“The objective of treatment during pregnancy is to alleviate emotional and physical stresses. In this way homeopathy restores the mind and body to balance producing a feeling of wellbeing.”
“If the contractions are not quite as efficient as they could be or the cervix isn’t dilating effectively there are many specific remedies which can help the process flow more smoothly. These remedies are available from your homeopath after consultation and education about their effective use.”
Even though many of the normal and expected effects of pregnancy can be uncomfortable, there is often no satisfactory treatment available in our current health care system. Troublesome symptoms are often left untreated. Fortunately homeopathic medicine offers an effective treatment not only for pregnancy issues but also for birthing problems. While homeopathy has been used around the world for 200 years, in Australia treatment during pregnancy and birth is only recently becoming more common.
What is homeopathy?
Homeopathy is a holistic system of medicine, which is different from modern medicine because it works on the whole person and not just on one symptom. For example, if morning sickness is treated with homeopathy we expect the symptoms of the morning sickness to abate as well as general health to improve. This happens because homeopathy is capable of working on mental, emotional and physical problems at the same time. In this way it works on the whole person. Mental and emotional problems might include anxieties and fears that can sometimes arise in pregnancy particularly if there has been a previous difficult birth. A common physical problem like morning sickness is often thought of as a normal part of the first trimester of pregnancy and it can be quite debilitating for some mothers. Morning sickness responds well to homeopathic treatment.
Homeopathy is different because the homeopathic medicine (remedy) is chosen on a highly individual basis. Three mothers with morning sickness may all receive a different remedy according to their individual characteristics. A restless mother with vomiting at the smell of food will receive a completely different remedy to a mother who wants to lie quietly and feels better after eating.
Homeopathy is easily administered, tastes good and doesn’t have the side effects of modern medicine. This is because only trace amounts of the active ingredient are used in a specially prepared form. After more than two centuries of homeopathic prescribing, as recorded in journals around the world, it has been consistently shown that homeopathy is a highly effective system of medicine.
How does homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies activate the body’s own healing powers, working gently and sometimes rapidly to reduce symptoms. The remedies are useful in the treatment of long standing illnesses and also recent, everyday problems in pregnancy, birth, lactation and the post partum period. The duration of treatment will depend on the presenting problem.
A pregnant woman is undergoing many changes and her healing power is especially active. This is an ideal time to treat the mother and the baby within. Homeopathic remedies cannot cause side effects to either the mother or the baby, and you cannot become addicted to them. This is because the active ingredient in them is in a highly diluted form.
Pregnancy
The objective of treatment during pregnancy is to alleviate emotional and physical stresses. In this way homeopathy restores the mind and body to balance producing a feeling of wellbeing. This works hand in hand with good diet, exercise and relaxation. Problems which sometimes arise during pregnancy like morning sickness; haemorrhoids (piles); varicose veins; backache; cramps and oedema (swelling) can all be helped by homeopathic treatment, but professional advice from a homeopath should be sought.
Symptoms may surface during pregnancy because it is a time when unresolved issues come up. Because they can affect the birth process homeopaths encourage mothers to have these symptoms treated prior to birth. Emotions such as anxiety, fear or anticipation respond beautifully to homeopathic remedies.
Childbirth
Homeopathic treatment can be of assistance during the birth especially if the labour slows down or the mother becomes worried or tired. If the contractions are not quite as efficient as they could be or the cervix isn’t dilating effectively there are many specific remedies which can help the process flow more smoothly. These remedies are available from your homeopath after consultation and education about their effective use.
In Australia it is becoming more usual that parents take remedies with them to the birth and more midwives are accepting that parents turn up with their Arnica and other remedies on hand. It is not advisable for the birthing mother or partner to have to decide which remedy is needed during birth because their focus will be on the birth itself. It is advisable that a "detached observer" (if that’s possible at all) be the remedy giver and not the birthing mother or her partner. It is ideal for the support person to become familiar with the remedies before the birth and to have homeopathy included on their list of resources. The support person needs to be familiar with the remedies and the method of dosing and would benefit from being present at the consult before the birth about how to use the remedies.
The remedies are not meant to take the place of expert medical attention when it is needed, but can be used in conjunction with it. As always, you would take the advice of your midwife. You know that a remedy is indicated when the birthing mother starts acting differently to what she is normally like, bearing in mind that the birth is in itself an experience and your midwife is the best person to assess whether a remedy is indeed needed.
An example of this is when the birthing mother, who is normally easy going, becomes snappy, discouraged, says she cannot stand the pain during a time when her contractions are insufficient. The support person seeing this change in the mother’s disposition chooses a remedy that fits the new disposition. In this case the remedy of choice would probably be Chamomilla. After it is given the mother becomes calmer, less sensitive to the pain and the contractions are normalised.
Choosing a remedy is sometimes a hard thing to do for even the most well seasoned support person. When in doubt do not give a homeopathic remedy, use Rescue Remedy instead. If you start thinking that you see the need for a different remedy every half an hour think again. Often you will find your midwife saying “What’s happening is O.K. this is part of the process, go with it”. However if there is distress, choose the remedy that matches the symptoms best. When needed the remedies can be taken fairly frequently, especially if there is emotional distress.
The remedies
Rescue Remedy: Have a glass of water with five drops of Rescue Remedy added beside you all the time. It can be taken in sips at any time by any of the group (mother, partner, support person and midwife) if they feel panicky or fearful and especially if it is difficult to find the appropriate homoeopathic remedy. It can be rubbed on the wrist, forehead or around the ears, if unable to be taken by mouth.
Arnica:This is a well-known remedy used to relieve bruising, especially to the perineum post- delivery. The mother who needs it will say, "The bed feels too hard". Even if there are no observable signs of bruising and the mother just feels sore and bruised all over, Arnica will help. A mother needing Arnica will often suppress her feelings especially if she is a bit in shock, and says, "I’m OK" when she plainly isn’t.
Caulophyllum:Its major use is in establishing effective contractions in labour. Some homeopathic books advise pregnant women to take Caulophyllum routinely during the last weeks or months before delivery to prepare them for a faster and easy labour. Discuss this with a homeopath before doing so. It is important that you have professional guidance in the correct use and dose because some women have taken the wrong dosage after reading about it in a homeopathy guidebook to labour. Instead of easy labours they have sometimes had short but overpowering or protracted labours. If this is not your first baby and you have a history of easy labours, definitely do not take it.
If it is your first baby and you are worried about the birth consult a homeopath, who will advise you properly on this remedy and any others you may need. When used appropriately Caulophyllum may be indicated for protracted and exhausting labours or for going past the due date. If a mother goes past the due date and her doctor is suggesting induction of labour, a special regime can be advised. Caulophyllum is needed when there is irritability (not anger) with exhaustion and trembling and shivering, or severe spasmodic, intermittent pains without progress. It is also needed when the mother is so weak that she cannot develop normal contractions or the contractions flag from long continuance and exhaustion.
Other remedies which may be suggested for use during birth include Aconite, Belladonna, Gelsemium, Pulsatilla, Kali Phos and Chamomilla.
Calendula tincture
This tincture has healing and antiseptic properties and is for external use. Use one teaspoon of the tincture to a cup of warm water. This diluted calendula can be poured over the perineum while passing urine if there is stinging or burning. It also can be poured on a piece of soft gauze and placed on the perineum, to ease discomfort and aid healing. The piece of gauze should be kept moist with the calendula mixture. Use the mixture to cleanse tears and stitches. It is also available in a cream form which is useful for cracked nipples and can be applied between feeds and washed off before feeds.
After birth
There are remedies available after the birth which aid healing and recovery, for example sore perineum, bruising, sore nipples, mastitis, haemorrhoids, exhaustion and emotional overload. If the baby is not settled or if intervention was required during the birth there are remedies which gently restore harmony and relieve any remaining symptoms that may be present.
As homeopaths we wish more women were aware of the profound effects of homeopathy. This is especially true for the emotional issues surrounding pregnancy, problems after a traumatic birth, mastitis without the use of antibiotics and emotional overload after the birth.
To find a local homeopath phone the Australian Homeopathic Association in your state. www.homeopathyoz.org
