My Story with Adrenal Support

I see a dietician regularly to maintain a healthy me. She often asks me questions that seem totally unrelated. For a while, she was hinting that maybe my endocrine system needed more support, specifically, my adrenals. I didn't want to believe her because I'm a pretty healthy person and honestly, I have a fear of something being "wrong" with me. I always brushed her aside. When my son turned two, my husband and I decided to start trying for baby #2. I was still breastfeeding on demand, and cosleeping. My son would nurse every 1-3 hours at night, so I was never getting a full night of sleep. After about six months of trying unsuccessfully, I decided to maybe address some of the issues my dietician spoke of.

For me, my essential oils were the best approach. I had tweaked my diet and I really was eating a very balanced and nourishing diet, so I wasn't sure I'd see much results from changing much else. I began a protocol of using a blend of rosemary, clove and nutmeg. I mixed it in an old bottle. For every teaspoon of carrier oil (I used organic olive oil), I added 7 drops of rosemary, 3 drops of clove and 3 drops of nutmeg. Every night, I would put 1-2 drops of the mixture in my hands, rub them together, then rub them on my back above where my adrenals are located (above my kidneys, so basically, both sides just at my bra line). The first week or so, I actually covered the area after I applied the oils with a hot washcloth and I laid down for 15-20 minutes. I found this very relaxing even if it didn't "do" anything. The hot compress is supposed to help your body absorb the oils. After that first week, I went to just applying the 1-2 drops before bed, then smelling my hands with a few deep breaths.

After about a couple weeks, I noticed some differences! I was shocked! If you had asked me about these symptoms before I started the routine, I never would have been able to identify them because they had become so normal to me. For example, I suddenly felt like when my muscles were relaxed, they were truly relaxed. I could now identify that I had always been holding a little bit of tension in my muscles. The other thing were my thoughts and reactions to stressors. I noticed that my thoughts seemed to be slower and more manageable. When I was faced with a stressor, my reaction wasn't so dramatic or drastic. My husband could talk to me without pushing my buttons. My toddler didn't frustrate me easily. It has been an amazing change! As an added bonus, we were able to conceive after only one month! I have since stopped using the blend every day because I'm super sensitive to smell, and because clove oil, used in excess, can be dangerous to maintaining a pregnancy.

Adrenal fatigue can be triggered by any sort of stressor: getting married, moving, working long hours, death of a loved one, parenting small children, or big children, being a caretaker, surgery, dieting, chronic infections, etc.

Some symptoms include: anxiety, fatigue, feeling tired even after sleeping all night, weight gain, craving salty or sweet snacks, changes in your period, hot flashes or night sweats, mood instability (for me, it was manifested in anger outbursts), low tolerance for stress and decreased libido.

In addition to maybe trying some essential oils, also address stress in the ways we've all heard of: meditate, laugh, enjoy good company, pray, listen to music, gently exercise, practice yoga, deep breathing exercises, journal, and eat a healthy, balanced diet, limiting processed foods.

Try it out and see what might change for you!

**Please also see my post about supporting my reproductive system as it ends up also being part of my conception story.