This post is sponsored by my OVARIES (a.k.a. this is NOT a sponsored post & you should know that going in; Gentlemen, you have been warned).

Well hi there, ladies!  We need to talk.  Ok iiii need to chit chat because, for the love of all that is holy, I thought I might be losing my mind when my first real hot flash went down.  I’ll quickly set the stage for you…  

Back in early February my Husband and I were on a 4 night cruise with our boys.  On the second night we were all fancied up and we had just sat down for a nice, reservation-only dinner at the adult only Italian restaurant on board.

The flameless candles were flickering, Italian classical music was playing softly, I had no idea where our children were (just kidding but they weren’t with us which is the point)… anyhoo, we were pretty much all set to have a fantastic evening.  

Soon after our delightful server asked if we would prefer still or sparkling water and had prepared an ahh-mazing Antpasti spread, table side, I starting feeling a little… off.  It’s hard to describe but I felt warm and sort of weird (and not in a water-breaking, labor kind of way because that office is CLOSED).

I took off my little cute shrug sweater and we joked about who would get the most of the incredible, fresh Parmigiano Reggiano (me, natch – see my bio and Mr. Claire knows I will always win at all things cheese).

While I do firmly believe that cheese is sent here from God to make me happy, I was progressively feeling warmer and weirder.  And FAST.  I could feel the perspiration beading on my upper lip.  You guys, I am from Florida.  I am used to “surface of the sun” heat in the summer.  This was different.

I remember Mr. Claire looking at me and cocking his head to the side sort of like a puppy (“Errr??”)…

I said I needed air and excused myself to step outside onto the deck.  It was early February so, even in the Bahamas, the air felt glorious.  I breathed deeply and concentrated on resisting the urge to take off all of my clothes.  It was a family cruise, after all.   I hear that’s frowned upon.

What the heck was going on with me??  

After a few minutes I felt back to normal and was able to get back to the table after a quick stop in the “loo” to make sure my face hadn’t melted off like that bad guy in Raiders Of The Lost Ark ( the “face melt guy” images were just too creepy so you get Indiana Jones because… Hey there, “hottie”).

Just to be clear – this whole situation took about 20 minutes from start to finish.  Mr. Claire was naturally concerned.  While I generally have the iron stomach of a sailor (is that even a thing?  We were on a ship so work with me here). He’s prone to feeling faint if he even sees a hospital.  

And it was there – over the amazing Caprese, Cioppino, Risotto and Osso Bucco –  that I realized…

“OMGosh, I just had my first hot flash”!! 

You guys, there isn’t anything remotely sexy about it, I can tell you that much.  Fortunately we were able to enjoy our dinner, although I felt really tired and was in bed by 9PM, and the rest of the cruise went off without another… trip to the “dark side”.

Once we got home I was definitely feeling out of sorts, however.  Instead of feeling rested I felt anxious. My mood was pretty glum and I had no desire to do anything at all, let alone think about catching up on work emails, unpacking (my suitcase actually may or may not still be packed) or anything else.  

I happened to be online the next day and caught a FB live video from a friend of mine who is a family physician and she was talking about hormonal support and Progessence Plus (P+).  I immediately perked up.  Many of you may know that I have been using Young Living Essential Oils in our home to help support overall wellness since June 2014 but – and this is key –  I hadn’t been using them consistently at ALL.  I actually already owned P+ and had used it a couple of times but hadn’t really given that one much thought.  That was all about to change…

I seriously went and grabbed mine out of the bathroom as fast as I could.  I didn’t know what I was feeling lately but I knew my hormones were starting to get a little (ok a LOT) whack-a-doo.  I also knew I didn’t want to go through that hot flash thing again (or any word that remotely contained the letters “m-e-n-o-p-a-u-s-e” in any order) without any support.  You guys… 

It has truly been a GAME CHANGER.

In case you are wondering, Progessence Plus contains wild yam extract which is a naturally occurring progesterone (bio identical for humans) and, unlike many synthetic hormones, our body can actually assimilate it and knows what to do.  I honestly have trouble grasping WHY it works to support our hormones and the effects of menopause (amongst other lady issues like PMS, etc) but it does and you can Google the benefits of Progessence Plus.  I also have a whole FAQ sheet so you can certainly let me know specific questions and I can get back to you.

I can tell you that I will never leave home without “my girl” P+ ever again.  You can see I added a roller top to mine. 

The long and short of it is, I also went back to my incredible Young Living starter kit and my other stash of (neglected) oils and I started using them daily.  Consistently. Without fail. The last six weeks have been like night and day with regard to my energy level, my sleep patterns and, of course, those cray cray hormones. #ByeFelicia  

Please understand that essential oils are not medicine.  100% per grade therapeutic essential oils (the only kind I will use – no chemicals, no added fragrances, no synthetics) can help support ALL of the systems in our bodies so that our bodies can, in turn, do what they were made to do.  I like to look at them like fruits and vegetables.  We can’t eat one apple a week and expect to have amazing results.  It just doesn’t work that way.

If you have ANY questions about getting started with using essential oils in your home to support wellness you can take a look at my Essential Oils page HERE and just send me an email or comment below.  Sometimes things are just too darn good not to share with friends, right? 

Anyone else have a hot flash or menopause story?  I’d really (no REALLY!!) love to hear all about it – we’re all in this together!

Be well!!  xoxo

*Note: I am not a doctor.   The information above is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure a disease.  Before taking any supplements or natural hormones, you should always consult your medical provider.

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 Claire is a wife and busy working Mom to three boys and A Little CLAIREification is a lifestyle blog committed to bringing readers “Bright Ideas On A Budget” – from recipes, crafts and DIY projects to time management tips, meal planning and inspiration.  

A self proclaimed CHEESE addict and lover of Sharpie markers in every color known to man, Claire also likes to throw a little fun and laughter in the mix as well.  I’d love for you to follow along!

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This content was originally published here.