journey. I’ve vlogged (video blogged) about each of them.

The immune system is actually pretty complex, but essentially our body produces cells that are able to identify the presence of foreign cells like viruses, bacteria and parasites, then sends out other cell ‘troops’ to wage war on the intruders. Here are 5 ways that we help support our immune system in our house.

Did you know that two out of three women have postpartum abdominal separation, also known as diastasis recti? You usually get this while you’re pregnant. The pressure from baby pushes your abdominal wall outwards and separates the long, vertical muscles. Think about that for a second. Your abs are separated.

Wednesday was our firstborn’s 6th birthday. As I looked at photos and walked down memory lane with Brad, the idea popped into my head to share our story with you. This version of my birth story will be injected with doula tips and new discoveries I’ve made since being a natural health educator. I hope you are encouraged.

Here are 7 tips for holiday season self care. You are beautiful, my friend. I hope you enjoy these gentle reminders to prioritize yourself this holiday season.

I’m going to show you how to make 4 DIY essential oil holiday gifts. These are SO EASY + SO CHEAP + SO HEALTHY for your friends and family. If I can do these, anyone can. DIY crafts and gifts is not my forte, but most of these can be made in less than 10 minutes.

Are you experiencing a creative block or needing some courage to get going on a project? Not feeling connected to your body? Whew... put 2 drops each of clary sage, patchouli, and spearmint into your diffuser. Empowered momma right here. Yay for productivity when needing to be creative. I’m diffusing it right now.

Do you want to jam to aromatherapy in your car? Need some calming oils or motivation to get you going? I’ve been diffusing doTERRA’s MOTIVATE encouraging blend of peppermint, citrus, coriander, basil, Melissa, rosemary, and vanilla bean extract. Grab a car diffuser and contact me to get your oils.

What is kombucha? Kombucha is a fermented tea made with a live culture aka scoby (“symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast”), sugar, and a black tea or black and green tea mixture. Once this “tea” has fermented, it contains probiotics, enzymes, b-vitamins, acid, polyphenals, antioxidants, vinegar, and some traces of alcohol (a natural result of fermentation). Regular kombucha sipping may boost immunity and aid digestion (from those yummy probiotics), help with weight loss, detoxify the body, and many other benefits. Probiotics (good bacteria) are good for our gut.

Have you ever struggled with acne after you had a baby? I had a major problem last year. When our baby was 9 months old, I started getting breakouts on my face. I’d been using the best brand {in my opinion} of essential oils on my face since November 2013. I also had the all-natural essential oil skincare line that my company had just launched in September 2014. It was embarrassing to be teaching classes about using essential oils for promoting healthy skin while inflamed pustules lined my jaw. It was a total bummer and I felt like a fraud sometimes. I was using the best stuff, but it didn’t seem to be doing anything for my skin.

Today I want to tell you more about what I’m currently doing for work. As you know, a big part of Malama Momma is teaching people how to use doTERRA essential oils and helping them purchase the oils via a wholesale account. The other part of Malama Momma is providing labor and postpartum doula services. I completed my training last year with Maternity Wise International.

What do you do for a living? Did you go to university? Join the military? Vocational training? Get married and have babies? Travel the world? Start your own company? Today I want to share with you my professional background, and how I’ve spent the past 10 years of my life.