Migraines, Insomnia & Anxiety

                 

              Today, I decided to blog about my journey with essential oils as a mom and how they helped my chronic migraines, insomnia and anxiety. Essential oils are growing in popularity, and with several diluted and chemical additives being included in so many of them, it’s important to know the difference.  Let me take you back to where it all began for me. I have been a migraine sufferer for the majority of my life. It started when I was 12 years old. Beyond the migraines, I have also struggled with insomnia and anxiety, both of which also began at a young age. Some doctors attributed this to a hormone imbalance, and others to stress. All I can tell you is that any and/or all of these issues are awful, and terrible to live with.

                A lot of people describe me as an outgoing, sarcastic, and maybe even a little funny, gal. While I can see this being true, wink, wink, I also think those are all ways I have managed to mask my anxiety. I am definitely an extrovert. I feed off of other people’s energy. I love to be in social situations. Perhaps this is because it gets me out of my own head, it’s a distraction from stress. Before I was a mom, I was always out. Whether it was going to work, yoga, happy hour, friend’s houses, to dinner, to lunch, to breakfast, to brunch (maybe I have a food addiction too), to clubs, to theme parks, on trips, family gatherings, whatever it was, the last place I wanted to be was home, alone.

                Fast forward to pregnancy…I am somehow working from home. As an extrovert, this is terrible for me, but it pays the student loan and health insurance bills so I stuck with it. I figured it would be beneficial once the baby was born…Wrong. Throughout my pregnancy I struggled with sleep issues, and early in my pregnancy, migraines. Being pregnant means being EXTRA careful about what you put into your body, and so, I couldn’t take my prescription migraine medications, which left me with Tylenol. Tylenol? Really? My migraines laugh hysterically at Tylenol. It does nothing for them. So I tried Tylenol with a cup of coffee to get the Excedrin effect without the Aspirin…also, didn’t work. The only thing that managed to give me some slight relief was rubbing IceyHot along my eyelid and forehead accompanied by an ice pack. Hello, IcyHot, ON MY EYELID. I would rather feel the burn of the product than the pain of the migraine. Other than that, I suffered through the intense pain, auras, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting. Vomiting on top of my already horrible morning/all day sickness. Sometimes for days. I’m not saying this to make you feel bad for me, lots of women struggle with this, it just sucks when you’re trying to work and you feel debilitated and there’s nothing you can do about it.

                Moving along again, my second trimester of pregnancy, around weeks 16-17, the nausea stopped, and so did the migraines. THANK YOU JESUS! No more migraines for the remainder of my pregnancy. The insomnia on the other hand, continued throughout the pregnancy. I remember lying in bed with big time restless leg syndrome and stressing about the sleep I would undoubtedly lose once the baby arrived. I would get so upset at the reality that I wasn’t sleeping, and I was scared I would lose my mind.

                Finally, baby is born, I won’t rehash that story…see previous blogs for that party. The first night in the hospital I didn’t sleep a wink, even after an exhausting day. Baby slept, not me. The next day the nurses said I had to sleep and offered me a Unisom type medication. I took it out of desperation to sleep, even if only for a few hours. Got home, continued to go hours, sometimes days, with zero sleep. Again, baby was sleeping, mommy, not sleeping. I started to feel the crazy creeping in. I was losing it. There are no words to describe the exhaustion of zero hours of sleep for days in a row. I felt like I was hearing things, forgetting things, I was afraid I might accidentally fall asleep holding the baby. This accompanied by the raging hormones and crying uncontrollably post-delivery left me feeling emotionally crippled. There were times I told my husband to supplement with formula so I could take a Unisom and sleep for 5 hours straight. Thank God for those times and for him being willing to get up and do the nighttime feeds even when he had work the next day.

                Then, wouldn’t you know it, my migraines returned. A mere two weeks post-delivery I got my first migraine. Awesome. Again, I reached for the IcyHot, Tylenol and coffee just to try to dull the pain so I could still breastfeed and not take my prescription meds. Well, this lasted only so long, and so I decided I needed to take the medication so I could be able to care for my baby. Taking the meds meant 12 hours of no breastfeeding which translates to pumping and dumping. This happened often enough to make a cow cry over my spilled breastmilk.

                In a last ditch effort to help my migraines and insomnia, I decided to try acupuncture. I went to an outstanding practitioner, but unfortunately it did nothing for my migraines. It did seem to help with sleep, but the day after a treatment I would always get a migraine, so after several months of treatment, and hundreds of dollars, I stopped. Well, this is when I found the oils…Thank you Rachel, for introducing me to these oils! I received a sample of M-grain. A Young Living essential oil blend made specifically for migraine sufferers not accident related. I started getting a migraine one day and tried the oil. I was skeptical, but guess what? It worked. I started getting another a few days later. Used the oils again, and it worked again. This happened several more times and that was it. I was sold. I contacted her and she told me about the Premium Starter Kit with diffuser. She mentioned I may find it helps with my insomnia and anxiety as well. Knowing how the M-grain worked for me, I was all over this. I made the investment, I bought the kit, and I bought a bottle of M-grain.

                Here I am, a mere seven months later, I am an avid oil user and a true believer in the power of essential oils. I went from taking my prescription medication 5-10 times a month, to needing it only 1-3 times a month. I’m sleeping better at night thanks to a diffuser blend of Lavender, Patchouli, Cedarwood, and Frankincense, along with the occasional Sleep Essence supplement containing a blend of essential oils said to improve sleep along with melatonin. Not only are these oils blowing my mind and helping me with my issues, but they are a lifesaver for my husband, dog and my one year old son. Got the sniffles? There’s an oil for that. Diaper rash? There’s an oil for that. Colds, viruses, bug bites, sun burn, restless baby, stinky diaper pail, stinky dog? Whatever it is, THERE IS AN OIL FOR THAT.

                For months now, I have been ecstatically spreading the word about these oils since I started discovering their many benefits, and I plan to continue. I have replaced just about every OTC medication and toxic cleaning product in my house with essential oils and essential oil products. I even use it as part of my daily skin care routine! My son, who goes to daycare three days a week, has benefited tremendously from the diffusing of essential oils. There has not ever been a time where I have needed to go into his room in the middle of the night to comfort or calm him when he has been sick so long as I put him to bed with the diffuser running. That in and of itself is amazing, and it is no exaggeration for me. Am I saying I will never need to comfort him? No, I am just saying what has happened thus far, and regardless, I believe whole heartedly that the use of essential oils has helped speed his recovery from illnesses much faster than if I had done nothing at all, or just used infant Tylenol.

                If you’re interested in learning more, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to talk to you about Young Living’s essential oils and how they might be able to help you and your family. Keep in mind, not all oils are created equally. There is truly a difference between what you can buy in the store, and what Young Living offers. Young Living offers a full seed to seal guarantee on all of their products. They are 100% pure, therapeutic grade, harvested at the peak of their growth. "Only 2% of essential oils sold in North America are suitable for medicinal purposes, and Young Living makes 98% of them!" www.Distillery9.com

Please send any and all questions to: Lola2680@gmail.com

Boob and Bottle on....

    
    

     Breastfeeding. Sigh....Will I? Won't I? Is it going to be great, or is it going to be torture? How do I really feel about it? What's going to happen to my boobs when I'm finished? Am I a hippy mom? Can't I just do formula? These are all questions I asked myself prior to my first son being born. My mother had breastfed all 4 of her kids, and she swore by it's many benefits, including the weight loss and it's potential to lower the risk of breast cancer (which runs heavily on her side of the family). So I decided I would try it and if I hated it I would stop, and if not, I would do my best to make it a full year.
     I remember how the thought of breastfeeding honestly creeped me out. I couldn't really explain why, but there was something about it that was completely unappealing. Truthfully, I was uneducated on the subject. I didn't care either way if a woman breastfed or formula fed, it makes no difference to me, and since I never planned on having babies I just didn't put the effort into thinking about whether or not I would breastfeed. I also didn't mind at all to see other women doing it, I just didn't think I would want to.
     After telling people we were having a baby it was a question that was frequently asked, "well, are you going to breastfeed?" I felt like I was under a microscope and I thought, gosh, I've really got to think about this and make a decision because it seems so important, one way or the other, to so many people. Women who formula fed were big proponents of doing that, women who breastfed were also big proponents of their decision, and the two rarely supported one another.
     I knew regardless of what I decided, I didn't want to be like that. I didn't want to judge another woman for her decision because these days I desperately try to live and let live. While I might have my feelings and opinions, I realize now that things are sooooooo much easier said than done and what works for some doesn't always work for others. I made the decision that I was going to breastfeed and if I hated it, or didn't have success with it, then I would simply switch to formula and call it a day.
     So the time came, I mentioned it in my last blog, and baby Maverick was born and he was ready to chow down. They brought him to me and like a moth to a flame, the kid honed in on the nipple (how could he miss it, the thing appeared to be the size of a helicopter landing pad-another benefit to pregnancy, your areolas get huge and dark-yay), latched no problem, and the process started. I was terrified about the chapped nipple stories I had heard so from the start I was diligent about applying the nipple cream, ALL THE NIPPLE CREAM. After coming home from the hospital and realizing how often babies actually eat, all the nipple cream in the world didn't prevent the soreness, but luckily my sister in law had trusted me with the great responsibility of watching her baby and I had learned all about nipple shields so I was armed and ready. The nipple shields helped A LOT! They soothed the cracks and discomfort, and Maverick seemed to have an easier time eating as well, win, win. I also believe it made his transition to the bottle that much easier too.
     Things were going well, baby was eating, I was producing, and after about a week I decided I should start pumping to build a supply and prepare myself for when it was time to go back to work. I invited another one of my sister in law's over and she literally taught me how to pump. She had just had her second baby 3 months earlier so she pretty much knew what she was doing. She also produced more breast milk than I have ever freaking seen so I thought if anyone could show me how to use this crazy looking breast pump machine, she could, and she did. I used the lowest possible setting, while she jacked hers up to full bore (I thought good God, how can she handle that), but now I know you just build a tolerance and get used to it. I remember feeling stoked that I had pumped just below two ounces, while she was over there pumping 8...from each boob...hello lady! And P.S. there is nothing cute about a breastpump, it makes your boobs look crazy, the entire process is comical.
     I kept up with it and started building my mini moo fridge of frozen breast milk. I thought, I got this, I'll have plenty of milk stored up, hell I could even go out on the town, have a few cocktails, and be fine to pump and dump...well....not so much. You see, I struggle with chronic migraines, an issue I have had since I was twelve, and bonus, they are hormone related, awesome, so you can imagine post baby, and insanely hormonal, my body was like wwhhhaattt....migraine time! I was lucky enough not to have a migraine the last two trimesters of my pregnancy, and a neurologist had once told me that many women who experience migraines pre baby often no longer get them post baby...he was wrong, and I despise him for putting that thought into my head. My migraines came back with a vengeance. I started getting them several times a week, smells triggered them, the lack of sleep triggered them, my crazy hormones were triggering them...I'm surprised breathing didn't trigger them. At first I did my best to avoid my medication since taking the medication meant 12 hours of no breastfeeding and 12 hours of pumping and dumping. When my mother came to visit it worked out for me not to take my medication because she took care of Maverick while I would lie down for as long as it took the migraine to go away (this sometimes wouldn't be until the next day). As a new mom, this was an absolute nightmare. The supply I had so proudly began building was gone in an instant.
     After my mom left, and with daddy back to work, it was just me and baby so when a migraine would come I had no choice but to take my medication so that I could take care of the baby, the house, myself....It broke my heart to take that medication, to pump and dump countless ounces of breast milk down the drain...anyone who has accidentally spilled their breast milk can almost understand what this is like. With my freezer supply just about gone, all the pumping and dumping, I had to start supplementing with formula. For this reason I am so thankful for formula because hello, the baby needs to eat, and if mommy can't give him the milk for 12 hours, and there's no more in the freezer, then this was how it had to be. Thank God my son to this day will pretty much eat anything, so whether it was breast milk or formula he could care less.
     I continued this crazy process for almost the entire first year of my son's life. In an effort to lessen the frequency of my migraines, I began acupuncture treatments. Unfortunately it did nothing for me, and the day after a treatment I would always get a migraine. It wasn't until a friend of mine introduced me to essential oils that I finally found some relief. I ordered Young Living Deep Relief and M-Grain essential oil, along with their premium starter kit complete with diffuser, and it changed my life. I still get migraines, but I started using the oils in place of the medication and my migraines were going away! No more pumping and dumping for 12 hours! All I had to do was use a combination of essential oils at the start of my migraine and I could safely breastfeed no problem! It was THRILLING! I was able to build up my freezer supply again and all was right with my world!
     So now here I am, at the end of my breastfeeding road. I stuck it out for the full year, through the trials and tribulations, I supplemented when necessary, I breastfed on an airplane (a highlight of travel), and I met my goal. I am so fortunate to have a healthy one year old, and good health doesn't have to come from breast milk, it comes from good mothering and LOVE. The girl who was kind of skeeved by breastfeeding, the girl who didn't think she would be into it, or do it, fell in love with it.
     I breastfed my baby for the last time on the morning of March 14, 2016, and in usual mommy Lauren fashion, I cried. I cried because I was going to miss it, tremendously miss it. I miss it now as I am sitting here with cabbage leaves and peppermint oil on my totally engorged boobies that will lose this amazing perkiness by the end of the weekend. I recalled that morning, about how tiny he was when he was born, and I laughed to think of how my boob was bigger than his newborn head, and then I looked down at his toddler body, long and stretched across my lap, and I cried some more, littered him with kisses, and got him dressed and ready for daycare.
     I was lucky to be able to breastfeed my son, and I realize that. Many women have a truly difficult time with breastfeeding because let's face it, we are not all created the same and breastfeeding can bring about several issues, or even be impossible for some women, and IT IS HARD ladies, it is a full time job to the full time job's full time job. You are no better or worse of a mom no matter what you chose to do, or what your body, lifestyle, and time will allow, and this is simply my story, and what worked for me. Now go and boob and bottle on....

https://similac.com/end-mommy-wars#video

In the Blink of an Eye

Yesterday was an amazing day...My son had the first day of the last month of his first year of life as he turned 11 months old. As I stuck his numbered sticker on his outfit to capture the moment in a photo it hit me how much he has grown and changed in what is truly such a short time in life.

I have always loved babies; their cuteness, their smell, how cuddly they are, everything about them, but nothing compares to the love I have for my own baby. I am blown away by the way babies grow and develop so much in their first year of life! There is no other point in our lives where we experience such dramatic growth and change in a year's time. It is truly wondrous to watch him as he makes new discoveries and tries to figure things out; I am in love with it.

Thinking back to my pregnancy and to the day he was born, like many moms before me, I wondered if I would be a good mom, if I could handle it all, if it would change me? I would have to answer yes, to all of those questions. Even with all of the ups and downs and learning curves, I think I'm doing great, and every time I look at my son I reaffirm that to myself. It's important to remind yourself that you are a great mom because you will question yourself a million times over, and its ok.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter how fast your baby walks, talks, crawls, whatever. He or she will get their when it is their time to get there, and all I can tell you is don't rush it. I see now how quickly time really flies. I remember holding my new born and he was so tiny, now his body stretches across my lap and its a wonder he was in my belly 11 months ago! I miss that little new born, but I love my little buddy. It's a constant pull at my heartstrings...the nostalgia and living in the moment.

We are so fortunate in this day and age to have cameras on hand constantly. We can capture so much and go back and look at it when ever we want! I love to watch the videos from when he was a new born...the best part is, he likes to watch them with me now too :-) You may not listen to this message now, but if it is at all possible, stop what you're doing, swoop up your son(s) or daughter(s), hug them close, breath them in, and be in that moment because they are in the past in the blink of an eye.

Spiritual Blessings Come Wrapped In Trials

I often wondered how many women felt the same way I did when they found out they were expecting to have their first child. Growing up I was never one of those girls that imagined what her dream wedding would be like. I never saw myself living in a big house with a white picket fence draped around it. I knew I one day wanted to have a child, but I wasn't expecting that one day to happen so soon. It happened before I finished my college degree. It happened before marriage. It was completely out of context for me to have a child at the age of 26 years old. At least that's what society convinced me to believe in the beginning. And because I let myself be affected by the potential opinions of society, I was actually quite devastated when I received the news.

My relationship was in no position to throw a child in the mix. I had just recently went into business on my own 3 months prior to finding out the news. My career was still in its crucial stages of growth and development. I was still having fun with my girlfriends on the weekends. Instead of grasping that I had life created inside of me, I was visualizing how my life social life was quickly coming to an end. 

Guilt hung over my shoulders every day in those first few weeks. I thought, "How could I be feeling this way when I know so many women try to conceive and cannot?" At one point in time, the guilt was so overwhelming that I found myself slipping into depression. Depression was an all too familiar feeling for me, as I once found myself in a black hole when I struggled to end my relationship with sugar. It made absolutely no sense to me how I could be feeling this way when I had life growing inside of me. 

But then one day, light started to shine into that black hole I found myself in again. I went from overwhelmed to overjoyed. My life wasn't over; it was just beginning! God thought awful highly of me in that moment of conception to grant me His blessing of a child. Sure, on paper I wasn't ready for little man to become a part of my life. Ready or not, baby's don't necessarily come at a "perfect" time. That's not how life works and that's not how blessings work. The good Lord certainly had bigger and better plans for me than I had for myself. 

Every year at the beginning of the year I create a vision board with my dreams and aspirations for the upcoming year (something new I started doing for internal motivation). My vision board included goals such as; erasing some school loan debt, dropping a few pounds, finishing my degree and growing in my business. Nowhere in there did I have a vision of marriage and family. That was saved for a later year; like 5 years later type of later year. Not only did my school loan debt add up, but I added on the debt of delivering a child (Babies are not cheap! Saving for a child really is necessary). I have yet to finish my degree, but 5 days after baby was born I enrolled in a course that is helping me publish my first book in May of this year. Instead of growing in business, I actually had to step away for a bit because my job requires me to be extremely active and I could no longer do the physical activity I once did while being pregnant. I also was put on slight bed rest a month before baby arrived leaving me without work for good. And instead of losing a few pounds for the year, I gained a whopping 40 lbs. Needless to say, I achieved very little on my vision board this last year. Believe it or not, God had better things in store for me than my own visions. 

After Lincoln arrived, my goal was to grow as a mom to be the best example for my son that I could be. I wasn't passionate about the degree I was working after, but I quickly became very passionate about motherhood. My business was at a stand still for awhile, but becoming a mother has created a whole new opportunity I would have never had in my line of work had I not become a mother. My business is at its highest peak yet to date. I may not have finished my degree this last year, and I'm still not sure if the degree I was going after was one I want to finish with, but I now have a book that I will be releasing in May (Is The Grass Really Greener? A memoir). To me, I've accomplished more in writing that book than I know I will have when I complete that degree. My relationship has evolved into a beautiful mess; rather than the disaster it once was. We are on the path to marriage; not for society's approval or for baby's sake, but because we are ready to please God in our union together. As for school debt and baby debt, God also created an opportunity for me with my business to help erase my debt sooner than I could have every dreamed of. 

I couldn't have imagined myself being here a year ago. From scared, broken, and lost, to now a feeling of joy and having a sense of purpose and insight as to where my life is going; I've come a long way. At the end of the day, I learned my lesson is to trust that His plans are greater for me than my own. He can turn your dark days into light and make you forget all about your past. It's never too late to ask for His forgiveness and turn from sin either. Once I realized that, I started worrying less and I was able to accept His gift of peace. And it was in those moments of peace that I found my purpose. 

All along, I've been searching for my purpose. What purpose do I, Elizabeth Anne Pitney, 26 years of age, serve in this world? Well, I may not know that answer fully just yet, and I may not ever know, but I do know I'm going in the right direction. Lincoln gave me a purpose. I now have a better purpose in my career specializing in working with women; mothers specifically. It was revealed to me in my journey into motherhood that writing was more than a hobby; it was my gift. Had I not gotten out of my own way, I may have never discovered these gifts. My ultimate lesson was to slow down, let go and let God. 

God was the only judge I needed to worry about; not society. The only debt I needed to worry about was the debt of not asking for forgiveness of all my sins. In asking for forgiveness, He took care of those other debts....and then some. When the days get tough, the light seems dim, remember you don't have to fight your journey on your own. The struggle is real at times. In your fight for peace, for purpose, or whatever it is, know that your arms are too short to box with God. There will be trials along the way, but stay the course and trust His plans are good for you and your blessings will be revealed to you. 

With Love, 

Liz

Intro of Mommy Blogger: Liz Pitney

Where do you go when you need peace and quiet? Who do you talk to when you need to vent? Where do you go when you just need to cry? Where do you look to for advice?

Moms, this blog is a sacred place for you to turn to in time of need; whatever that need may be. My name is Liz and I am a new mom to my precious son; Lincoln Alexander. I started this blogspot for my own personal space as a place where I could turn to and express my feelings as a new mother. Motherhood has been the most joyous, yet also the most daunting task, all at the same time. Just because I feel the bad does not make me a bad mother. And that is exactly why I wanted to create this space for other moms too. You're not alone, mama, and I'm building a community of women to show you that.

Reality is, we all struggle. Instead of feeling any amount of guilt for that, I want to encourage mamas to embrace the entire journey; the good times AND the bad times. Writing is my passion and I want to share it with you all. My writing may encourage you to write too. Journaling is a beautiful thing. It helps clear your mind of any constricting thoughts. Journaling allows you to look back and see how far you've come in your journey. It allows you to remember all those moments you wish you could relive again. And it allows you to completely unveil yourself safely.

This blog is my journal. I feel safe here in my community of other mamas. I'll say some stuff that may rub you the wrong way. I'll share my opinions of what worked for me and it may differ from what works for you. But ultimately I'm here to create a support group for those mamas in need.

I'll be sharing recipes, workouts, my go to products for both baby and I when it comes to health and wellness. I'll be sharing links to what I believe are great resources for all different types of questions you may have. I'll be completely open and honest in all that I share; that is where I came up with therawmom.com.

As a raw mom, I am bringing it all to the table. We're gonna talk about hormones, the consistency of your child's feces, why the doctor says to wait six weeks to have sexual intercourse post delivery, and we're gonna talk about how crazy, loco you may feel at times when your child cries nonstop. Yes, it's real and it's raw. It's the way it is and there's no shame to that.

At the end of the day, remember that your child needs you. Your child loves you effortlessly and you love him/her effortlessly. The way I view loving my son is the closest comparison I imagine it to be of God loving me. The love is indescribable. So, no matter what you're feeling; whether happy or sad, sleepy or energized, confused or prepared, this blog is for you. You'll find something here just for you.

I will periodically have guest bloggers on my site sharing their expertise with you too so I don't sound like a "know it all". Trust me, I'm far from a know it all. I've made it this far in the role of motherhood thanks to The Big Man Upstairs. He's guided my steps along the way and I'm doing alright because of it.

If you find yourself crying for no apparent reason at times. Or notice yourself taking longer showers for a bit of peace and quiet. Maybe you're like me and instead of receiving the compliment with praise from your hubby on how good you look, you question the incentive behind his compliments because you're still struggling to feel secure in your post baby body. When you can't get baby to stop crying, you question if you're doing this whole motherhood thing right.....I've never doubted myself more than I have now and that's because I am deeply afraid of not being good enough for this tiny human being. I want him to love me and love me always. I want to be his superhero. Is this you, too?

Together we can lift one another up when needed most. I hope this space makes you feel safe and secure in sharing your feelings too. And a little reminder as it may have been awhile since you've last heard these words, know that, you are a great mother! You are the most perfect mother for your most perfect child and you always will be.

Together we can build a community of strong and confident moms. Let's do this, mamas! Time to empower one another for our individual and unique mothering efforts instead of criticizing one another for them. Let's be raw, let's be real, and let's be reinforcing to one another. Stay tuned for more content.

Love to all the wonderful mama bears,

Liz