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Welcome to Katie Whitehouse's live web chat!
Katie Whitehouse from Vital Touch is now online, so please post your questions about aromatherapy, massage (for you and your baby) and even up-lifting experiences, by clicking the ???????post reply??????? button in this thread and Katie will try to answer them as quickly as possible.
We'll keep track of everyone's questions, so don't worry, we won't miss you out! But please bear with us as it may take a little time to get through everyone!
Thanks,
Web Editor
We'll keep track of everyone's questions, so don't worry, we won't miss you out! But please bear with us as it may take a little time to get through everyone!
Thanks,
Web Editor
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I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
I know that the midwives tell you to add salt to your bathwater to aid healing after you've given birth, but are there any safe oils which I can use to speed the healing up? I've had an episiotomy and lots of stitches! Help!
Yes I empathise - very sore! Lavender essential oil is wonderful as it's soothing, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and helps stimulate new cell growth (so helps healing). You can either 6-8 drops in some full fat milk and stir well into your bathwater (with the salt too) but another great tip is to fill a bucket (or bidet if you've got one) of very hot water - put 10 drops of lavender in and stand over it - allowing the steam with the lavender in it to rise up towards your stitches. Hope that's helpful and wish you speedy healing.
I wouldn't advise using any essential oils with your baby yet - but yes dry skin is very common problem and usually easily solvable - you could use some vegetable oil to give her a gentle massage - organic sunflower oil is ideal.
My best friend's baby has cradle cap that's just not healing. She's tried olive oil and what ever else was recommeded to her. Is it something that will just heal itself or can you recommend any other oils that would help.
Just to let you know - you can buy organic lavender essential oil and also an organic baby massage oil on-line from www.vitaltouch.com..
the Natalia Special Baby Skin Balm is great for cradle cap - it does include olive oil and also calendula, shea butter and vitamin E. I'd advise your friend to massage it into their baby's head for a few minutes and leave it overnight before washing off or brushing. It's actually great for dry skin too - so Ali you might want to try this too with your baby's legs.
Re the sore bottom itself though...I'd try the following:
- leave his nappy off as much as possible to let his skin breathe.
- change brand of nappy just in case it is the brand.
- try Natalia baby bottom butter - it contains calendula, tea tree and chamomile and is really healing, soothing and antibacterial.
Good luck
It also smells heavenly and it is wonderful if you can get your partner/husband to do some of the massaging... it really helps for them to give your baby his/her first massage and to feel connected to them before they are born.
Your friend can order Natalia products online on www.vitaltouch.com or call us on 0845 0525345 and we'll try and find her a local stockist.
Her poor feet... during pregnancy the hormone relaxin targets not only the ligaments in our pelvis to help us give birth - making them looser - but every ligament in our body. So all the ligaments in our poor feet also get loose... as as we're heavier this puts great pressure on the feet (we often find we're a different foot size after the birth). If we don't shed the weight after the birth then our feet can remain under stress and the ligaments will remain stretched... I'd advise the following:
1) get feet really well measured to see if they've changed size and get some really supportive footwear that is the right size and width. 2) she could soak her feet in the evening....bowl of warm/hottish water with following: 4 drops rosemary and 4 drops lavender mixed in an eggcupful of full fat milk stirred well into the bowl of water. Soak feet for up to 10 minutes. It will be really soothing and comforting. She can order these oils from the same website. If she is able to - it may be worth a visit to a podiatrist.