Arnica?

[blondiep14]

Hi. Hope everyone is doing well.

I am 38+2 and started taking raspberry leaf capsules on Thursday (following the instructions, 2 capsules, 3x a day). I have also been reccomended arnica and bought some pillules in H&B but do i take these now aswell to prepare my body, or just after the birth??

Any advice appreciated!

I started after the birth - took them every few hours with the paracetamol that the nurse came round with.

Can't recommend this highly enough!

I took them as soon after ds was born and continued until the pot was finished. I'm convinced this is why my episitomy stitches healed so quickly and easily compared with friends. I always recommend them to pregnant friends among my top tips

After birth - very good for making your fanny less sore. If nothing else, if you're over the paracetemol limit, gives you the feeling that you're "taking something for the pain".

You can start before if its already in your system it works much quicker and work wonders.

I think you are supposed to take arnica, as you are actually giving birth, but funnily enough, I've never remembered until a couple of hours after!

Took it straight after birth and for a few days afterwards - there was no need to after that as there was no pain (compared to after my first baby when I was sore for a good couple of weeks, and both births were similar). Will definitely be in my labour bag this time.

I was in a homeopathic store on Saturday asking about arnica, and they said that I could take 3 in 6 hours for three days after the birth, and then cut down to 2 and so on...
I asked about taking it before birth, and they said three times a week would be ok, but that after the birth is when it is most beneficial and effective.
Either way, I've heard its v good and I'll definitely be using it.

Hi Blondie, in France the recommendation is to take 10 granules of 30ch arnica once a week during the last month of pregnancy. It prepares your body for the birth and I've heard it works wonders - I'll be doing it in a few months when my time comes!
After the birth is good too I guess but aren't you missing a lot of the benefits?

I used them for my last pregnancy and started taking them afew days before c-section and carried on for about a week after. I was out of hospital 48 hours after the birth. Will do the same this time round.

I had horrible stitches after having DS2, which were much worse than the birth, I took them religiously and according to mw healed quickly, made me feel better in any case. Will defo be having some for next birth

Try contacting a homeopathic pharmacy - Helios or Ainsworth for example, where you can buy "stronger" potencies than over the counter which will be much more effective. I am hugely into homeopathy and used it for both births and push it onto all my friends and family who are pregnant. Also very good for tearing and/or just healing tears is Hypericum/Calendula tincture. You add a drop or two to water to pour on to your bits when you pee after you have given birth. Has the most extraordinary healing effect. And Phytolacca for breast feeding problems especially if you're concerned about the onset of mastistis.