The following is excerpted from Holly Bellebuono's article in Taproot Magazine: Dreamtime with Newborns. And yes--that picture is me when I was but a young thing having just given birth to an even younger thing. This was Thing 1 (to be followed two years later by Thing 2) and I wasn't all that young (29) when I had my son. It's a special photo for me and I treasure those early days. This excerpt is for all the parents and grandparents who are ogling their little babes and itching to get creative in the kitchen with herbie crafts and keepsakes.

Of all life’s events, its very beginning is one of the most special. The birth of a baby is blissful and messy and sweet and sleepless. It’s a time when the new mother and father wake up each morning to a surprising face at which they simply want to stare, because it’s so lovely and new. The littlest things will become the memories cherished the most: when the baby opens his eyes for the first time, how tiny her hands are when they wrap around your finger, how incredibly small and warm and light the baby feels when snuggled against your chest.

We take careful detail of the smell of the baby, the delicate softness of the cheek, the surprising roundness of a little knee. All these memories are created within the dreamy blissful first few days, the misty newborn days when you’re meeting and getting to know a brand-new spirit.

Making Memories

My memories of childbirth swirl in a heady mix of scent (Douglas fir, iodine, and daffodils), color (warm poplar flooring, black woodstove, yellow flowers), and texture (flannel baby blankets, creamy herbal ointments, and the soft pressure of a newborn lying in my lap). By far, my favorite memories of my newborn are the blissful facial expressions my son had in the first few days of his life. For the most part, my infant son Gabriel appeared to be the most content little being on the planet: I can still picture him leaning back propped up on my knees so I could see his face while I relaxed against the log-cabin wall, surrounded by colorful quilts, while behind me the window let in weak March sunshine that fell against his cheek. His sleepy expression was one of complete peace and contentment.

A new baby can also be an exciting wonder-filled opportunity for older children to express their care and compassion. Gabriel was two when my second baby, daughter Madia, was born. He went with a friend during the birth and she brought him home afterwards, and I later wrote in her baby book: “When Julie brought Gabriel back to us at lunchtime, he was very good—we had prepared him. He held you on his lap and ever since has been very excited about you. He gives you kisses and talks to you and says your name (Ba-da) and keeps you carefully covered with blankets.” Older children need this chance to both give and receive newborn care and love.

Happily, young children live in an enchanting world of make-believe and creativity, and by letting them participate in the joy and silliness of welcoming a new baby, we gain a great insight into their thoughts. They bring a sense of wonder and beauty to events we might take for granted, such as sleep and dreaming. In their book 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting, authors Doe and Walch quote a four-year-old as waking from sleep and announcing, “My dreams are fairy’s songs and it was just song time.” 

Magical Crafting

And yet this period of new-ness ends all-too-quickly, as astonished and in-love new parents marvel how “the time goes by so fast.” Before we know it our sleepy-eyed, soft-smelling newborns are sitting up, then toddling their way out of our family beds and our mothering arms.

Having a newborn is a time that will never happen again with this little person and it will disappear quickly. But you can extend this lovely time (and perhaps recall it better) with the following recipes whose scents will linger in delightful ways. Each recipe is for an herbal joy you can weave into these newborn days that is simple, sweet and meaningful—fragrant or textural herbal crafts that can nourish the loving connection of your family and bring heart and soul to the mysterious and fleeting hours of babyhood. Perhaps you’ll feel inspired to experiment with these easy and comforting creations to add a bit of magic to your memories.

Flower Fairy Baby Oil

Super easy to make so you can focus your attention on your little one.

You’ll need:

1 handful fresh flowers (violet, elder, lavender, red clover, calendula, bee balm, dandelion, etc.)

1 cup sunflower oil, safflower oil, coconut oil or shea butter

A saucepan

Step 1: Pour the oil or scoop the room-temperature butter into the pan over gentle heat.

Step 2: Shred the flowers between your fingers and sprinkle into the warm oil.

Step 3: Cover loosely and allow the flowers to infuse in the oil (not simmer) for 20 minutes or so, while you coo to your baby.

Step 4: Strain through a kitchen sieve or cheesecloth into a jar or bottle. Allow to cool completely.

To use: Gently rub into your baby’s skin for some magical, peaceful newborn-time.

Flower-N-Tree Sachets

When my son was a newborn, daffodils were blooming. My friends snipped their stalks and brought me little vases of yellow delight, which I placed all over the house. Now daffodils always remind me of my infant son. 

Making this drawer sachet is a fun and easy activity for children who can use scissors. Choose a flower or tree that’s blooming or otherwise memorable when your baby is born, and create a spontaneous and fragrant sachet for your baby’s room. Good choices include roses, violets, red clover, lemongrass, hibiscus, sage, or calendula in the summer, bee balm in the spring or fall, and pine needles or balsam fir needles in the winter. Cloves and star anise also give a strong, memorable fragrance.

You’ll need:

Dried flower petals or dried shredded leaves or bark, potpourri, or purchased herbal tea 

Essential oils (optional)

Fabric

Scissors

Ribbon or twine

If you’ve harvested fresh herbs, simply dry them on a rack in a cool oven, hung above a woodstove, or spread on a screen in the sun. Once crispy, they’re ready to use.

Step 1: Cut the fabric into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. It’s easiest to trace around a dish and then cut, or fold the fabric and cut a half-circle. Be as precise as possible.

Step 2: Place 2-to-3 tablespoons of dried herbs into the center. Drizzle a few drops of essential oil into the dried herbs if desired (avoid pennyroyal oil if pregnant).

Step 3: Gently pull up the sides and tie with ribbon 1-to-2 inches below the top. Place in clothing drawers and diaper baskets.

Welcome Baby Tea

It’s lovely to come home from the hospital or emerge from a homebirth to a hot cup of nourishing tea. These nutrient-rich herbs will help give the mother her strength back, not to mention they taste great and smell heavenly.

You’ll need

4 or 5 tablespoons dried herbs, such as nettle, alfalfa, oatstraw, lemon balm, red clover, hops, passionflower, chamomile, and/or catnip. (Note: nettle often has a slight laxative effect, which can be helpful immediately post-partum!)

a quart glass jar

strainer or sieve

Step 1: Place the herbs in the jar and pour over them enough just-boiled water to fill the jar. Cover and allow to steep a minimum of 20 minutes, preferably an hour or two or even overnight.

Step 2: Strain, reheat and sweeten as desired, then pour into a thermos. Drink throughout the day.

One of my most popular courses is Herbs for Mama & Baby, guiding you through the materia medica of herbal medicine for pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding, and infant care. It's a straightforward 3-hour webinar course and provides tons of reliable information about safe and gentle plants for healing your family naturally.

Excerpted from Taproot Magazine Issue 5, Dreamtime with Newborns, by Holly Bellebuono