Top 5 Essential Oil Must-Haves for Moms and Babies

What essential oils are best for mamas and babies?!

Maybe you're wondering the same.

I get this question all the time, so I finally wrote a blog about it to help other moms and families out there.

There's a TON of different and amazing essential oils out there. So many that it can be overwhelming.

Where does one start?

Here are my top 5 oils for moms and babies:

- Purify: To get rid of the *ahem* crappy smells that sometimes happen. I researched “the best” diaper pail for hours, and it saddens me to admit my baby’s nursery still smells like poop sometimes. I use a few drops of Purify in there every few days and diffuse once a week and poof! The poo smell is gone. Until the next 3 days of poop festers. Thank god there’s always Purify.  

- On Guard: To keep those little immune systems working and healthy. I’m one of those parents who lets their kid put everything in her mouth. I’m also one of those parents who doesn’t love to be sick. So in our house, clearly building immunity is crucial. I diffuse On Guard, put some on her baby feet every night (diluted for babies!), and clean the house with it. 9 months in, despite a full social calendar and swapping spit with more girls than High Hefner, she’s only had one minor cold. There’s a reason hospitals and daycares are now using this product: it’s truly a must-have!

- Lavender.  Because sleep. For mom and baby. Motherhood has made me realize I’d do anything for sleep - mine and my baby’s. And I swear lavender helps. I put some on her feet at night too (diluted of course!) and diffuse some when she sleeps. Of course, I use this for my sleep too because after months of waking up multiple times a night, I need sleep training too.

- Copaiba. Since teething pain is heartbreaking and it's awesome to have a natural alternative. I use a drop diluted in a roller ball (seeing the diluted trend?!) on her cheeks and jawline every night. Since we’ve started using it, the midnight screaming in pain has stopped. Even my skeptical husband is a believer, especially after the one night he forgot to use it, she woke up in tears. Let’s just say, neither of us skips this step before bedtime anymore!

- Lemon. The all-purpose oil. For cleaning, energizing the room in the diffuser, and mom's water in the morning (since I no longer always have time for fresh-squeezed lemons...). Lemon is great for multi-purpose cleaning, and any citrus oils are lovely in the diffuser to feel refreshed and energized. I’m a sucker for lemon water all day and a drop in my glass is much easier than prepping and squeezing lemons these days. This one is for mom because you matter too!

These are the oils we use the most often and of course, you know I'm biased because I share doTERRA.

Why do I share their oils? I love doTERRA because they CPTG (Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade) and I trust them for their incredible dedication to quality.

And I don’t just trust anyone with my family’s health.

Please share this blog with a friend you think would love this, and comment if you love natural solutions for your family too.

And as always, shoot me a message (lisa@lisamichaud.com) if you have any questions or want to order your own essential oil must-haves!

See my shop here or get in touch to save 25% on all your orders.

Pretty dresses and ugly thoughts

How adorable is this outfit?! 

(I think it's the cutest ever, but I'm biased). 

This sweet outfit though has quite a story behind it. 

I went to put it on Sonoma this morning and instantly had a negative million thoughts about myself. 

What will people think of me putting my daughter in such a "ridiculous" outfit?

What if other moms think I'm trying to "out-mom" them because my daughter looks so put-together? 

Are people going to judge me because my daughter looks so cute and I'm in Lulus and haven't showered in 2 days?! 

Honestly, I almost put her back in a sleeper and walked out the door. 

I stopped for a moment and asked myself "why do I want to put my daugheter in this cute dress?" 

The answer?

Because time is going so fast and I want her to wear this sweet outfit at least once before she outgrows it. 

And because life is short and we shouldn't wait for special occasions to celebrate, dress up, and use the good china (or in our house, the fancy wine glasses). 

My reasons? They were legit, good, soulful reasons I wanted to dress my baby in this beautiful outfit. 

And my negative self-talk almost talked me out of it. I almost let my fears, my insecurities, my need to be "liked", get in the way of that. 

Now, I'm not saying YOU need to dress up your child every day. Or that you need to dress yourself up. 

What I've learned is that it's all about intention and energy. 

My intentions were pure, fun, and sentimental. My reasons for not doing it were rooted in ugly negativity. 

So I said f*ck it and dressed her up cute and headed out the door.

A moment of truth: this was just ONE interaction, ONE thought process I had this morning out of many. And I happened to catch it and am reflecting on it and growing from it. 

How many of these conversations do I have with myself every day?

How many do YOU have with yourself every day?

How often do we talk ourselves out of something we want because of fears, insecurities and so much more?

It could be something as simple as wearing something different. 

It could be as massive as quitting our job and starting a business. 

It could be as significant as running for political office, leaving a toxic relationship or moving cities. 

It could be as small as needing a nap or a workout and giving ourselves permission to do either one. 

So if you take anything away from this post (besides the desire to say "awwwww" to this sweet baby - proud mom alert), I hope it's this:

Listen to your self talk. Listen to how you speak to yourself and what you talk yourself out of. 

Stop to think, and feel and decide what's right for YOU and what's important to you beyond your fears. 

Because they're there. At every level, no matter how insignificant the decision or how evolved you are, or how much therapy/coaching/personal development you've done, it's there. 

And it's up to you to overcome so that you live your life on YOUR terms, in a way that feels good to you. 

PS. It's mom's night out tonight and that's when I get to dress up and celebrate too because that's what this mama needs on a Friday night!  ❤️

I'll never be the same

I’ll never be the same.

Since the moment I became a mother, I haven’t been the same. And I know, I’ll never be the same again.

I remember walking onto the street after Sonoma was born, for weeks, and wondering… could people notice?

Could they tell I was different?

As people rushed by me in city fashion, I wondered… could they see? 

Could they see how tired I was? 

How transformed I was?

How in love I was?

Although I often wondered if I was meant to be a mom, or if I even wanted to have kids, the truth is, I’m loving every moment.

Motherhood has transformed me and changed me. I’ll never be the same. And since my work is an extension of who I am, it too will never be the same.

Honestly, I am thriving in motherhood. Not every minute of every day. But every day. I can truly say that I feel fulfilled, joyful and happy in a new and beautiful way. 

I say this not to brag. I share this not to “out-mom” anyone or prove I’m a better parent than anyone else.

I say this knowing that postpartum anxiety and depression are on the rise.

I say this knowing that more and more people are delaying – or foregoing – parenthood altogether because they are afraid of what comes with it.

I say this knowing that the majority of people without children report higher levels of happiness than those with children.

And I say this knowing that marital satisfaction often decreases after children enter the picture.

But while those might be “averages”, and it might be common, I don’t think it’s normal… nor does it have to be.

We can change this story. Instead of looking to the “average”, I want to help bring UP the average.  I want to look at and share what it takes to be an outlier – those who are thriving in parenthood - and create a world where we all thrive.

Some people are happier and more satisfied with life after children, so let’s talk about those who are and how we can create that for ourselves.

Some marriages report higher levels of satisfaction after kids. Let’s talk about how THAT happens and what it takes to fall more and more in love with your partner, even as your time together shrinks.

I share my story – and will continue to - to inspire and create the conditions that have allowed me to thrive for as many other women as possible.

Through this space I’m in, I want to uplift parents and create meaningful conversations and community for all of us to thrive postpartum… and beyond.  Because I know this is not everyone’s experience – and I want to change that.

I don’t know what that this will all look like or where I’m going. But I sense a new beginning and an evolution.

In my journey of motherhood, I’ve already learned a lot and I’ve found writing and sharing what I’ve learned to be therapeutic and I truly hope it helps others.

So here I am. I’ve decided to start sharing my mom wisdoms and challenges (yup, lots of those!), through blogging (and beyond), as a way to encourage, connect and inspire.

I’m not sure how often I’ll do it, or where the “end game” is.

I’m going in with no expectations – just the intention of sharing, inspiring and opening up about the realness, the rawness, the magic and the wonder of motherhood.

I’m open to where it will lead. I’m open to collaborations, new experiences, new opportunities and anything else that might come my way.

Some of my posts will be inspirational and aspirational.

Some will be heartfelt.

Some will share tips and tricks (because boy, don’t we all need those?!).

Some will share the gear that’s helped us along the way… and the things we didn’t end up using.

Some will talk about what I wish I’d known.

Some will talk about what there was no way I could have known.

My vision is to create a world where mothers are confident, empowered and have community – because that’s where we thrive.

And that’s how we create a better future for our babies, and for everyone on this planet.

I hope you join me on this journey.

Today, I feel blessed and grateful. For you are my community.

And you have allowed me to thrive.

Thank you for the love. Thank you for the support.

Humbly,

Lisa