Essential Oils and Safety for Pregnant Women

First I will say I LOVE essential oils! I have spent many years studying them, their benefits are many and of course they smell divine! At the same time there is a lot of misinformation about essential oils out in the world today. Many use them as though they are simple natural fragrances. Doing so can be dangerous for some people though, particularly pregnant women, small children, people with epilepsy, or high blood pressure. Essential oils carry concentrated plant chemicals in them, which can be dangerous if not handled properly. Here I have compiled a list of essential oils that should not be used by pregnant women. The purpose of this is to hopefully educate women and keep them and their babies safe. These oils are on the list for various reasons; some are more dangerous than others, some are only unsafe during the first trimester. Some at the bottom of the list are less common and should never be used on the skin by anyone (these are marked as such). As a rule of thumb while pregnant use extreme caution using any essential oils on the skin. Although many prefer using something natural, sometimes the synthetic scent may be safer. This list was compiled from my various reference books; it may not be all inclusive. Caution should always be used when pregnant!

Essential oils that should not be used by pregnant women

Lavender
German Chamomile
Geranium
Rose Otto
Basil
Thyme
Jasmine
Marjoram
Rosemary
Clary Sage
Citronella
Bay
Juniper Berry
Myrrh
Cinnamon of any kind
Star Anise
Spanish sage
Celery seed
Angelica
Snakeroot
Calamintha
Labdanum
Cumin
Savine
Lovage
Parsley
Aniseed
Hyssop
Verbena
Angelica Root
Cedarwood (all types)
Nutmeg
Cistus (also known as rock rose)
Sweet Fennel (bitter fennel should never be used)
Wormwood (should never be used)
Tarragon (should never be used)
Mugwort (should never be used)
Deertongue (should never be used)
Wormseed (should never be used)
Camphor (should never be used)
Cassia (should never be used)
Pennyroyal (should always be avoided)
Oregano (should always be avoided)
Boldo leaf (should always be avoided)
Jaborandi (should always be avoided)
Bitter almond (should always be avoided)
Rue (should always be avoided)
Common sage (should always be avoided)
Santolina (should always be avoided)
Sassafras (should always be avoided)
Summer savory (should always be avoided)
Winter savory (should always be avoided)
Tansy (should always be avoided)
Thuja (should always be avoided)
Ajowan (should always be avoided)

Stepping it up!!

Well, today I walked a bit with my crutches off the ground! Yeehaw!! Yeah, I was limping, but my right ankle also supported my full weight!! Yeah, I am sore, but at least I did it! I am trusting God to finish the healing He has started in me, and know that I will be walking tall again soon!

Walking Again???

Well, not quite! I took a few little walks with my crutches, but still can not put my full weight on my right leg. Ouch, it hurts! I knew it would be hard, but had no idea it would be THIS hard! You know you hear of people having to learn how to walk again? Well I would always think how silly that sounded, why would someone have to relearn how to walk? How could they forget in just a few months?

I now understand exactly what this means. No, people don't forget how to walk, their muscles become very weak and they CAN'T walk. I am experiencing this now. My mind knows exactly what needs to be done, but my legs just aren't doing it. They sit there painfully protesting this activity. It is a real challenge to force them into motion again. It turns out my left ankle is sprained and my right ankle had extreme trauma that needs to be overcome. Walking in two braces is not easy either. It is very hard to balance and not fall again.

I know God is with me. This is just a real hard time. I appreciate all the prayers!

My Namesake, On Etsy!

A super sweet seller on Etsy named this adorable pink marshmallow after me! Lucy the marshmallow, isn't she precious! I have some of her donuts and mini marshmallows and they are all adorable, my kids love them! I highly recommend Yvonne, from ThreeFive18.etsy.com! She has very creative and unique plush toys, and accessories too! Check out her shop!

New Colors!!!

I spent some time formulating a few new colors this morning, and I think they are so pretty! One is a new 3-in-1 color (can be worn on eyes, cheeks or lips) and it is perfect for summer. It's a nice peachy shimmer that adds warmth and vitality to your summer look. I think I am going to call it Peach Glow. The other is a sparkly eye color that is a deep greyish blueish purpleish color. It's so gorgeous, but hard to explain! I think it will be called Twilight, after the time of day not the movie! Both of these new colors will be listed as soon as I have time to take some good pictures of them, so keep a look out for them! Hmmm, I might even make up a few more new colors if I feel inspired ~Lucy

A Journey in a Wheelchair

Well I have not been able to walk since March 24th, and now I am told I have one more week till I can start gradually putting weight on my right leg again. On March 30th I had a stainless steel plate and 7 screws put into my leg to stabilize the two broken bones in my ankle. It has been a very long hard road and I have learned a lot from this experience. I have learned that I don’t have to do everything myself, I do have a family who can and will help! I have learned just how difficult it is to function in a wheelchair and actually get things done. I have learned how to get in and out of my house by scooting on my butt and only using one leg, since there is no way in without getting over at least a few steps! I have a profound new respect for people who can deal with an inability to walk and don’t let it stop them.

Above all this has been another lesson to me in leaning on the Lord and letting Him be my strength. The Bible says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, and yet again He has shown me this is true. The day after I broke my ankle I just cried and cried. I had no idea how I was going to make it through this time. How was I supposed to care for my kids? Keep up with my business? Cook? Clean? Finish up with the last class of my degree (which was half way through when I was injured)? How was I supposed to endure the pain of another surgery and weeks of healing? The weeks ahead seemed so overwhelming I did not know how it would be possible to get through it all while in so much pain. But here I am now and I see that God has truly carried me through it all. It has been very hard, but God is also very faithful. He made a way for me to have help everyday with cooking, cleaning and caring for my kids. He gave me the grace to get everything done each day that I needed to do, and the patience to let other people do all the things I could not do!

In exactly one week I go back to the doctor and I am supposed to be able to start taking my first steps with a brace on. It will still be a long road and I know it won’t be easy, but I have the confidence that the Lord will carry me through this time too. There is nothing I can face in this life that is too much for Him. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!