All the trash!

I've always leaned towards the crunchy side, so I'm always amazed when I run into people who have no environmental awareness...at all.  No judgement here, it's just something that has come so natural to me my whole life.  I'm just the type of person who's always wondered where trash goes.  That's not all there is to being eco-conscious, but it's definitely one aspect.  I grew up in Arkansas ("the natural state") in a college town where recycling programs have been around since the late 80's. Side note: not all towns in Arkansas are like this, but where I grew up, this was the norm.  I was always taught to "waste not want not", don't throw away things you can use (or someone else can use), and just because "it broke" you don't go get a new one.  Now we live in a time where EVERYTHING is disposable or easily replaceable.   Paper plates, napkins, towels, toilet paper, diapers, wipes, feminine products, plastic sandwich bags, cups, utensils, foil bake ware, tablecloths, bibs, I could go on and on...and don't even get me started on food packaging!  These are now staples in our culture...people consider these items to be "must haves" when they run out. Don't people wonder where these things end up?  Do they think trash magically disappears when the garbage man comes?  Do they think the earth just breaks everything down and regenerates?  I don't know...

I was talking to a friend the other day who was saying all of her children have to have "throw away" lunch items because one of her boys doesn't have enough time after lunch to go back to his locker to put his lunch box away, so he needs to be able to trash it.  Of course, me being the good honest friend that I am (tee hee) I gave her a hard time!  I brought to her attention how much waste she'd contributed to the landfills in just 1 year and the environmental impact that she had with just that 1 child. Now multiply that times 4 children, and 13 years!  By the way, I would never "guilt trip" a complete stranger or even someone who might take it the wrong way, but this is a sweet friend who knows me and my sense of humor.  Well... I might do it to a complete stranger, but not in the same way that I did it to her.

Now, let me clarify something. I do use disposable items.  Yes, I do!  But now I use them VERY sparingly.  And I recycle...in a town with a mediocre recycling program. Yes, I keep piles or buckets of cardboard,  plastic bottles, and aluminum cans (usually in my garage), load them in the van and drive them to the recycling station.  I long for a day when the parish will actually provide recycling bins and pick them up for us on the trash route.  But for now, this is as good as it gets, so it's what I do!

 

 Back to my friend.  She was laughing her head off the whole time because honestly, she really had never thought of it that way.  I don't know that it will change anything about her lifestyle, but at least she's aware...the seed has been planted!

I am not a judgmental person, I usually see the best in people.  There are so many people out there who are just plain unaware.  Its up to us who are aware to show them (in a kind way) that there are other options out there!  Cloth diapers are usually a "gateway" into this crunchy lifestyle because many families start with the intention of saving tons of money and then it spreads!

Diaper Parties

Many of our new fans may be wondering...what is this whole diaper party thing?  Well, let me tell you, this is how eLeMeNO-Pee got started!  Our sweet little company began with 5 reps in Lake Charles, Lafayette, & Baton Rouge.  They would schedule a time to come to your house, show you a few of the cloth diapers available on the market and what we sell and then help you choose the system that works best for you.  Along with this, they would show you how to care for your diapers and show you some wonderful accessories that compliment the cloth diapering lifestyle.  So is this any different than what we do today?  Actually, no!  We still do cloth diaper parties, one on one consultations, and baby showers.  The difference is now we have 18 diaper consultants in 7 different states!  Also we have many more product lines to offer, so you get to choose the perfect system that works best for you.

What can you expect to happen at one of these parties?

A diaper expert/consultant will show up to your home (or designated party space) with a box (or bag) full of goodies for you to see, touch, try on, and play with. 

She will give a small presentation on what different styles are available (pocket, all in one, all in two, fitteds) and while you are checking these out she will start to notice which system you are leaning towards (because they're experts like that).  She'll also touch on the financial savings ($2000 +) and the environmental impact of switching to cloth diapers. 

Once a system has been established she may do several things...if you seem like the person who is very straight forward and wants to get the basics and never look back she may suggest getting all one style. 

 This works best for those who want the simplest system. 


If your the type who likes a little of this...a little of that...the prints here, and the colors there...then she may suggest trying a variety of diapers (probably not purchasing more than 12 or so) to get you started and then you can decide from there which one is working out the best and come back for the rest of your stash later. 

She'll also take into consideration your budget and help you get what you want for a price you can afford.

Not only will she help you CHOOSE your diapers, she'll help you learn how to CARE for your diapers!  This is what really sets us apart.  In different parts of the country we have many types of water and many types of detergent...there may be a slight learning curve when it comes to washing properly (not that its that difficult) and she is there to help!  She has many resources (other than her own experience) to tap into which will make your life much easier! 

Maybe you've already done your research and are now confused about what you like and don't!  I meet so many new moms who are ready to switch, come to me and say "I've already done all my research on-line, but I still need to see it in person"  - this is a great way to do that if you don't have a local resource!  And your consultant just might have something you've never seen before!  Not to mention, like most home party companies the hostess receives rewards if a certain number of guests attend and earns additional rewards for all of the purchases made during your event!

Diaper parties are great for expectant moms wanting to share information with their friends and family.  Your consultant can also help you create a registry for your baby shower!  This is great because then you get pretty, fluffy gifts! They are also nice for people who've heard of cloth, but still need more information before switching.  What ever reason you have, you should do it!  There are no obligations and the parties are free!  You provide the location and the consultant shows up ready to teach! 

Diaper Bag Detox - by Nicole Reed

When I was pregnant with my first child, I felt intimidated when I saw seasoned moms lugging around large diaper bags that could have easily passed for suitcases. Do I really need that much equipment to go in public with my child? Just the thought of packing all of that mysterious “stuff” was enough to convince me that we would never leave the house once our baby was born.

I found out that babies are, in fact, incredibly portable (that’s why God made them tiny). I also discovered that diaper bags are huge and overflowing because moms either:

A)     Are incredibly over-prepared OR

B)     Never take anything out of their diaper bags and just keep piling new junk on top of the old junk. The bottom of their diaper bags become a graveyard for crumbled crackers, ancient receipts and tiny ponytail holders.

Not that category B specifically describes my diaper bag or anything.

So what does a mom really need in her bag? Items that will help her change, feed, clean and entertain her baby (or babies!)

Most of the moms I knew had disposable everything (wipes, diapers, bags to dispose of disposable diapers, take and toss cups, plastic snack bags, etc.) in their diaper bags because they felt like it would be easier.

I am definitely of the “Whatever works for you family” philosophy, but I personally wasn’t comfortable with creating so much waste every time I left the house.

I have two kids under two, both in cloth, and I can fit everything into a regular diaper bag. If you’re interested in doing a “green makeover” on your diaper bag and need some suggestions, here’s a peek into mine:

-A few cloth diapers for each kid. My personal favorites are TotsBots and BumGenius Elementals because I can quickly snap down the rise to fit either my 2 year old or my 12 week old. If you only have one kid in cloth, AIOs or a diaper cover and a couple of inserts are also great options.

-Cloth wipes and diaper spray to clean spills, wipe noses, face, hands and little bottoms. I also use my Hosie’s diaper spray as a hand sanitizer on the go since its antimicrobial and antibacterial.

-A wet bag for dirty diapers

-Fuzzibunz changing pad – a great alternative to the plastic ones!

-a sippy cup and a planetwise snack bag

-a lightweight blanket, change of clothes for the baby and a book for my toddler.

-a slightly bruised orange and an overdue library book

The last ones are optional, although they never fail to be at the bottom of my bag.

This diaper bag is a no-brainer for parents on the go and just as easy as its disposable counterpart. No need to buy an endless supply of little plastic snack bags and disposable wipes. A diaper bag full of reusable items is overall less overwhelming and less expensive. I just throw these basic items in my bag, my ergo carrier in the backseat of my car (and my children, of course) and I’m ready to go!

Here’s a picture of some of the essentials. They happen to fit nicely in a (manly) backpack for my husband.

*Contact your local eLeMeNO-Pee representative if you are interested in any of these products

Why I love my Ergo - by Tonia Neal

Babywearing has been around since the beginning of time. Before we had strollers, bouncers, and Pack ‘N’ Plays, we had our arms…and maybe a scrap of hide to tie our babies to our bodies. We carried them.  Fast forward to 2013, and many of us still instinctually hold our babies close while trying to navigate all that parenthood requires of us. Modern studies are showing that our instincts have once again led us down the right path. We now know that carrying our babies’ decreases fussiness, helps to facilitate breastfeeding by aiding in the production of prolactin & oxytocin, reduces the risk of  SIDS, and contributes to proper physical and emotional development.

Like our ancestors before us, modern mamas need their hands free to make the world go ‘round. That’s where contemporary baby carriers come in. There are many types out there: woven and stretchy wraps, ring slings, Asian style carriers, soft structured carriers, and different styles of each. My favorite by far is the ERGObaby carrier. Many families agree! The “ERGO,” as it is known, is one of the best selling baby carriers on the market.
 

So what makes it the best? Our daily schedule includes at least 3 hours of babywearing. My son takes a nap in the ERGO every morning, rides in it while I’m tending to his sister after school, and checks out the world from his perch in the carrier each evening. That doesn’t include grocery shopping, play dates, volunteer time, or any other time I need to carry him and have my hands free.  From this experience, I’ve found that the ERGO excels in the following areas:

• Quickness – The ERGO is shockingly easy to get on and off. Two buckles and you’re done. I don’t even have to put him down if he’s already in my arms. If I need to put him on my back, I just slide him around once he’s buckled in.  

• Construction– This was a big deal to me when searching for a carrier. Knowing how much time I’d be using it, I looked for something with lots of comfortable padding and a wide seat to support baby’s spine and legs. 

• Overall support – Not only is the padding resilient, the ERGO distributes my baby’s weight evenly across my hips, taking pressure off my back and shoulders. Many carriers like ring slings and woven wraps are good for short amounts of time but if you need to do some serious babywearing, which we now know to be beneficial, the type of support the ERGO offers is essential. It allows me to move around easily and doesn’t throw off my center of gravity.

• Availability and style – ERGObaby carriers come in a large variety of colors and patterns. There is something for everyone and they are readily available in our retail store, online, or through your local consultant. It’s important to make sure you are purchasing through and authorized dealer like eLeMeNO-Pee, because unfortunately, counterfeits are common and potentially dangerous. 

•  No learning curve – With a kindergartener, a new baby, working from home, and running a household, I just plain don’t have time to dedicate to learning the ins and outs of a carrier. The ERGO is self-explanatory; just put baby in and buckle. If you do have any questions, your consultant can help you tweak the fit and get it just right. It adjusts to fit a wide variety of body types. My husband is 5’11” and 200 lbs, I’m 5’4” and 135 lbs (yes, I just revealed my postpartum weight in the name of babywearing) and the ERGO fits us both beautifully. 

• Durability – Made from materials that are sturdy and meant to be worn for long stretches, ERGOs stand the test of time. I use the carrier anywhere from 20-30 hours a week on average and it still fits and supports like the first time I put it on. 

• Value - The ERGO can carry up to 40lbs. You know what that means? I’m getting my money’s worth. Based on my current usage, that’s over 4000 hours of babywearing! I’d say that’s a good investment. 

With all the information coming out regarding the advantages of keeping our babies close, most families are on the prowl for a modern carrier. Like cloth diapers, there are a lot of styles to choose from. We are all looking for something that’s comfortable and reliable. I’ve found all I need and more in the ERGObaby carrier. Considering making babywearing a part of your daily life? Looking for a carrier that is versatile and easy to use?  I recommended giving the ERGO a shot. Scope out the colors and prints, call up your consultant, try it on, and join the club!

We're done with diapers! (... for now.)

No, eLeMeNO-Pee is not leaving the diaper business.

But my household--and washing machine--is, at least until March.

That's right! Two weeks ago, just half a year after my first go at potty-training (or potty-learning, or elimination education, or... you get it) our 3.5-year old, we decided to give it a whirl with Little Bit #2, who turned two at the end of October... and it stuck. (Hooray!!!)

Before you ask, I do attribute this greatly to cloth diapering.

Let me explain:

When my oldest was born, we used disposable diapers, gifted to us at our baby shower, for the first three months. When we ran out, we were purchasing them ourselves, and I was not exactly a coupon queen in those days. (Let's face it: I'm still not great at finding deals. Some of us have the gift, and some of us have to find other ways to pinch the pennies.) The expense broke us down: I researched cloth, and we made an investment. Every diaper in that original stash was stay-dry, and the Little Dude really just never seemed to notice that he was wet until I switched him to prefolds right before he potty-trained at nearing 3.5.

Enter #2, who was accidentally born at home (I know, I know--who does that?) and diaperless for several hours after her birth. We finally diapered her once we were admitted to the hospital and she was bathed. Her very first cloth diaper? A prefold and tiny-but-still-probably-too-big-but-I-just-couldn't-help-it-it-was-so-durn-CAYUTE Weehuggers cover (RIP, Weehuggers). 

Apologies. Humor me as I reminisce. That fresh baby is now two... and potty-trained!

If you've ever been wearing cotton and gotten caught in a thunderstorm, you know that it's anything but stay-dry. That has got to feel a little ooky, you know? As my milk supply was established and her little kidneys and bladder got going with the flow of life on the outside, Homegirl was crying to be changed roughly every fifteen to forty minutes, all day long.

That never changed much, even as she got older and began wearing stay-dry pockets and AIOs. By her first birthday, she was removing diapers as soon as she'd wet them. What I mean is: the pee was still hot. She didn't care where we were. Home, church, the park, Kroger (yup). I bought one of the last remaining Baby Bjorn Little Potties (RIP, Little Potty) for a ridiculously gouged price from an Amazon seller because she couldn't reach to sit on the combo-potty-and-step-stool we already had, and she started telling me when she needed to use it when she was fourteen months old. She got sick a few months later and quit using it altogether; she even quit worrying about demanding dry diapers for a few weeks. Oh, well, I thought. There went that.

But the news that we were expecting twins kicked me into high gear. Three in diapers would have meant more-than-once-a-day diaper laundry because of the load size--remember, she was diva-begging to be changed immediately every time she was wet, and she remained from Day One a light, but frequent, wetter. Her last day in diapers, she used 11 of them. All her favorites. The two Cupcake FuzziBunz Elites from the Diaper Talk series, the limited edition Strawberry Delight FuzziBunz print from last summer, her Tootie Frootie, Cherrylicious, and Starburst Tots Bots EasyFits (v2), her Lovelace bumGenius Freetime, her Spearmint FuzziBunz medium, her Glacier Blue and Goddess Pink gDiapers--all of these were in the mix. I wondered if she'd be willing to give them up even though she was clearly developmentally ready.

So how did we do it?

We used the Three-Day Potty Training eBook. My mom and dad graciously offered to take her older brother for the duration of the three days, and we thanked him and praised him often for being part of the 'potty-training team.' Then we just... did it. By. The. Book. No swerving, no departures, no variations (with one exception--we could not throw our cloth diapers in the trash can! But we did pack them up; I let her make one pile for one sister and another pile for the other). My rigid 'rule-follower' tendencies paid off!

Our Elf on the Shelf helped, too.

Although there were no accidents by the end of Day Two, there was a little anxiety about 'going #2.' Our Elf helped us out there, too, but in the end, what cured her was some good, old-fashioned Daddy Magic. He sent my exhausted self out of the house for the day on what was technically Day Four (but on Day One, she managed to not go #2 at all, so it was still Day Three in some respects), and when I came home, after a day of coaching and praise, her anxiety had melted away.

And that's it. She's done. 100%, overnight, during her naps, in the car, #1 and #2. Our (still-growing!) stash of cloth diapers is packed nicely into some tote bags in our master closet, ready for the spring arrival of our twin girls, and, yes, I'm already planning which especially adorable newborn diapers will accompany us to the birth center to be used during their first few hours. But I just get to look at them now, to unpack, admire, and then repack them. I don't have to wash them! Temporarily done with diapers for the first time in nearly four years. Whew! It feels good.

So that brings me to a final bit of news: This is my last blog post until some as-yet unknown point when I begin a new contract. My contract closes at the end of this month, so at that point I will be on an indefinite hiatus from managing social media for eLeMeNO-Pee as my family focuses on preparing for the birth of these babies and the subsequent adjustments to our household life that their arrival will necessitate.

Who's going to be doing the blogging? This is the exciting part: Our consultants! Please stick around and keep reading, because our consultants are bursting with insights, humor, tales of parenting triumphs and parenting mishaps, CD education, passion for their communities, and their own unique voices. I can't wait to see what they have to add to our blog!

Thank you for this year of following along while I figured this blogging thing out. It's been incredible--humbling, an honor, and a real treat--to watch us gain readers and 'shares' and 'likes' and '+1s' in only our first year to have a blog. I can only hope that when I return, I can fill the shoes of all the brilliant Cloth Diaper Ladies who will be keeping this show running.

Until next time, friends!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, down your local streets!

Anybody who knows me knows that I talk a big talk about buying Christmas presents before December so that, in our home, Advent can be Advent and not "Christmas shopping season." For the most part, I succeed! But we have a big family. There's always that point where the summer spending cash runs out, and here it is almost mid-December, and I've got at least three gift recipients left on the shopping list and a couple White Elephant exchange gifts to figure out!

Luckily, everywhere I turn, a friend is talking about some awesome Christmas purchase she made from a local business or a small online boutique! I've gotten tons of great ideas this year, like:

A downtown Lake Charles cafe that features local talent!

1) A gift certificate... to a local eatery! When I procrastinate on shopping, I'm always tempted to pick up a couple gift cards to chain restaurants or box stores while I'm in the grocery check-out line. That's fine--there are plenty of wonderful families who own local franchise establishments in every town in America! But it can be super-fun to bless a local friend with a dining experience that is completely unique to our shared hometown. I like to pick a 'hole-in-the-wall,' but some place with lots of traffic in a funky location that doubles as a perch for people-watching, for the right recipient, can also make for the perfect treat.

2) Something handmade, green, cute to look at, and totally useful. Last Christmas I purchased rolls of 'unpaper towels' for some of my sisters-in-law from this shop. The WAHM behind the shop custom-made them to my specifications, using absorbent, textured fabrics that I selected from her listed options, and let me choose from her dozens-upon-dozens of (actually stylish!) in-stock prints. I was able to order a half-dozen for each sister-in-law, snapped around a PVC pipe to fit perfectly onto a paper-towel holder. Best of all? They were a total last-minute purchase, and she made and shipped them with more than enough time to spare. And were they ever a hit: the rest of the family was asking why we didn't give them to everyone!

Photo courtesy Wiki Commons.

3) Just the right kind of pick-me-up. My husband recently switched us to decaf. We love coffee, but it gives him the jitters, and I'm expecting twins and want to do everything we can to avoid low-birth weight babies. Decaf it is. But that doesn't mean I can't go sniff out the good stuff, right? There are a couple cafes around these parts with delicious-smelling coffees, some Fair Trade Certified, some locally blended, and a bag or two, beautifully packaged, would make the perfect contribution to, say, a work-related gift exchange. (Don't tell Allison and Todd, but that's most likely what I'm bringing!)

4) Support your local arts and music scenes. That band you saw last month when you were finally able to get out on the town? They really were that good! Look 'em up on Facebook, find out how to purchase copies of their latest release, and ask if you can have them autographed. Voila! Give them to the out-of-towner musicphiles on your gift list. That hometown relief artist who's gaining some notoriety in your crowd? Small prints from her latest collection will brighten the lives and homes of your non-local friends and family, and you'll be giving the gift of expanded exposure to the artist.

Photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

5) Think outside the toybox. Quality toys don't have to come from a big box store! If you're into the 'classic toys' gig, or you just want to avoid gifting the latest in bright-lights-and-buzzy-sounds, pack up your Santa sack and head to a local toy store. I've often found one-of-a-kind or hand-crafted wooden toys, toys made with paints and dyes with impressive certifications backing up their claims of safety and quality, and toys that help munchkins make music or art, play imaginatively, build models, even do science experiments. A local toy purveyor is probably a toy expert, too. The teenager in the toy aisle at Target may be a pretty sweet kid, but he may not be able to help me determine whether my four-year old is ready for a rokkaku or delta kite or if he just needs to stick with a diamond.




6) Call up your Mary Kay Lady. Or your Avon consultant, your Premier Jewelry lady, your Stella & Dot stylist or Silpada jeweler, your Scentsy dealer, your Thirty-One consultant... You get the picture. Chances are, there's a "Get it in time for Christmas!" shipping deal going on right now, and she may even have some in-stock items for you to choose from and bring home with you today. As a direct sales company ourselves, we're pretty enthusiastic about the "personal consultant" model of doing business because it allows for unbeatable customer service for the client AND for moms to boost their household income or even work from home with their babies. Chances are, you've got a local friend who has her own direct sales business, and she probably has lots of gift ideas! (I had to send my Thirty-One consultant a frantic e-mail tonight asking if I can see her inventory on payday. Sshhhh!)

Not that you need the incentive, because, well... you're awesome, and you probably thought of all of this before I did, but just to say, "Thanks for shopping local!" the eLeMeNO-Pee retail location, located at 2102 W. Prien Lake Rd. in Lake Charles, will be offering 10% off ALL regular-priced in-stock items TODAY ONLY! We're open from 10-2, and we are so much more than cloth diapers. Come in and see what I mean!

Product spotlight: hosie naturals’ Love Your Labor Oil, or: I Didn’t Know I Was in Labor

Sometimes I marvel at how the hosie naturals product line has grown so much since the day I met its owner, Kari Feucht, in early October 2010. That was the day she gifted me with a small bottle of something mysterious that she told me not to open, not to touch, smell, or handle in any way until my pregnancy had reached what they call “full-term”—37 weeks*.

I forgot about it after that, honestly. I was busy with a 20-month old, a pregnancy in its third trimester, and a new business as a cloth diaper consultant with a very young eLeMeNO-Pee (who remembers the old yellow Web site?). I stuck it in the box with the rest of my demos for home parties—eLeMeNO-Pee was the very first retailer of hosie naturals products—and didn’t think about it again.

At 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant, still nearly two weeks away from the gestative point I reached before birthing my first child and with the possibility of impending labor totally blocked from my mental periphery (after all, “It’s normal to go late,” is the natural childbirther’s necessary mantra, right?), I was sitting cross-legged on my living room floor, presenting my cloth diaper and natural parenting wares to a group of Very Pregnant Bradley Method couples and their instructor. I read aloud the description on this bottle of what was still to me some sort of Mystery Labor Potion and made sure the students were at least 37 weeks pregnant before passing it around the room. Some weren’t. I was, so I figured I might as well rub some on my hands and sniff. (And sniff… and sniff… The only thing that could smell better to me at 39 weeks pregnant is a batch of homemade brownies that I didn’t have to bake.)

I was contracting regularly before the couples had completed their purchases. Having never experienced a Braxton-Hicks contraction during either of my pregnancies, I wasn’t sure what was going on. Just a few hours earlier, my care provider had informed me that my cervix was closed, firm, and posterior, and my unborn daughter was hanging out somewhere between my throat and my ribcage, or that’s what it felt like. She was not engaged; labor was not expected, and this must not be labor. Time for a bath with this heavenly scented oil and as good a night’s sleep as I could manage.

Photo credit: hosienaturals.com

Y’all, sleep was not happening. Back to the tub with this labor oil I went, warning my husband that he should sleep while he could, because, “It’ll probably be tomorrow night or the next day.” Fifteen minutes later, at about 11:30 pm, my vocalizations awoke my husband, so I asked him to burn my labor playlist to a CD to bring with us to the hospital. (He later confessed that he played World of Warcraft instead.)

We called the people who needed to know—our mothers, our doula, the professional photographer who would be traveling from more than an hour away. We told them that early labor had begun and seemed to be moving steadily, that “go-time” for everyone would probably be “some time tomorrow evening.” My mother, en route to New York City, tried to make arrangements to head back. Everyone was confident she’d be back in our hometown in time for our daughter’s birth. I busied myself by beginning to pack a hospital bag, stopping to breathe and even loudly vocalize through some contractions. I kept a tissue soaked with that fantastic-smelling elixir nearby. Sniff, sniff. Ahhhh. Lavender.

I attempted to flat-iron my hair and put makeup on, determined to have beautiful labor photos since I knew I’d have a long labor and didn’t want to look like the (forgive me, it’s overused, but nothing else applies) hot mess I looked after my 33-hour marathon of a first labor. Suddenly, my hair only half-smoothened, back labor gripped me.

It was a little after 1 am. I requested a Love Your Labor-augmented foot massage, but this unfamiliar sensation of back labor was too much to endure it, and we moved to back massage and counter-pressure. I was draped across my birthing ball on our bed; my husband dumped half the bottle of labor oil on my back, not realizing that with undiluted oils, “a little goes a long way.” The contractions strengthened almost immediately in response to his quickly rubbing it all into my skin to keep it from dripping onto our unprotected sheets. This is not my recommended method for using the product; please use it as directed, a little at a time.

My husband is an excellent labor support person, but he simply doesn’t have any training in massage. He wasn’t hitting just the right spots, and I was getting frustrated having to try to direct him and keep myself relaxed mentally. We had to call in some back-up. I asked my doula to drive to our house. She lived about 45 minutes away. I told her I guessed that I was about 1.5 cm dilated; recalling my first labor, this was what 1.5 cm had felt like. (We had headed to the hospital that time, only to be told in triage that we could either be admitted and hooked up to Pitocin or go home—we chose home. We were not putting ourselves through the emotional roller-coaster of travel-stalled labor again.)

She took her time; we all knew I had long labors and nothing was urgent. I lay on my side when I needed to, got up and packed when I could, and did my best to pass the time and breathe like the model Bradley student that I wasn’t. She arrived at 3:45 am, gas station coffee in hand. I relaxed immediately, and the three of us chatted and laughed between my contractions, keeping careful not to awaken our sleeping toddler. Shortly after she arrived, my husband handed our doula the bottle of what we were by then calling “the Potion.” There was about 1/3 oz. left in the bottle. She set me up draped over my birthing ball while she massaged my aching back with a little drop of the oil.

We decided that as soon as I felt ready, we were going to try to flip the baby (who must have been “sunny-side up,” given my back labor) using some lunging exercises. We needed me to be relaxed and carrying the baby in a favorable position before we walked into Early Labor. Our plan was to head to the hospital around 8 am, when our son would be waking up. We called my mother-in-law to let her know to be at our house by 8; she didn’t answer.

It was 5 am. We guessed that I was about 3 cm dilated and that most of the hard work I was doing was effacement. I was carrying on conversations with the two of them and calling out a packing list for my husband, who couldn’t find my favorite nursing tank top in my pajama drawer.

I ate a snack, some kind of cereal bar. I was feeling pretty oily and remember saying I wanted to do the baby-rotating lunges in the shower so I could get cleaned up, forget my flat-ironed hair. I went to the master bathroom to void my bladder first. My doula waited just outside, in the master bedroom, knowing I might call for her because the toilet-seated position can intensify contractions. My husband went to the kitchen to refill his water glass and try calling his mother again.

“SPLASSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

My water broke, amniotic fluid splattering against the sides of the toilet boil.

(Birth is beautiful, but birth is gross.)

My doula rushed to my side and helped to hold me up by my elbow.

Creaky footsteps headed toward the master bedroom door. “Was that the… Did she… ? Hey, Ma, I gotta go.”

As my husband’s concerned face appeared in the bathroom door frame, I felt my baby descend into my pelvis and straight down to my cervix like a boulder down a chute. Then the familiar burn.

My baby was going to be born in our bathroom, and we never knew I had reached active labor.

June Azalea Clare was born at 5:15 am, a nuchal cord wrapped twice around her neck that my doula unwrapped as soon as I pushed past her shoulders. 

She breathed, cried, and then nursed immediately. I birthed the placenta into the toilet. When her cord stopped pulsing, we tied it off with my husband’s pajama pants string. He held her skin-to-skin; my doula draped them with a blanket.

By 5:45, I was showering, washing away what remained of the Love Your Labor oil, adrenaline pumping, but still relaxed—reveling in all that had transpired. By the time the paramedics arrived at my front door with the stretcher they intended me to ride to the hospital on (ha), I was in the laundry room sprinkling Charlie’s Soap over a load of towels. Found my nursing tank.

Nobody believes me that I didn’t plan a homebirth, but I didn’t. My husband, nor I, nor the experienced professional support person by my side caught any hint that I was in active labor. Keeping me relaxed, which had been such hard work in itself during my first marathon of a labor, had not been the challenge we expected it to become “later.” We kept waiting for the hard work to start, for “later” to emerge. We knew that the contractions were getting a little longer and intensifying, but we were all using my first labor as a litmus test. There was no comparison.

This reads a bit like an infomercial, I know. Here’s this beautiful (I believe) birth story, and interspersed throughout is product placement. It’s an ‘ad’ for what we affectionately termed ‘the Potion.’ And if I hadn’t heard of and been privileged to witness a large handful of birth narratives that played out similarly, I might hesitate to use my own story as “a Love Your Labor oil tale.” But my experience with Love Your Labor Potion—er, oil—is the very experience that got me interested in hosie naturals. It’s what convinced me, a pretty average consumer, of the efficacy of therapeutic-grade essential oils and herb essences. It’s the experience that illustrated to me, in the most complete sense of that verb, the difference between Kari’s business—her art—and something like Bath & Body Works.

There can be so much more to skincare than fragrance. Skincare can become whole body care. June’s birth represented many milestones for me and for our family unrelated to my intellect, my concept of wellness, or my consumer interests, but I can’t forsake acknowledging the role that the hosie naturals Love Your Labor oil played in creating a labor and birth experience that came out of nowhere, that was peaceful but fast-paced, intense but never grueling, powerful but never overpowering, and that is, quite frankly, the most hilarious story in our family vault.

I blame the clary sage.

*Ingredients are all Certified Organic and include: *Sunflower Oil, Camellia Seed Oil, Vitamin E (non-GMO), Essential Oils of: *Lavender, Clary Sage, *Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Sandalwood, *Palma Rosa, Vanilla Absolut, *Geranium, *Bergamot, Rose Absolute Jasmine, Neroli, Chamomile. Specially formulated for expecting mothers to aid in a more pleasant birthing experience. The superior blend of essential oils is reputed to be beneficial in labor, aiding in relaxation, focus and toning of the uterus for more productive, yet less painful pressure sensations (contractions).