Homeopathy in Childbirth - objections from hospital midwife

[Rolf]

I have booked a doula for my (hopefully) imminent labour. We have been to see a homeopath together and plan for her to throw remedies in my mouth whilst I'm in labour.

I was told yesterday by a very reliable source (my hairdresser!!) that a friend of his recently delivered at the same hospital and when her doula started giving her homeopathic remedies, the midwife got very worked up and asked her to stop. I'm not sure whether or not she did, but the hospital is now undertaking an internal inquiry (whether generally or into this particular case, I'm not sure). The patient apparently was perfectly happy with her care from both the hospital and the doula so I think it's for the purposes of clarification rather than a big witch-hunt.

I'm slightly concerned that because of this there will be generally twitchy atmosphere about someone not employed by the trust giving a patient any sort of medication. I've added to my birth plan "I would like to use homeopathic remedies in labour and am happy for my doula to administer them". Do you think that's adequate or should I go further? Should I write out a list of the remedies I'm taking in with me, the name of the homeopath who dispensed them and a more sweeping waiver? Or is that the litigator in me speaking?

I have quick labours so won't be able to waste time debating with them. My doula is well-known at the hospital and I think will be very good at this sort of advocacy. And I have a good relationship with the hospital although as it's a big teaching hospital there's every chance that in labour I won't be looked after by anyone I know.

Any thoughts would be v welcome.

I'm sincerely pleased for you, lolsypops. You obviously had a great neurologist.

I know someone with MS who uses homeopathy very successfully as well lolsypops.

Yes I did, the most well respected Professor of Neurology in this country as it happens! Unfortunately (for those that rely on it alone) there are still many instances where conventional medicine DOESN'T have all the answers.

lolsypops - What did you take to 'heal' your MS? I have two friends who suffer from MS, and would love to pass the information to them.

One of them is quite advanced. She can walk only with crutches, and has lost the feeling in part of her face.

The problem is that homeopathy doesn't have all the answers, either. In fact, homeopathy doesn't have any answers, only vague suggestions - 'like cures like', 'more dilution makes stronger', etc.

Don't ask HOW or WHY, though, because homeopathy has no answers to those questions.

Whether it was the Homeopathic remedy or a case of mind over matter I really don't care (as I already said). The fact is it gave me something to believe in when another neurologist in the dept categorically told me that Beta interferon was my only hope as my MS would never get better. (I was suffering from an attack that left me unable to walk unaided, had double vision, lack of feeling in various parts of my body and basically the outlook was not good.) The Homeopath at the hospital I was referred to (by my doctor) was also a Neurologist by training and after a 2 hour consultation he prescribed me with Pulsatilla. I had nothing to lose so tried it instead. That was in 1997 and I have not required anything else since after previously requiring steroids for regular attacks. Again I am not suggesting it was definately the homeopathic remedy or that the same treatment will work for everyone with MS, they shouldn't self prescribe it anyway, but at the end of the day it helped me when conventional medicine held it's hands up and said your illness will never go away and even the Beta interferon will only lessen your attacks by about 1 per year. I also don't expect to change anyone's mind about homeopathy, it is your choice whatever works for you... There are countless accounts on the internet of people who have used alternative therapies for MS, no one has a definative answer but at least there are alternatives to try. Anyway this all very far from the original post but is the reason why I am happy to be open minded on the subject.

so can anybody (preferably a homeopath)recommend remedies to take during labour? already planning to take arnica pre and post and hypericum to aid healing

If someone wanted to try a homeopathic remedy for MS they would have to see a homeopath.

As Sarah has pointed out homeopaths don't prescribe 'remedy X for condition Y' - that's not the philosophy behind the medicine. It works from something acute and simple such as bruising (arnica) high temp with bright red cheeks (belladonna) but for something as complicated as MS it would need a proper consultation of at least an hour (as lolsypops had).

Pulsatilla is a remedy that was prescribed a lot for ds2- nothing to do with MS obviously.

I'm so pleased your hompeopath was able to help lolsy- the person I know with MS using it must have been impressed as he's now training to be one

fangle - you can buy labour kits (this is something that it's quite easy to self prescribe). see examples of the sorts of remedies you would want them to contain here

I had real problems in both labours with contractions dying out. (ds2 was elective section) I found that in my labour with ds3 (when I used homeopathy) caulophyllum quick started them every time the contractions stopped (in ds1 they eventually stopped dead). I was under time pressure because of broken waters and ended up with a section but the caulophyllum was quite spectatular imo.

If you're at all scared get some aconite as well. It's great for 'fear of death' - my friend suggested it to me when I turned into a gibbering wreck at the mention of another c-section. - and it did help.

jimjams - re "I found that in my labour with ds3 caulophyllum quick started them every time the contractions stopped"

What do you mean 'quick start'?

How soon after you took these 'remedies' did contractions come back?

Within 2 minutes.

But I was replying to fangle who wanted to know which remedies should be in a labour kit. I wasn't actually trying to persuade anyone whose not interested.

Caulophyllum is a standard one that should be in there and in my experience is useful. Some people take it pre-labour as well fangle-starting about 10 days before due date.

Looking for 'Pulsatilla', I came across this website describing the 'polycrests'.

Please read through at least the first two, and say if I am being unreasonable to think that this is the most astonishing con to have survived into the 21st century.

This website.

jimjams - You know that whatever you ingest cannot affect your body within 2 minutes, right?

Swallow.
Sit in stomach & break down by stomach acids.
Go down into and get digested by small intestine.
Slowly be absorbed by intestinal walls.

It won't happen in 2 minutes.

cote - the whole point about homeopathy is that it isn't particulate. It classes itself along with acupuncture as an energy medicine.

I'm not quite sure what the point of this discussion is tbh. I'm not trying to force feed you a remedy. I don;t care whether you try it or not. Your health your choice.

You don't know anything about homeopathy and have never tried it but don't believe it. Fine. I have a science background, I know that it can;t be explained using current theories but I have used it and it has worked for me. So however much you repeat the science to me (which I already know) then it's not going to overide the fact that I have used it to good effect and will continue to do so until it stops working. Same as everyone else on this thread who are using it because it works for them. I'm not sure why that is any of your business tbh.

As becster said way back "Homeopathy might not be scientific. But I find it's darned useful when we're poorly."

My contractions always came within 2 minutes and I didn't take anything at all.

What after stopping for half an hour? I think you've misunderstood what I said.

jimjams - What do you mean 'it isn't particulate'? Why ingest it, then?. Just hold them in your hand. Or line them on your tummy.

Are you saying me that you have a 'science background' but you believe there is some sort of energy to be obtained from these pills which have exactly the same ingredient, whatever the name on the bottle, and it cannot be detected by any means we know of?

I have tried homeopathy, by the way. Absolutely nothing happened. Surprise.

Your beliefs are none of my business as long as we are clear that this is faith. Whenever you or someone else makes statements of fact ("It works") rather than of belief ("I believe in it"), it is open to challenge.

I can't help having an inquisitive mind. And I really can't help it that homeopathy has no answers.

"Though Pulsatilla is well-known to all homeopaths, we often have some difficulty in recognizing a Pulsatilla case, especially if we expect always to see the typical blond, blue-eyed, mild and tearful patient.

When a man needs Pulsatilla, he is generally a soft, gentle type of man. The Pulsatilla patient requires strong support from those around her. The patient is easily dominated or influenced."

Don't tell me you believe any of this hokum.

The energy comes from the sugar, of course!

That website is scaaary. I can't belive anyone can believe in such rubbish. I really can't. Where's the dignity in being treated like an idiot if those are the kind of words and patronising language being used? As for "energy medicine", what can I say? Words fail me.

Lolsy - my cousin has MS and she's tried all sorts of alternative stuff. She's even taken to religion and become a bloody nun FFS. The MS is still there. So much for mind over matter.

So Cristina - would you advise people NOT to use homeopathy?

Maybe she turned to religion for the support?

Anyway, interesting discussion. Herbal remedies do work dont they? Aloe Vera, Arnica, witch hazel etc? No idea about homeopathy. I think the two may have been confused because they arent the same.

Anyway, what I really wanted to say was:

Pruners, isnt "diplodocus" a dinosaur???

Oh, lol at myself

Doh! I completely misread your post pruners and have only just realised after clicking 'post'

Frankly, I don't care what people take. I just think it's a very, very stupid thing to do. But it's not my money, not my time, not my hopes, not my body, not me being treated like an idiot by some patronising con artist, based on such things as my complexion or the colour of my eyes and being sold sugar pills supposedly made exactly for me and my condition. But I think the discussion brought up the need people have for more time from their healthcare provider and perhaps a good friend to talk things through.

VVVQ - I don't know why she turned to religion. She'd always beeen quite religious. A very nice and clever girl, well travelled etc etc. Then she got MS and it totally took over her life and energy, both physically and as a focus to her life. She spent weeks at a time in various convents then at some stage she became a nun. A Greek Orthodox one and is not in a convent, still at home with her parents. I'm not sure how it works exactly.