Hellobee Boards

I'm hoping to soon, still reading up on it now.

I have some. Used all my favorites up and need to purchase more. I'd like to use them more. I don't know why I don't lol

Also o/t but @Torchwood: you can use nasal spray while nursing, I checked with motherisk when I got a terrible cold while EBF.

I use oils!! I love them and I'm a huge advocate! I only use Young Living oils, as they are the purest. Lavender is my favorite to diffuse at night for sleep, and I also put it on LO's feet to encourage calmness when fussy!

I've used do terra ones in the past. Lavender for me and Dh to get sound sleep!

I have a mixed oil (on guard) used on my toddler for colds (on his feet). But only after he was a year old. I think they say diffuse at 3+ months and on feet at 6+ months but I wanted to be safe. And I hear now there are more baby friendly ones.

I haven't used them since before pregnancy though

I think they smell nice but the health benefits are mostly woo. I'm all for them though as long as people use them responsibly and do their proper research. I cringe whenever I see people (usually those who sell them) telling people that they are okay to ingest and even recommending that they allow their children to ingest them.

@Ra: I thought the benefits were a joke until peppermint on my belly got me to stop vomiting within minutes when I had a baaaaad stomach flu and then I use lavender oil on my front and back when I have bad period cramps and it takes them right away. Oh! I've also found one that is really helpful for headaches. So now I'm a believer that they can definitely help for some things but likely not to the degree that those who are selling them say they can. (And I definitely agree ingesting is just a BAD idea.)

So yes, I do use and love them. They have their uses. I've got some DoTerra oils and some Plant Therapy. (After doing a lot of research I've realized there are a lot of really good brands and a few not so great so I'm not really tied to a specific company. In fact, I think Plant Therapy is just as good as YL and DoTerra and it's significantly cheaper and not an MLM which appeals to me. But that's a tangent for another day.)

@sorrycharlie: This might help!

@coopsmama: I guess I should have been more specific. I think herbs can be great for stuffy noses, nausea, stuff like that. Common ailments, I guess. I meant more along the lines of these people selling who claim they cure cancer, Crohns, Autism, etc. Some of the people who sell them try to pass them as miracle cures. I think that is all woo and/or money making schemes.

Not to threadjack, but any recommendations if I really just want to rid my house of dog smell?

@Bao: Good call! Im sick of dousing my house in Febreze!

@Ra: I have a blend called purification that I use for getting rid of stinky smells. It has citronella, Rosemary, lemongrass, tea tree, lavadin and myrtle oils. I would guess it's probably the first 4 that are the most effective but some people aren't citronella fans. I've also found the citruses (I personally have orange, lemon and tangerine) to be awesome for those kinds of things.

@Ra: We just got a puppy and I wanted to get rid of her smell for our daughters party, my book suggested geranium and I had so many compliments on the smell of our house!

I use oils all the time, love them! My favorite company is Eden's Garden and they just added a ton of new oils!

@simplyfelicity: I do! My Mom bought me the ultimate set for my Birthday last year. It had Adoration, Four Thieves, Purification, Relaxation, Stress Relief, and cleaning. I've ordered goodnight, and a few others that I can't recall. I love them so much, my Mom swears by head ease for her migraines and muscle relief for her back (might have been renamed).

I haven't used them much, but my midwife recommended peppermint oil on my temples for migraines (helped a bit), and clary save oil, diluted in a carrier oil, rubbed on my belly after about 38-39 weeks to promote contractions and being on labour. We also use tea tree oil for tons of things!

I have a few, I have found they can help me relax, sleep, get over colds faster.

@TrailRunner: you can dilute them! For rubbing on skin, you can do only a couple drops in a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

I love them! I did a lot of research and it took me a loooong time to try them, but now I use them pretty much every day in my cleaning products, in my hand sanitizer and homemade soaps and lotions and for little things that pop up like tummy aches and colds. I always have something diffusing.

I am not someone who would keep my kid home from the doctor and say "lets just give the essential oils more time to see if it works", but I like having a natural method to try first before trying something else.

I've got peppermint going right now in the diffuser for a little afternoon pick me up and I put lavender and tea tree on Avery's bug bites all the time. He gets a big ol' lavender rub down with coconut oil before bed, too.

I also meant to say that I think all the brands people mentioned are great and safe as long as you know how to dilute and use them properly!

@MrsBrewer: Almost every homeopathic expert/organization discourages the use of taking EOs orally without being under direct supervision of an expert.

http://www.nourishingherbalist.com/ingesting-essential-oils-safe-or-not-so-much/

I am HUGEly into oils. I use them all day everyday for anything that comes up. I use Young Living and feel totally comfortable using them on my baby. Right now I have lavender and tea tree diffusing down stairs and gentle baby diffusing where my baby is sleeping. I use them topically, put them in my water and I even made dark chocolate brownies tonight with peppermint oil. Using a company you trust is vital. I wouldn't use any other one for my family.