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The
preconceptual period
Women
who are planning on become pregnant are naturally concerned
to keep themselves in good health in preparation for such
an important physiological and psychological event in their
lives. They may well stop smoking, reduce their alcohol consumption,
eat healthily and try to get some exercise.
Homeopathy
can be useful in this period because a homeopathic remedy
can be prescribed constitutionally. This means that a remedy
is chosen for the whole woman rather than any specific condition.
The homeopathic doctor will take a very detailed history of
all previous diseases, any current illnesses or symptoms as
well as the usual homeopathic information about dietary habits,
sleep and personality as well as many other good features.
If the doctor thinks that there is a good reason to prescribe
a homeopathic remedy for the patient, homeopaths believe that
a correctly prescribed constitutional remedy for the patient,
homeopaths believe that a correctly prescribed constitutional
remedy can help the patient in general by lifting her energy,
helping her sleep and even make her feel better psychologically.
Infertility
Homeopathy
is sometimes useful for couples with fertility problems. Of
course, orthodox, investigations are essential in cases of
infertility, but in many couples all these tests are normal
but the woman just does not fall pregnant. We have all heard
of a case where eventually the couple adopt a child and soon
afterwards the wife becomes pregnant. Homeopathic treatment
of both partners can maximise their health in a general way
and it is reasonable that optimal health in a person would
include higher fertility.
Pregnancy
Most
women are naturally concerned about consuming medications
during pregnancy. Homeopathic remedies are generally completely
safe in pregnancy and can, therefore, be useful in treating
some the the troublesome symptoms that often accompany this
state.
Morning
sickness
Homeopathic
remedies such as Colchicum (especially if the smell of food
aggravated the problem), Cocculus (when car sickness is also
a factor) and Sympharicarpus racemosa, as well as many others,
are useful when trying to treat this problem. Ideally the
remedy should be chosen by a trained homeopath to suit the
individual as well as her particular symptoms.
Before
labour
The
remedy Caulophyllum is useful in preparing the uterus for
labour and can be given daily for the last few weeks of pregnancy.
Labour
Homeopathic
remedies are safe and useful during all three stages of labour.
Caulophyllum can be used to optimise the action of the uterine
muscles. Other remedies can be chosen to suit any symptoms
occurring during this challenging physiological episode.
Inevitably
labour causes bruising of the soft tissues of the mother.
Arnica, the famous homeopathic remedy for bruising and injury,
is an effective remedy and can be used routinely after labour.
It can be given in a 30c strength daily for a week starting
as soon as possible after birth whether it is a vaginal or
by Caesarean section. Most surgery leads to internal bruising
and the same Arnica regimen can safely be given after any
surgical procedure.
It
is not unnatural for a woman who has given birth by section
or had an episiotomy to feel slightly resentful about being
"cut" in this way. Homeopathy places great emphasis
on such psychological symptoms and uses them in selecting
the most appropriate for the patient. In these cases the remedy
Staphysagria can be most helpful. This remedy can be used
after any surgical procedure where the patient resents having
to be subjected to the discomfort or inconvenience. This resentment
may not be freely volunteered as patients may recognise intellectually
the necessity of the procedure but unconsciously still resent
having it done to them. This is why homeopaths have to question
their patients very carefully and comprehensively, especially
with regard to how they feel psychologically about what is
happening to them.
The
postnatal period
Postnatal
depression
A carefully chosen remedy for the patient as a whole can be
effective in this condition. This requires taking a comprehensive
homeopathic history, as different mothers have different reasons
for being depressed. Some cases are very severe and may well
need orthodox medication as well as counselling. However,
there is no harm in trying homeopathy initially in these cases
and only using conventional medication if results are unsatisfactory.
This principle is important for homeopathic doctors in treating any condition. If a patient is not responding to homeopathy, we can always revert back to surgery or drugs. If a patient has a life-threatening disease (or one where there is a risk of irreversible tissue damage) such as meningitis or appendicitis then there is no time for homeopathy, and antibiotics and surgery respectively should be implemented. However, in most conditions there is time first to try the holistic stimulus of a homeopathic remedy to attempt to persuade the body to heal itself. This is in contradistinction to a prevailing "enlightened" attitude towards homeopathy in that "there is no harm in trying it when orthodox treatment can do more for the patient".
Breast
feeding
Problems with breast feeding such as failure to produce enough
milk or failure of the milk to "dry up" after breast
feeding has ceased can often respond to homeopathic medicines.
The remedy Lac caninum is often considered in these sort of
problems. Sore nipples often respond well to the application
of homeopathic Calendula cream. It is quite safe for mothers
who are breast feeding to take suitably prescribed homeopathic
remedies. A healthier mother means a healthier baby.
Homeopathy
for the under-fives
Neonates
If labour has been quite traumatic and long and if forceps
have been used it is reasonable to assume that the baby has
been quite bruised physically and even psychologically. Frederick
Leboyer in his book Birth Without Violence emphasise the need
for making the experience of birth as gentle as possible for
the baby. Even the psychological state of those present at
the birth is considered important. This book and others has
led to a swing towards home deliveries as well as gentler
ways of dealing with labour and in much less clinical and
more home-like environments.
However,
clinical procedures are often necessary for a satisfactory
labour. If the infant has had a long traumatic labour and
experienced forceps on its head, which cannot be very comfortable
and certainly causes some bruising, then Arnica is again a
very useful remedy to give the baby. One can just sprinkle
a few granules of Arnica 30c or 200c on the baby's tongue.
A single dose if often enough to optimise the body's attempts
to heal its wounds.
Babies
Unfournately homeopaths cannot ask babies a long list of questions
in order to choose the best homeopathic remedy for any particular
condition. But we can ask the parents questions about the
baby as well as observing the baby most carefully. The aim
is to choose a remedy to suit the condition as well as the
infant. Chubby babies require different constitutional remedies
from thin babies, as do babies who sleep through the night
compared to those who do not.
It
is, however, sometimes possible to prescribe a remedy for
a specific condition. For example, problems with teething
often respond to the remedy Chamomilla. A few granules of
Chamomilla 30 on the tongue every hour can be tried routinely
and especially if the baby is extremely irritable, as teething
babies often are!
Young
children
Many parents are understandably reluctant about their children taking conventional drugs. In many situations, homeopathy can provide a safe and effective
alternative to drugs. This applies to acute, recurrent and chronic illness.
Acute
illness
Many viral illnesses such as colds and flu against which we
do not have effective conventional medication, can be helped
by carefully chosen homeopathic remedies. It is possible to
treat various aches, pains and headaches where no clear conventional
diagnosis can be made. This is because homeopathic remedies
are chosen on the specific symptoms of the patient. Of course
it is preferable to make an orthodox diagnosis, but this is
not a sine qua non for the prescription of a homeopathic
remedy which may be helpful.
Recurrent
illness
A child with acute tonsillitis may well respond to penicillin.
However, when the problem recurs several times every winter
one begins to sense that the problem is not only the causative
bacteria but the fact that the child is susceptible to infection
of the tonsils. It is this sort of susceptibility that homeopaths
hope to rectify by prescribing a remedy for the whole patient
as well as the tonsils.
Chronic
conditions
Unfortunately we seem to be seeing an increase in childhood
chronic diseases such as eczema and asthma. In these conditions
orthodox treatment is mainly symptomatic with the use of steriod
creams in eczema and steroid and bronchodilating inhalers
in asthma. A homeopathic doctor wall not only take a history
about the chronic illness, but also about the physical, general
and mental characteristics of the patient. Homeopathic doctors
believe that correctly chosen remedies are often able to stimulate
the body's innate healing ability leading to an improvement
of chronic conditions.
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