THE FOLLOWING CASE STUDY ILLUSTRATES SOME OF THE MANY WAYS THAT HOMEOPATHY CAN BE OF HELP DURING PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH
Treating Homeopath – Kay Southcombe (MAMA) Case: LM – 39yo, 4th pregnancy
Homeopathy and Pregnancy – How can it help you?
THE FOLLOWING CASE ILLUSTRATES SOME OF THE MANY WAYS THAT HOMEOPATHY CAN BE OF HELP DURING PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH
Treating Homeopath – Kay Southcombe (MAMA) Case: LM – 39yo, 4th pregnancy
LM discovered she was low in Zinc, Magnesium and many B vitamins about week 15. She was unable to find any supplements without corn starch (she has a corn allergy) so homeopathic remedies in low potency were prescribed – Zinc met 6X, Mag phos 6X and Vitamin B complex 6X.
Follow up tests showed her levels of all elements had increased to within the normal range.
She was experiencing ligament pain – a jabbing, stitching, sharp pain on the slightest movement that took her breath away. She had experienced the same pain in her previous pregnancy, becoming almost constant towards the end and so painful when walking she was doubled over and could only hobble along.
This pain resolved completely with a few doses of Bryonia 30C and it didn’t return during the remaining weeks of pregnancy.
She was also concerned about the likely recurrence of painful haemorrhoids either during the pregnancy or after labour as she had had them in previous pregnancies/births.
Hamamelis 30C & Calc fluor 6X were taken for the remaining months and she avoided haemorrhoids during her pregnancy however she did get an extremely painful haemorrhoid one day after the birth. Aescules 200C was given and the intense pain was relieved by the next day. Usually the pain takes up to 2 weeks to resolve.
From time to time she was experiencing bad heartburn in the night particularly after eating rich or creamy food. Pulsatilla worked brilliantly to relieve this (self-prescribed).
LM also used Caulophyllum 30C and Gelsemium 200C in the 6 weeks leading up to the birth to soften and tone the uterus and cervix in preparation for birth.
About 2 weeks before the due date, LM said she had been feeling a bit anxious and unprepared for the past few days. She said she has a lot to do before the birth but was feeling busy and distracted and not really focussed on the birth. She was doing a lot of running around with appointments for her other kids instead of preparing for the new baby.
After the remedy Lac delphinium 200C , she replied “Dolphin milk is so cool! I feel kinda awesome. I have energy, clarity and the sluggish anxiety seems to be gone.”
I contacted LM on 16th September to see how the birth had gone only to discover she was now 9 days overdue and labour was not happening. She said she had mild pre-labour on Sunday, becoming a bit stronger on Monday. She had taken a few doses of Caulophyllum 200C and things started up again but then stopped and it had continued like that, picking up at times but then fading away again. Assessment by the midwife on the Tuesday indicated she was nicely stretchy and 3cm dilated but the baby was not engaged at all, in fact she had been more engaged on Monday. LM was feeling cranky, upset and “over it”. Her blood pressure was also up slightly.
The following remedies were prescribed in order to stimulate and establish labour, starting at 6pm:
3 doses of Pulsatilla M were given, 1 hour apart. After 3 hours LM was having contractions 10 minutes apart but then they started tapering off again so she changed to the second protocol. Caulophyllum 200C and Cimicifuga 200C were alternated every 1⁄2-1hr for a total of 4 doses of each. Her contractions increased in intensity and frequency over the dosing period till they were 2 minutes apart at 4.30am. Her waters broke just before 6am and A was born at 6.04am.
Earlier in her pregnancy LM had said she wasn’t particularly worried about the pain of labour (she used Arnica 200C) but she was really worried about the unbearable after pains she experienced with her last 2 births – “pain everywhere, so full on I threw up from the pain”. She said they were much worse than the labour pains and they could go on for a couple of days. She was dreading them. This time, when the after pains kicked in with a vengeance we had a remedy ready.
Cimicifuga 200C/Viburnum opulus 200C alleviated the pains almost instantly; they didn’t return with any intensity and were easy to manage with further doses of the remedy. LM said “It’s amazing. I can’t believe how amazing it is to not be in pain.”
The remedies in this case were all prescribed during consultations with LM and remedy selection was based on her particular presenting symptoms. Similar conditions in other people may require a different remedy, potency or dose and are best prescribed by a qualified practitioner.
LM discovered she was low in Zinc, Magnesium and many B vitamins about week 15. She was unable to find any supplements without corn starch (she has a corn allergy) so homeopathic remedies in low potency were prescribed – Zinc met 6X, Mag phos 6X and Vitamin B complex 6X.
Follow up tests showed her levels of all elements had increased to within the normal range.
She was experiencing ligament pain – a jabbing, stitching, sharp pain on the slightest movement that took her breath away. She had experienced the same pain in her previous pregnancy, becoming almost constant towards the end and so painful when walking she was doubled over and could only hobble along.
This pain resolved completely with a few doses of Bryonia 30C and it didn’t return during the remaining weeks of pregnancy.
She was also concerned about the likely recurrence of painful haemorrhoids either during the pregnancy or after labour as she had had them in previous pregnancies/births.
Hamamelis 30C & Calc fluor 6X were taken for the remaining months and she avoided haemorrhoids during her pregnancy however she did get an extremely painful haemorrhoid one day after the birth. Aescules 200C was given and the intense pain was relieved by the next day. Usually the pain takes up to 2 weeks to resolve.
From time to time she was experiencing bad heartburn in the night particularly after eating rich or creamy food. Pulsatilla worked brilliantly to relieve this (self-prescribed).
LM also used Caulophyllum 30C and Gelsemium 200C in the 6 weeks leading up to the birth to soften and tone the uterus and cervix in preparation for birth.
About 2 weeks before the due date, LM said she had been feeling a bit anxious and unprepared for the past few days. She said she has a lot to do before the birth but was feeling busy and distracted and not really focussed on the birth. She was doing a lot of running around with appointments for her other kids instead of preparing for the new baby.
After the remedy Lac delphinium 200C , she replied “Dolphin milk is so cool! I feel kinda awesome. I have energy, clarity and the sluggish anxiety seems to be gone.”
I contacted LM on 16th September to see how the birth had gone only to discover she was now 9 days overdue and labour was not happening. She said she had mild pre-labour on Sunday, becoming a bit stronger on Monday. She had taken a few doses of Caulophyllum 200C and things started up again but then stopped and it had continued like that, picking up at times but then fading away again. Assessment by the midwife on the Tuesday indicated she was nicely stretchy and 3cm dilated but the baby was not engaged at all, in fact she had been more engaged on Monday. LM was feeling cranky, upset and “over it”. Her blood pressure was also up slightly.
The following remedies were prescribed in order to stimulate and establish labour, starting at 6pm:
3 doses of Pulsatilla M were given, 1 hour apart. After 3 hours LM was having contractions 10 minutes apart but then they started tapering off again so she changed to the second protocol. Caulophyllum 200C and Cimicifuga 200C were alternated every 1⁄2-1hr for a total of 4 doses of each. Her contractions increased in intensity and frequency over the dosing period till they were 2 minutes apart at 4.30am. Her waters broke just before 6am and A was born at 6.04am.
Earlier in her pregnancy LM had said she wasn’t particularly worried about the pain of labour (she used Arnica 200C) but she was really worried about the unbearable after pains she experienced with her last 2 births – “pain everywhere, so full on I threw up from the pain”. She said they were much worse than the labour pains and they could go on for a couple of days. She was dreading them. This time, when the after pains kicked in with a vengeance we had a remedy ready.
Cimicifuga 200C/Viburnum opulus 200C alleviated the pains almost instantly; they didn’t return with any intensity and were easy to manage with further doses of the remedy. LM said “It’s amazing. I can’t believe how amazing it is to not be in pain.”
The remedies in this case were all prescribed during consultations with LM and remedy selection was based on her particular presenting symptoms. Similar conditions in other people may require a different remedy, potency or dose and are best prescribed by a qualified practitioner.
