Homeopathy: Supporting a Woman Through a Caesarian Birth and Recovery

I wrote this article for the January 2013 issue of Natural Baby Pros, an online magazine. This issue was focusing on Caesarian sections. Their link is http://www.naturalbabypros.com

The article link is https://www.naturalbabypros.com/learn/140-article-library/912-homeopathy-supporting-a-woman-through-a-caesarian-birth-and-recovery

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There are many scenarios resulting in a Caesarian section. Some are planned due to choice or a physical concern.  And some are the result of an emergency situation and not planned. In any scenario, the woman still goes through trauma and a healing process afterwards. Healing always takes time. Homeopathy can help with the trauma and the healing that is experienced with a Caesarian section.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine that was developed by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 1700’s. During the mid 1800’s to the early 1900’s, homeopathy was widely used in the United States, and is presently experiencing a resurgence in the United States. In addition, homeopathy is extensively practiced in England, Europe, South America, India and other parts of the world.

Homeopathy looks at each person as unique. How a woman experiences having a Caesarian section is unique to her. For example, one woman may find that it is the physical symptoms that bother her the most, such as feeling sore and bruised; tired and fatigued; concern about scarring; or breastfeeding issues. Another woman may experience the trauma more on an emotional level, feeling angry, disappointed, or let down that the birth was not as she had planned.  Again, this is showing how individual and unique we all are.

The homeopathic practitioner or homeopath takes the time to listen and to observe what it is that bothers the woman, and what it is like for her. This could be the type of pain; how often the pain is; her emotional responses to what has happened and is happening; dreams; fears and more. All of this information guides the homeopath in selecting a homeopathic remedy that is most similar to what it is that the woman is experiencing. Simply, it is matching the state of the woman to a  homeopathic remedy. This is the main principle of homeoapthy – The Law of Similars or Like Cures Like. The given homeopathic remedy stimulates the woman’s own healing process.

Here are some of the concerns that a woman may be experiencing after having a Caesarian section:

• Scarring
• Pains and discomfort from the surgery
• Pains and discomfort from labor, if the mother also experienced labor
• Emotional state – fear, anger, let down, disappointment, weepy, depression
• Exhaustion/fatigue
• Bleeding
• Breastfeeding issues
• The health of the baby

There are homeopathic remedies that are very useful in first aid situations, Caesarian section included. Below is a list of some of them. It is safe to use homeopathic remedies while nursing. Only use one remedy at a time. Sometimes, the state of the woman may change and another  remedy will be needed as the healing progresses.

HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

State of mother:

• Staphysagria – mother feels resentful, angry and let down. May feel as if she had been assaulted.
• Pulsatilla – weepy, clingy, wanting to be with others. After pains from delivery.
• Aconite – shock and fear. Feel that she will die.

Trauma from the surgery.  Injured feeling. Aches, pains, bruising, swelling, contusions and inflammations:

• Arnica Montana – very useful remedy for any kind of trauma and injury.
• Bellis Perennis – usually used for injuries on the trunk of the body or if Arnica did not help.

Pains in the sacrum or coccyx after an epidural has been given or when forceps were used:

• Hypericum – remedy that helps in areas that are rich with nerves, such as the fingertips, toes and tailbone (coccyx), tongue, teeth, eyes, and genitalia.

Severe pains in the tissues that have been torn or cut during delivery or from episiotomies or Caesarian section. helpful for the healing of the Caesarian scar:

• Staphysagria – helps in post-surgical pain (see above).
• Calendula – helps with healing of cuts, wounds, scratches, abrasions, incisions and scrapes. It works as an antiseptic and prevents serious infection. Also in a cream used topically for wounds, incisions, etc.
• Hypericum – helps in injuries, such as contusions, lacerations, punctures in areas that are rich in nerves.

If received general anesthesia:

• Phosphorous – having prolonged symptoms of nausea, sleepiness, and/or just out of it after having come out of the anesthesia.

Breastfeeding:

• Belladonna – breasts are engorged. throbbing pains, red streaks, breasts feel hot. There may be a fever.
• Byronia – engorged breasts. stitching pains. Breasts are pale and hard. Worse from an kind of movement. Very irritable.
• Castor equi – nipples are sore and cracked.
• China – anemic. Exhaustion from breastfeeding.
• Phytolacca – nipples are cracked. Milk ducts are blocked. Lumpy breast. Abscess/mastitis.

Strained muscles, tendons or joints.

• Rhus tox – sore when first starting to move, but once moving feels better
• Ruta grav – good for muscle and tendon strains.

It is always important to see a trained homeopath if any health concern or condition continues. If may also be beneficial to see a homeopath before a woman gets pregnant or during her pregnancy. Sometimes, the underlying health state that a woman experiences before getting pregnant may affect how the pregnancy proceeds and what happens during the delivery, perhaps resulting in an emergency Caesarian section. Homeopathy is very helpful in these kinds of situations. Homeopathy is treating the whole person, and when the woman is in a more healthy state, the possibility of the baby, the pregnancy, and the delivery being healthier and going smoothly increases.

Suggested reading: Miranda Castro – HOMEOPATHY for Pregnancy, Birth, and Your Baby’s First Year.

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For Your Information: Dr. Lisa Samet Talking about Homeopathy on Dr. Oz

Dr. Lisa Samet, a naturopathic doctor who uses homeopathy widely in her practice, does a wonderful job giving an explanation of homeopathy on Dr. Oz’s television program on January 28, 2013.  I like very much how she talks about homeopathy. The program mentions a few homeopathic remedies, such as Belladonna – for a fever,  Arnica montana – for a trauma, Phosphorus- for a cough, and Gelsenium – for a flu.  I am giving you the link here for the program:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-lisa-samet-shares-some-tips

This program gives the public more information about homeopathy and how wonderful it can be in helping people for all sorts of health concerns.

Influenza – Homeopathy Can Help

It is the flu season.

There are homeopathic remedies that are helpful for when one feels ill from the flu. Often in a flu season, there are 1 – 2 specific homeopathic remedies that are good for that particular strain of flu. During the 1918-1919 influenza epidemic in the USA, homeopathic physicians recorded that those patients treated with homeopathy had a lower mortality rate than those treated with conventional medicine.

To determine which remedy fits best, it is good to observe and to note how the ill person is feeling (you could be the ill person), even taking note of changes in behaviors and emotional moods. Some of the observations are:

• tiredness/fatigue
• heavy feeling
• chilly/hot
• aches and pains
• gradual or sudden onset of symptoms
• fever
• cough
• runny nose
• headaches
• stomach issues
• thirst – a lot, a little, for what temperature
• moving – makes one better or worse
• wanting others around or wants to be alone
• clingy
• irritable
• restless
• what makes one better/worse
• time of day when better/worse

Here is a list of homeopathic remedies that are useful for the flu. As I wrote above, observe yourself or the ill person and then match with the description below. One of the principles of Homeopathy is The Law of Similars, which means Like Cures Like.  I suggest writing down your observations first. The ill person doesn’t have to experience all the symptoms that are listed in the description.

You may start with one remedy and then change to another as the healing progresses.  I had one case years ago. She was a woman in her 30’s. She started with the remedy Pulsatilla,  since she didn’t want to be alone and wanted to be with everyone else in the living room. Then she wanted to be in a back bedroom all by herself.  At that time, she switched to the remedy Bryonia.

ACONITE – symptoms come on suddenly and violently. The person is fearful, anxious and restless. May look anxious and flushed becoming pale when sitting up. Thirst for cold drinks. Head feels heavy. A dry barking cough. Worse before midnight. May feel that they will die.

ARSENICUM ALBUM – aching. Thirst for sips of warm or cold drinks. Burning pains here and there. Extreme weakness and debilitated, yet restless, anxious, fearful and irritable. Extremely chilly, but will want the window open. Wants to be with a friend to calm their fears. Nightly aggravation, after midnight. Obsessed with order, tidiness. Fastidious.

BAPTISIA – sore muscles. Putrid discharges. Prostration. Bed feels too hard, because of the soreness of the body. Confusion. Sensation that the body parts are separated. Face appears dusky and dull.

BRYONIA – worse from any movement. Irritable, doesn’t want people around. Wants to be alone. Constipated. Thirst for large amounts of cold water, although the mouth and lips are dry. Worse in a warm room. Better in cool air. Headaches worse from motion, walking or moving eyes.  Worse from any kind of motion; holds body parts still. Symptoms come on gradually. May have a painful cough and pain in the throat and chest. Pain is described as bursting or stitching.

BELLADONNA – sudden onset of high fever with burning, dry hot body (burning to touch) and icy cold feet. Violent symptoms. Face is flushed. Usually not thirsty, nor sweaty. May have intense fever terrors, to the point that the child does not recognize his parents. Worse in the afternoon.

EUPATORIUM PERFOLIATUM – deep soreness, aching and bruising feeling in the bones, as if the bones will break. Even the eyeballs are sore. May feel totally “wiped out”, lethargic, and unable to exert the least effort. Feels chilled, especially between 7 – 9 am. Great thirst for cold water, especially when chill comes on. Sweat makes all the symptoms better except the headache. Runny nose, sneezing and red eyes prior to body aches.

FERRUM PHOSPHORICUM – often used at the beginning of mild fevers, head colds and chest infections, before distinctive symptoms are shown that would lead to another remedy. Symptoms come on gradually. Red cheeks. Moderate thirst. Dull and sluggish.

GELSENIUM – slow onset, dullness, weakness, heaviness and aching. Listless and apathetic. Face is dull, heavy, flushed with heavy eyelids. Chills running up the spine. Wants to be left alone. Headache beginning in the back of the head or neck and extending upward. Mouth and lips are very dry, yet not thirsty. Lies quietly.

NUX VOMICA – irritability and sensitivity to light, odors and noise. Angry, impatient, easily offended. Chilly. Wants to be wrapped warmly. Constipated, with ineffectual urging.

PHOSPHORUS – often the person doesn’t show the severity of the illness. A child may have a temperature of 104, yet be playing happily. Colds go down to the chest, accompanied by a dry tight cough. Feels very weak. Thirsty for refreshing ice cold drinks, but may vomit as soon as water is warmed in the stomach. Laryngitis with or without pain. May lose voice completely.

PULSATILLA – person may be tearful and emotional. Wants company and desires sympathy. Usually has no thirst. Desire for the open air. Discharges are thick.

RHUS TOX – restless. Aches and pains while lying still. Worse when first starting to move, better with continuous motion. Chilly. Worse in cold and damp air. Thirsty for sips of water. Dry mouth, dry sore throat.

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It is also good to get as much rest as you can and drink fluids.

Wishing you all good health.

A New Year

Happy New Year!

With a New Year, we often make resolutions – New Year Resolutions. These resolutions may be starting a new exercise program, going on a diet or eating healthier, de-cluttering our home, becoming involved in a meditation program, volunteering our time, improving our skills, picking up a new hobby, or stopping a long time habit that has not been good for us. Along, with these kinds of new beginnings, it may be a time to look at how we can improve our health so that we can feel better and pursue some of these resolutions we have set forth for ourselves.

Homeopathy heals at the cause or the core of what makes us not feel well. With this kind of healing, we are then able to do more of the things that we enjoy doing and we feel better in ourselves. We may actually then carry through on our New Year Resolutions.