It's Hot! Hot! Hot!

Happy Mother's Day!

Whether  you are a new mom or a more "experienced" mom, or the grandest of moms, today brings sweet memories, melancholy remembrances, and inspiring hopes for the future.  Enjoy your day with your loved ones!

I've been struggling with hot flashes lately and have been reading all I can to find a natural remedy.  Do you know what I found out?  Overwhelming so, the answer to "What are hot flashes and what causes them?" is "No one knows."  Really?  No one knows?  Is that acceptable?  This is probably just another instance where women are not treated equally and their problems are just not as important.  But, I'm not going to jump on that bandwagon.  Not my message.

I did find a lot of advice on what to do when you're having a hot flash.  (But I want them to stop permanently, not just alleviate the problem!)  Really - they last somewhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes, but that's enough to saturate my sheets with sweat.  There's no time to react. They come on that fast! (Sorry.  I know this is not a topic many would like to hear about.  And it's only my second post ...  Again, sorry.)

I started taking something called Shatavari powder - an herb made from a type of asparagus.  You put it in warm water and drink it up.  Not unpleasant, but not a cup of tea.  That didn't seem to work.

I am taking Black Cohosh Root as a supplement I am supposed to take three times a day.  I don't remember to do anything three times a day (except eat), and it seems when I do take them, I'm not feeling any relief.  

I love my essential oils, but the cures I found in my reference materials gives suggestions for soothing with peppermint or clary sage.  I don't have the clary sage yet, but peppermint is hot and I just got hotter with that.  I've taken to keeping a spray bottle of water near my bed and just spritz myself from head to toe when they occur, in attempts to bring my body temperature down quickly.  That brings some relief, but then I'm wet and awake.  And when I'm awake, my brain decides to get in gear and pulls out any and all concerns I have in my life at the moment -- which, you guessed it, brings on more hot flashes.

So, where does that leave me?  Well, I've been thinking about the fact that hot flashes breed and multiply with stress.  I've been working overtime on the school play, and every time I think about what's left to do, here comes a hot flash.  That got me to thinking that perhaps if I can control the stress, I can experience less instances of flashing ...  I seem to have more flashes at work than on the weekend.  (Hmm, maybe I should retire?)

This morning I got up and consulted my Lemon Aid Library - a FB group where people share their experiences with Young Living essential oils, and ask for help about various conditions.  I searched and quickly found a few suggestions for using Stress Away, a blend of oils for combating - what else? Stress.  I made a roller bottle with Stress Away, lime oil, and a carrier oil of fractionated coconut oil.  Smells like a day at the beach!  That's hopeful already.   I'll be sure to let you know how it's working.  

I hope you enjoy a beautiful, sunny, spring day!  Go hug your mamas or your babies or your loves and just breathe!