6 Health Benefits Of Virgin Coconut Oil For Mom And Baby

If there's one product that I would recommend for moms and babies, that would probably be Virgin Coconut Oil or VCO. This is not at all a sponsored post but I just want to share to all the mommies especially the first time moms like me about the all-around mom and baby product, the VCO.

I really love this product because it's cheap, it's available locally in fact it's abundant here in the Philippines, and it's multifunctional. I am a sucker for anything multi-purpose. We use Dr. VCO Virgin Coconut Oil Health and Nutrition Food Supplement and bought it from Sesou--my go-to store for anything organic and safe products.

Virgin Coconut Oil is one of the most healthiest oils in the market and it is considered as a superfood. It is produced via cold-pressing the fat our of the white coconut meat. It is made up of "good" cholesterol and contains high in lauric acid which is a Medium Chain Fatty Acid (MCFA) that can also be found in breastmilk and Avocados. Lauric Acid is antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal that can help protect mom and baby against bacteria, viruses, and diseases.

There are so many benefits of VCO--it's for weight loss, energy booster, increase good cholesterol, improves dental health and digestive health, it can help stabilize sugar levels, great to add in your hair and facial routine, treats eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, dry skin, and wounds and burns, and it can also act as UV shield from the harmful rays of sun.

The list is quite long but personally, I use VCO for myself and for my baby for the following uses:

1. Natural appetite booster and vitamins that can make my toddler get fat.

I would give one (1) teaspoon of VCO to Min Joon 1-2x a day and usually I give it after meals when he's done eating his food. Good thing that he likes the taste of VCO and almost always would gladly open his mouth to take it. I've been giving him VCO as early as 8-9 months until now that he's 19 months old. I allow him to take VCO as an alternative to the vitamins bought in drug stores. I wanted to give him a natural alternative to kids vitamins but of course with the go signal from our pediatrician before anything else. I did notice that Min Joon is a healthy and active baby, rarely gets sick, and he maintained his weight despite not eating or is being picky on his food on some days.

2. Help ease constipation.

When Min Joon was around 8 months and his gut was still getting used to all the solids he's been eating, he would get constipated with all the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and bananas. These food would make MinMin not poop for several days and I would worry about it for days too! When he's constipated, we would give a few spoons of VCO again and it would help him go. We've tried the "P" foods such as prune juice, papaya, and pears on him but VCO is still more effective in helping poop.

3. All around skin oil rescue.

When Min Joon was still a newborn, his skin was very sensitive and delicate. He would get drool rash, diaper rash, baby acne, dry skin patches, insect bites, and so much more. I would put a bit of breastmilk to help these skin problems disappear and breastmilk does wonders to his skin! But, aside from breastmilk, I use VCO whenever he has skin boo boos and the effect is also the same--gone in a few applications.

I've tested the power of VCO too when it comes to healing minor cuts (when I sometimes forget to clip his nails and he would accidentally scratch his face) and minor burns. Once we were eating in Healthy Shabu-Shabu, Min Joon was sleeping on my chest in a baby carrier and I was so hungry that time so I multi-tasked and cooked my food while carrying him. Then I accidentally touched the hot spoon with boiling soup and accidentally spilled some soup on the carrier. The soup seeped on the carrier's mesh and touched his back skin. He cried so hard and I was really shocked and guilty of his burn. We did first aid immediately--cold water (not ice!), burn ointment, lots of aloe vera, and when for faster healing of the burn and the scar, we used VCO religiously. After a month, no more trace of the burnt skin. Hallelujah! Thank you VCO also, lessoned learned for this newbie momma--NEVER EVER MULTI-TASK WHEN THERE'S A SAFETY HAZARD FOR YOUR BABY. I've learned the hard way and it pains to see him suffer from a burn because of me.

4. All-natural nipple moisturizer and boob massage oil for breastfeeding momma.

I've been breastfeeding for almost 20 months now and Min Joon is a boob monster. To help moisturize my over used nips, I use VCO to help heal nipple cracks and blisters. I also use it to massage my boobies whenever I feel too engorge due to milk build up. Using VCO gave me peace of mind knowing that he can ingest VCO "residue" on my boobies while feeding. I've tried the nipple balms and creams in the market but I find it too sticky and was afraid that it can be toxic despite their "organic" and safe claims.

5. Blur Out Postpartum Skin Imperfections.

While I was pregnant, I prayed that I will be spared from stretch marks and dark Linea Nigra because in my mind, it's easier to deal with my postpartum weight than having permanent skin issues. My prayers were answered only for a few months into pregnancy. I was even bragging to my friends "Oh I don't have stretch marks, thank God!" but I was wrong. When I reached my 6th or 7th month, I had very very dark Linea Nigra (they said it's because I was carrying a baby boy.. IDK) and dark stretch marks. My belly ballooned toward the end of my pregnancy and my skin stretched so much it had to leave a tiger mark as a souvenir (lol!) and a badge for being a brave momma.

I hated my belly marks for a long time. The Caesarean stitches didn't make me feel proud either (Now, I am.) because it made my belly looked so messed up. I again would put VCO religiously all over my belly to help blur out the ugly marks as recommended by my breastfeeding counselor. She said, oils such as baby oil or VCO can lighten scars including Linea Nigra and stretch marks. It was so effective that my lines are not visible anymore--all gone! VCO helped regained my confidence and helped me accepted my momma tiger stripes.

6. Secret to Lighten Underarms.

Finally, after the successful whitening of my Linea Nigra and pregnancy stretch marks, I've also used my trusted VCO to help speed up the lightening of my underarms. I admit that I use other whitening products on my underarms too but I think the VCO and a consistent underarm care routine helped my underarms become beautiful again haha. Check out the vlog I did and the surprising effect of the products and routine I did on my underarm.

How about you, Mommy? What's the one recommended baby and mommy product you swear by? Share your thoughts below.