Did you have any problems with your skin?
Not with this pregnancy, I found drinking at least two litres of water each day and eating well – including lots of organic fruit and vegetables in every way, shape and form, was beneficial and helped keep my digestive system working well. The result of this type of eating is proper elimination of waste and obviously this is also beneficial to avoid skin congestion. As hormones are on the rampage during pregnancy, some women are more prone to breakouts and oiliness throughout.
Ensure your water intake is adequate and use a drop each of cistus and frankincense (for dry skin) or lemon and patchouli (for regulating excess sebum which can lead to blocked pores or ‘blackheads’) in a floral water spray to hydrate your skin. Try our Orange Flower Refresher as a base for your spray. This doubles as a quick pick-me-up during the day (great for during labour) and can be used as a nappy change mist for babies.
I used our Moisturising Nappy Change Cream to remove makeup, the Orange Flower Refresher as a toner and our organic Aromabath Powder as a weekly facial scrub. The Stretched to the Limit cream was and still is my facial moisturiser as it was formulated for damaged skin and contains loads of natural ingredients to heal and moisturise.
How did you look after your hair?
My hair is normally dry, and coloring it doesn’t help. I found it difficult to treat myself to regular visits to the hairdresser because of my workload, but did manage to use a good cold-pressed avocado oil as a treatment. Simply add this warm to your existing conditioner, put it on your hair and wrap hair in plastic film. Relax for an hour, and then rinse out. You could also add a couple of drops of pure essential oils to soothe the senses and balance the skin’s acid mantle. Try one drop each of geranium, sandalwood and sweet orange in your final rinse. I used our Pure Hair Cleanse as a shampoo that is gentle on the scalp.
What would be the best thing for a new mum to do for herself when she comes home from hospital?
A new mum’s most usual complaints would be sleep deprivations, problems with breastfeeding or the baby not sleeping. Be kind to yourself – take that bath when you can, take a short nap when baby is sleeping and say ‘yes’ when friends offer to help. Seek help from the experts when it comes to problems with breastfeeding. There are great Associations that offer support for breastfeeding Mums in most countries (check out our Links page). Aromababy's Back on Track Massage Oil is great to aid relaxation and a quick self-massage to the back of the neck and shoulders is enough to help me wind down after a stressful day.