Homeopathy for use during Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery and many more moments’ Post-Partum by Krystal Tellier, ND

SHARE

Homeopathy has been long used as a medicine of choice for pregnant women, children and their families. What makes homeopathy appeal to practitioners and patients is its low toxicity risks, minimal reactivity with other medications, and ease of storing and dispensing. Let’s face it; it is a very effective medicine for numerous conditions, both acute and chronic, for dirt cheap! Historically, homeopathy was used to treat diseases such as Malaria and Pneumonia and there are some records of successful treatments of the 1918 Spanish Flu.

The concept of homeopathy was pioneered by a German physician name Samuel Hahnemann in the 1790’s. Because of his efforts with his research, he left us a few guiding principles:

1. Like cures like: natural substances that produce similar symptoms in a healthy person can cure those same symptoms in an ill person. For example, Allium cepa, a member of the onion family, is a common remedy for the tears and runny noses associated with respiratory allergies, including hay fever. Think about what onions do to you while you are cutting them.
2. Vital force: living beings have the innate ability to heal.
3. Vis medicatrix naturae: the healing power of nature.
4. Individualization: diseases express themselves differently in different individuals; therefore the treatment should be specific for each person.
5. Single medicine and minimal dose: use only one medicine at a time and use the smallest dose possible.  This brought about the serial dilutions so great that there is no longer any material substance remaining, only the energetic properties from the original substance.

Prescribing the right remedy takes practice as with anything that requires skill. Experienced homeopaths look for the cause of disease and try to find symptoms to the case that are strange, rare or peculiar. Some examples of symptoms that are peculiar are “dry mouth with thirstlessness” or “pain with first motion that improves with continued motion”. They also look for patterns of symptoms such as “nausea occurs every morning” or “insomnia occurs nightly from 3-6 am”. These all may sound strange, but they are important clues that help narrow down the remedy selection from thousands to the single best remedy.

Recommended Remedies for your Birth Kit (30C is the best potency to start with for beginners, with experience and time to collect remedies, you can expand your collection to contain other potencies such as 6C, 12C, 200C, 1M; and start collecting any other remedies you begin to familiarize yourself with in the Materia Medica. Patty Brennan has a great condensed Materia Medica for quick reference):

• Aconite 30C
• Antimonium Tart 30C
• Arnica 30C
• Arsenicum 30C
• Belladonna 30C
• Carbo Veg 30C
• Caulophyllum 30C
• Chamomilla 30C
• Cimicifuga 30C
• Cinchona 30C
• Gelsemium 30C
• Hamamelis 30C
• Hypericum 30C
• Kali Carb 30C
• Pulsatilla 30C
• Rhus Tox 30C
• Sabina 30C
• Secale 30C
• Sepia 30C
• Staphysagria 30C

Common remedy choices for certain conditions (This information does not replace the medical advice of your provider; please seek advice for your particular condition): Use these suggestions to bring you to the Materia Medica to study the remedies in order to find the best choice for your particular case.

1. Morning sickness: Sepia, Nux Vomica, Pulsatilla
2. Constipation: Nux vomica, Sepia, Opium
3. Repeated miscarriage: Sepia, Sabina
4. To encourage an efficient labor (for Primigravadas, or those with a history of long, difficult labors, anyone with cervical scarring, post-dates): Begin this regimen at 36 weeks and continue weekly until she reaches 40 weeks.
   1. Cimicifuga 12C: 1 pellet on Monday
   2. Caulophyllum 12C: 1 pellet on Wednesday
   3. Arnica 12C: 1 pellet on Friday
   4. Alternate method to make labor shorter and faster: alternate Cimicifuga and Caulophyllum starting at 38 weeks, do this for 14 days, 1 remedy each day. Note- do not use both protocols, choose one.
5. Mal-Presentation of the Baby: Pulsatilla, Natrum Mur (if amniotic fluid levels are not normal)
6. Lack of progress during labor: Pulsatilla, Caulophyllum, Gelsemium
7. Post-partum hemorrhage*: Aconite, Arnica, Caulophyllum, Cinchona; to build blood afterwards- Ferrum Phos; *Note- seek medical treatment to make sure bleeding has stopped and to replenish fluid and/or iron stores.
8. Retained placenta: Pulsatilla, Sabina
9. Prolapse organs: Sepia, Hamamelis
10. Mastitis: Phytolacca – hard lymph nodes and pain in nipple which radiates over body when child nurses, Belladonna- pain located in particular region, fever, throbbing hot shiny redness)

In homeopathy there are a lot of remedies to choose from that are effective in treating pregnancy related conditions. It is important to be informed about when it is appropriate to use homeopathy as a standalone therapy and when it is best to use side by side with conventional methods. If you are interested in using homeopathy as a healing modality, it is important to have an open relationship with your care provider. This will ensure that you are getting the best care possible.

References

1. “Guide to Homeopathic Remedies for the Birth Bag: 4^th Edition” by Patty Brennan
2. “Concordant Materia Medica” by Frans Vermeulen
3. “Organon of Medicine” by Samuel Hahnemann
4. “Homeopathic Drug Pictures” by M.L. Tyler, et. al.

Biography

Krystal Tellier, ND, CPM is a mother of two children, a Naturopathic Physician and Certified Professional Midwife.  She has a family practice in North Phoenix and she specializes in Women’s health, Prenatal care and Home Births, and Pediatric care.  Her practice is Health for Life Naturopathic Medicine, visit www.DrKrystalTellier.com to learn more.