Link to hemeopathic remedies in childbirth

[MrsD'ville mkII]

I've just found this link and thought it might be useful to those of us planning to pop in the next wee while:

http://homeopathyresource.com/health/us ... irth.shtml

I had arnica and aconite up my sleeve but bellis perennis looks good, and calendula. Generally lots of useful information but as always with these things, proceed with caution.

[Clara]

There was a moment during the birth of my daughter when one midwife turned to the other and said "I just don't understand why all the homeopathics aren't working"...................me and OH nearly died laughing.......

[lsm1066]

Be careful with Calendula, especially if you have any kind of non-dissolving stitches. It's a fabulous healing promoter but unfortunately I've known a couple of people had their stitches embedded because they healed so fast (which sounds great to me). Have a look at the Helios website (http://www.helios.co.uk/), where they have a pregnancy and labour kit for sale. Also, your own local homoeopath might put together a birth pack for you, with potencies higher than you can get over the counter (although for those of you in South London, there's a pharmacy in Lewisham which sells potencies up to 200c).

I'm a maternity reflexologist and in what I do, it's important that I show birth partners how to use techniques in labour, so don't forget (whether you're using homoeopathy or anything else out of the ordinary) that your partner needs to be on board with it and know what to do when remedies are needed. And like you Clara, I'm constantly amused when hospital staff are surprised when things outside their usual sphere work. And we just sit there and say, "well dur!"

[Clara]

And like you Clara, I'm constantly amused when hospital staff are surprised when things outside their usual sphere work. And we just sit there and say, "well dur!"

I think you need to read my post again.........

[Annpan]

Sorry, Clara, I didn't understand your post Can you explain?

[Clara]

I had non-medical alternative midwives attend my birth, after a couple of days labour and trying for 12 hours to push out a breech baby I was letting them throw anything down my throat in the vague hope that it might work and at least they felt like they were doing something to help - because the alternative was to transfer to hospital for a lecture and a C-section. Anyhow whilst I am a professional clinical aromatherapist and an amateur herbalist, me and OH do not "do" homeopathy, we don´t believe in it.

So that exchange happened in a very tense moment, it broke through that tension, because her tone was one of genuine puzzlement, but to us it was just so "well no of course not..............." I don´t think I can explain it any better. I think you had to be there to...........

I don´t want to get into the whole homeopathy debate, neither side ever moves so there´s no point but the post just made me remember that moment and I had to share.

[Annpan]

Ahaa... that explains it.... Thankyou.

I took arnica after E was born but I don't think it helped, but my problem was much more than bruising.

Had nothing but massage during childbirth (not through choice, they didn't believe me that I was in Labour and in a lot of pain - only got gas and air when they were stitching me up afterwards)

Certainly the massage was a Godsend, small firm circular movements at the base of the spine using the heel of your hand (if I remember correctly)

I am on the fence with homeopathic medicine, but something my Mum has recently began too take is really working - hell, even if it is only a placebo effect, it works, so I hope she sticks with it (she has a long list of problems many of them psychosomatic)

[Clara]

I´m trying again for a non-hospital birth, though different midwives. I will certainly be mixing up lots of EO blends and teaching OH some techniques - sadly last time I went into labour 8 hours before we moved house, all our stuff, including my oils and the birth pool were in the new place so I had to go without.

[lsm1066]

Oops! AREN'T! I'm a bit knackered and was getting ready for a job interview (any excuse for incompetence - lol)

Still, even so, I still get that reaction and it really gets on my wick. Like the time I was called by a client to go into the hospital to hep with a reflexology induction, only to be told by the staff when I got there that I could only do it if they could start their medical induction first.

You know me by now. Don't get me started But I'll say one thing. I've never known homoeopathy work for labour either, although I do use it for other things.

Lynne

[kathleen]

Hi! I'd be really keen to hear about natural remedies that have helped anyone during childbirth - we're planning for a homebirth in late March & any ideas or advice are most welcomed Have a great new year!

[red]

its important to remember that natural remedies, and alternative medicine are not the same thing as homeopathy.

Personally I have a lot of time for the first two, and none for the last. I'm also pro modern medicine (wouldn't be here otherwise)

[kathleen]

Hi! I used herbal medicine with great success when we were trying to conceive, the local herbal medicine lady has moved to the UK leaving nobody good in her wake - that's the direction I'm hoping to go in...

[mrsflibble]

i believe everything has a place, but the same as "modern" medicine it should be treated with care.

ok, i will give sophie hiney for diarrohoea, but only if she's not got a massive temperature. honey also used for sore throats, but if it extends then we're off to the gp. i used a bach flower remedy for panic attacks, but since being on prozac i've not been having the attacks and so not needed the flowers hahaha!

[lsm1066]

Hi! I'd be really keen to hear about natural remedies that have helped anyone during childbirth - we're planning for a homebirth in late March & any ideas or advice are most welcomed

Seriously, have a look at Reflexology. It's use in pregnancy and birth are well documented and there's quite a lot of research on the subject too. For instance, an obstetrician doing research into the effectiveness of reflexology in reducing hypertension discovered, in the same study, that the subjects who received regular reflexology throughout their pregnancies had a significantly shorter first stage (have a look at http://www.gentlebirthmethod.com/birth_ ... ology.html).

Just Google (I can't believe that's a verb!) Maternity Reflexology for more info. I will, of course, add the rider that the hospital and the machines that go ping are there for a reason. If you need them, that's where you should be. And if you don't (which is statistically more likely with a home birth), brilliant!

hth
Lynne

[kathleen]

Thanks so much, the info about reflexology is really interesting, will definitely check it out some more. I'm quite happy to go to hospital & have the machines that go ping help me out if needed, we only live 5 minutes from the hospital (which makes my mother in law feel much better! She's most disturbed about the whole thing!), but it will be fantastic if we can have the whole adventure at home