Breastfeeding is such a beautiful experience, but it can certainly take a toll on your body in many different ways. It’s so important as breastfeeding moms that we nourish and take care of our bodies to be able to provide for our baby. Doing these stretches is an easy thing to add to your routine and can provide a lot of relief for you! Not only that, but it gives you a moment to just be quiet and focus on yourself.
These stretches are so helpful to help with any tension and discomfort that can result from holding your baby during feeding sessions. Sometimes we can catch ourselves hunching over or not in the most comfortable position while we nurse! Remember that everyone's body is different, so it's important to listen to your own comfort level and adjust the stretches accordingly.
Working out, whether while you're in the midst of your breastfeeding journey or after your little one is weened obviously looks different than before baby appeared (I have to keep reminding myself of this). But even if you choose to not workout right now, these are great stretches for your body.
Shoulder Rolls:
Sit or stand with your back straight.
Roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion, then roll them backward.
Repeat this motion several times to help relieve shoulder tension.
Neck Stretches:
Gently tilt your head to one side, bringing your ear toward your shoulder.
Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds on each side.
You can also gently rotate your head in a circular motion, being mindful not to strain your neck.
Chest Opener Stretch:
Stand in a doorway with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and your forearms resting on the door frame.
- Step forward slightly, feeling a gentle stretch in your chest and shoulders.
- Hold for about 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply.Don’t forget that it’s okay to take a moment and take care of yourself too! Finding little pockets of time during your day are going to be key when you are in this busier phase of life.
PS - if you’re breastfeeding and need a little extra support, download my free guide here full of tips and info for breastfeeding moms!
Doesn't everybody love chocolate cake!? This cake is moist and has a beautiful citrusy flavor from Young Living’s Orange essential oil. You can't go wrong! Enjoy!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1¼ cup self-rising gluten-free flour ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup cacao powder (bonus organic and raw)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk or milk of choice (room temp.)
- ½ cup maple syrup or local raw honey
- ½ cup melted coconut oil or non-dairy butter (I use Miyokos butter)
- 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 drops orange essential oil (to taste) (important to start small, you can always add but can’t take away!)
White Chocolate & Orange Frosting Ingredients
- 1½ cups non dairy white chips
- ½ cup coconut cream (stirred well)
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp grated orange rind/zest
- pinch of sea salt (optional, to taste)
- 6 drops Orange Essential Oil (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
Method for Base
1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a 7-8inch round backing tin by rubbing a thin layer of coconut oil around the inside of the pan and line with baking paper.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium-large bowl and set aside. Then mix all the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl right before you are ready to add to the dry ingredients.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and then pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and smooth the surface a little with a spoon or spatula.
4. Bake for approx. 35 – 40 minutes until the cake is completely set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out pretty clean or with few moist crumbs.
5. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin. To remove the cake from the tin gently slide a butter knife between the tin and the cake loosening it from the sides and then turn out onto a cooling rack, cake stand or platter.
6. Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.
Method for Frosting
1. Using a double boiler on medium heat with water in the bottom pan or bain-marie (a pan filled a little over ¼ of the way with simmering water and a metal or heat-proof glass bowl on top) add the white chocolate chips, coconut cream, coconut oil, orange zest and salt and gently stir all the ingredients together until the white chocolate has melted and there are no lumps approx. 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes then add the orange essential oil and stir to combine.
2. Let the frosting set for a few minutes then spoon over the top of the cake and gently smooth out over the top, allowing the frosting to spill over the sides then smooth around the sides to cover. Top the cake with white chocolate chips and/or orange slices.
In our family, we are all about reducing toxins in our home and finding natural alternatives to some of those more nefarious chemicals! We love using Young Living essential oils and they truly are a blessing to have on hand as a nursing mama!
If you are having any difficulty with nursing, to be fair most of us do at one point or another, it's great to reach out to a lactation consultant as they can be so helpful! We did this a few days after Ben was born and I’m so glad we did!
There are a lot of different ways to use oils when it comes to breastfeeding. The effects of them aren’t always immediate (although sometimes they are!), so make sure you’re patient and give them time to do their job.
For supply support, add 2 drops of Fennel vitality essential oil to a veggie capsule with an edible carrier oil (olive or avocado or almond oils to name a few) and take for up to 10 days. Fennel has been known to increase prolactin levels, which is the main hormone responsible for stimulating milk production. When it comes to your supply, don’t forget that getting the baby to the boob is really helpful when it comes to regulating your supply to their demand!
If you’re weaning or looking to decrease your supply, peppermint can sometimes help with this. I haven’t personally weaned Ben at all yet (besides his one meal a day of solid food) so I can’t speak from personal experience here, only what I’ve read. You can apply it (with a carrier oil) directly to your breasts, but be mindful of the timing because you don’t want baby to come in contact with it. ive been told that as your supply is decreasing you may experience some discomfort. Hand expressing is a great option to release enough milk to be content and cold ice packs too!
A lot of women I know have experienced a clogged duct. This is in no way fun at all and in fact some women say more painful than childbirth itself! So one remedy you could try is 2 drops Melrose, 2 drops Lavender and a few drops of carrier oil. You’re going to combine and massage around your breast (but not the nipple.) If you have a Hakka, that’s a great resource too! Add hot water to it (as hot as you can stand it) and mix with epsom salts, apply to your breast as usual. Another great option for a clogged duct is to add rice to a sock, heat it up and put around your breast before nursing. This helps with letdown and to remove the blockage.
Obviously every woman is very different with what works for them, so always reach out to other mom, trial and error and you can read some fantastic resources too!
Pregnancy and postpartum can take its toll on your body and your overall health. It’s so important for your recovery to be doing things to serve and love on your body. It is easy to get sucked into the cycle of overwhelm - you are caring for a new baby, navigating breastfeeding, creating a new schedule, redefining your identity...the list goes on and on!
Here are some ways to reframe your mindset during those challenging times of overwhelm:
🧘♀️Breathe and close your eyes
Taking just a few moments to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths can be mood changing! When I do this I engage my pelvic floor muscles and remember what it's like to feel that calmness, to sometimes be in a tranquil pool of blue/green water and to hear the sound of waves. It truly helps me relax, ground and come back to what a blessed existence I have.
🕺 Move/Shake
Moving your body is key for so many reasons. A way of movement that I’ve been focusing on (along with my usual) is somatic movement. One way to describe this is movement in which you focus on the internal experience and feeling of the movement instead of what it looks like from the outside.
🍪 Choose a healthy feel good snack or stuff your face🤣
Just kidding, don’t just stuff your face. Emotional eating can be very common for many reasons, but regardless it is not the best coping mechanism!
Slowing down, even if it is just for a minute or two can be the difference needed to reset, regulate your mood and get your day back on track.
What do you do when you’re having one of those days?
This recipe is a spin off the classic chicken noodle soup that we all love during the winter months! It’s packed with seasonal vegetables, and it can all be made in one pot, reducing the amount of washing up afterwards #winwin!
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- ¾ cup kale, roughly chopped
- 1 drop Thyme+ essential oil
- 1 drop Basil+ essential oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup coconut cream
- 2 cups of gluten free gnocchi (whole foods and trader joes both have this!)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the stock and cream. Stir well.
- Add the Thyme+ and Basil+ essential oil.
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Whilst the soup is simmering, cook the gnocchi in a separate pot of salted water until they float.
- Drain and add the gnocchi to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes until kale has softened.
- Serve and enjoy!
- This recipe serves 6, so remember to adjust per number of guests invited. It’s not a problem if you make too much—enjoy the leftovers for lunch the following day!
Recipe credit: https://www.youngliving.com/blog/eu/en/autumn-dinner-party/
