Homepathic childbirth kit

[chillichill]

Hello all,
I'm a long time lurker, first time poster.
Did a search and this subject hasn't been discussed in a while.
I'm due in 2-3 weeks and thinking of getting the Helios Childbirth homoeopathy Kit.
I know it seems silly to spend £26 on 18 remedies, not all of which you will use, but the few that I'm sure i want to have on hand cost about £5 each so i figure its worth the extra tenner, just in case.
Has anyone used it? Did you find it useful?

I'm not getting it as I don't believe in homeopathy. The "remedies" don't contain any active ingredients...it's a helluva lot of money to spend on sugar pills.

I'm sure there will be a lot of people who disagree, but I'm with japhrimel on this one...

I just took arnica during labour & for 2 weeks afterwards - and I healed very quickly despite alot of stitches. Whether it was a combination of other factors I don't know, but I'd use it again

You could just get some water and sugar instead and save yourself the money.

herbal arnica is different to homeopathic arnica

I am with japhrimelm but £26 is peanuts compared to the tat you could buy for labour (birthing dress, anyone?)

Yes, I had a feeling I would be in the minority when it comes to believing in these things but I have used them in the past and they have worked for me. even if it is a placebo effect, what's the harm if I am gaining the benefits?
I planned on taking Arnica and Chamomile (for the nerves) and debating cal carb for the pain. all of these come in the kit in higher doses than you can normally buy separately plus other supplements for helping contractions, exhaustion, etc.

Although not related to childbirth I can recommend homeopathic remedies. After consulting a homeopath at Helios and using the remedies given the UTIs and vaginal pain I had suffered from for 18 months got better and then disappeared. This was despite the best efforts of a GP and consultants! I was very sceptical until persuaded by a friend whose asthmatic daughter was helped immeasurably.
I took the view what had I too lose? Some money yes but I was already spending out a fortune on NHS prescriptions at over £7.00 each!!
I understand that there is a very good remedy should you feel "out of control" at any stage during labour and birth. I am sure Helios can recommend some good literature on the subject. Your birth bpartner will have to understand how to use the remedies in case you are unable to administer them yourself.

Hi Chillichill, I used it during my last labour and will be in the forthcoming one. I also had rescue remedy in a pint of water to sip on occasionally.

At the very least, it gave me something to focus on, and the yellow box is nice .

I agree with Mrs Badger on the birthing frock. It always makes me laugh to think of it now.

I don't really believe in homeopathy but I used this kit in my last labour.

It was probably placebo effect but I did find it helpful. I took a lot of aconite from the kit for anxiety/nerves.

It's a really nice kit and tells you how to use the various remedies and when.

'Rituals' are one of the key elements of labour taught to doulas as a coping technique. Women find rituals to deal with the pain whether it be counting, breathing or handholding. Homeopathy could easily fit within that. It's a distraction, it's a feeling that you're doing something. And there's a teeny tiny chance it might actually work

I'm with the other sceptics here. Buy yourself something else instead.

Thanks Ilovehouse(me too btw) and Carmen...
Something to focus on or create ritual around sounds good to me, especially in an cold hospital environment, but im a bit of a hippie at heart

TENS is a better investment :)

If you're only likely to need three of the remedies, don't spend an extra £10 on the rest just on the offchance you might need them some day. It's only a bargain if you are actually going to use it! Honestly for that £26 you could see an actual homeopath in the flesh and they could recommend you something tailored to you.

Also, a higher dose in homeopathy actually means it's less effective. So I am told. (Probably going to get jumped on by the anti-homeopathy crowd for this!)

If you take out what it is, you're basically buying a set of 18 things for £26, you are going to use 3, and the other 15 you might use at some point in your life. It makes much more sense to buy those 3 at £15, save the £11, and if you want any other remedies in the future buy them as needed.

I found this website very good on this subject:
www.haelan-online.co.uk/Remedies-Mother_and_Baby.shtml

Also, Boots have complementary therapies on 3 for 2 at the moment. So you could get your 3 remedies for £10.

BertieBotts - I suspect when it says 'a higher dose' it means a lower dose eg 30c (a dilution of 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, fact fans) instead of 10c.

Whatever floats your boat, chillichill.

Recommendations of rescue remedy and TENS, further up thread, also worth a punt.

Carmen - TENS already packed!
Bertie - Thanks for your comments. looked up what you said and your right, 200c preparations (which are what's in the kit)are less potent than the 30c you buy separately. Think Ill take your advise and buy the ones im sure of and spend the remainder on some nice massage oil for my DH to rub me with

Homeopathy categorically does not work. The scientific basis for it is utterly flawed. Anyone who says it does work is just plain wrong! Posters on MN who have felt a benefit from it have done so because of a placebo effect - not because homeopathic remedies have any actual clinical effect. You don't have to take my word for it - see: www.senseaboutscience.org.uk/pdf/SenseAboutHomeopathy.pdf
or read Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst's book Trick or Treatment which reviews all the evidence about various complementary therapies and explains how and why some work (e.g. acupuncture), and some don't (e.g. homeopathy).

As homeopathy works on a basis of "like cures like", maybe the best homeopathic preparation for childbirth is an infinitesimally small amount of spunk.

Do be sure to ask a homeopathic practitioner if if the act of knocking one out will count as succussion.

Snorbs - you are onto something there. Dilute one teaspoon of spunk in a body of water the size of the pacific and then sell tiny doses of the resulting preparation as a guaranteed remedy for labour pain. Wouldn't be any more ludicrous than any other claims made by homeopaths...............

Snorbs snort! Although, meant to help with induction isn't it....

actually it does. proglastins? in it, help ripen the cervix. and having an orgasm yourself can help bring on contractions. but not sure ill be in the mood on my due date, might be a bit preoccupied.