Ever since my own body began to grow and stretch with my first baby five years ago, I began to scour forums, Pinterest, and books for the best way to nourish my skin as it grew with Abby. There is no telling how many products I sampled and reviews I read. I mean, y’all, do you realize that my tiny 5’3″ frame was expected to contain a baby through the craziness of teaching middle school and then later (with Micah’s pregnancy in 2016) running a birth center and chasing a toddler?!? Not a task for the faint of heart, let me tell you. 
Anyway…
At the end of the day, my favorite nourishing belly butter was a DIY that combined some of my favorite nurturing raw ingredients with soothing and supporting essential oils. So, as I prep this weekend for a pop-up event with portrait studio Little Nest here in Denver, I thought I would share my recipe and all the belly butter love. (Local peeps, I would love for you to come join me and grab a free sample jar. Check out their website and let me know if you want an invite!)
First, you will want to purchase your base ingredients. If you are a DIY beauty junkie like me, then you may actually have most of these ingredients on hand. If not, then Amazon or your local health food store are both great resources. Look for organic, cold-pressed products that have not been mixed with cheaper carrier oils, dyes or synthetic preservatives. The average American woman is exposed to 300 chemicals daily, and pregnancy is not a time to mess around with chemicals on your skin. Not only are you more sensitive, but research in the past years has shown that intrauterine neuro-development is being disrupted by the toxins in our environment. {Check out Project TENDR for the latest updates from a group of collaborating health professionals, scientists, and environmental advocates currently digging deep into the connections between in utero development and environmental toxins.}
But back to my belly butter recipe…
One of the keys to this recipe is whipping the base ingredients FOR. A. LONG. TIME. You want the overall consistency to appear similar to whipped egg whites. This will allow the belly butter to feel lighter on the skin and soak in more easily without staining all those adorable #pregnancy tank tops.
Another key is starting with ingredients that are already softened. Shea butter and cocoa butter will be the two that you may need to adjust a bit using a double boiler or microwave. Personally, my shea butter is softened and ready to whip in 30 seconds in the microwave, but my cocoa butter takes a bit longer. I heat these two separately and stop every 30 seconds and stir/dissolve, so that I can monitor the progress. Stick the ingredients in the fridge or freezer briefly to firm them up if you overheat. You don’t want warm liquids or your overall texture will be greasier, and the ingredients won’t whip together as nicely.
Finally, make sure that you adjust the essential oils that I prefer to match your own personal preferences. If you do a lot of sunbathing, leave out the tangerine and any other citrus as those can increase your photosensitivity. While I only use three oils/oil blends from Young Living, other excellent oils for skin support that you might include are Lavender, Geranium, Myrrh, Helichrysum, and Cedarwood.
And as always, you can adjust the ratios of this recipe if you want to make a smaller batch and experiment.
Nourishing Whipped Belly Butter Ingredients
1 cup Shea Butter
1/8 cup Cocoa Butter (Optional)
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 tablespoon Vitamin E
20 drops Gentle Baby essential oil blend (Young Living)
8 drops Frankincense essential oil (Young Living)
8 drops Tangerine essential oil (Young Living). (OPTIONAL if exposing belly to sunshine as will increase photosensitivity)
1. Soften Shea & Cocoa butters in the microwave for 30 seconds or until just slightly soft.
2. In an electric mixing bowl, add Shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E. Whip until light and foamy, resembling whipped egg whites in appearance.
3. Add essential oils, whip, and use spatula to make sure all ingredients are blended
4. Store in glass jar in cool, dry location.
5. Apply several times daily and allow to soak in and nourish skin.
This belly butter also makes an excellent body butter and #postpartum lotion as well. Depending on the oils you choose, you can also use this recipe to moisturize your baby’s sensitive skin. 
As always, I would love to be part of your wellness journey through pregnancy and motherhood. Let’s chat about you joining my village, and don’t forget to Follow this blog for more wellness and motherhood goodness.
A parting note for you readers that I’ll be giving to the pregnant mamas at this weekend’s local Denver event:
Dear Mama,
As you grow and stretch this pregnancy, my hope is that you take time to nurture yourself. To thank your body for its strength. Use this whipped belly butter to nourish your skin and your heart.
You are amazing. And, I pray your birth is an anointed beginning.
Hugs, Lauren Hasz, MA, CD(DONA)
acupofbliss 
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