Phoenix Homeopathy

Avoiding medical interventions

Homeopathic induction (inducing the onset of labour with the use of homeopathic remedies) is an important aspect of my job as a homeopath. If you’re pregnant, you may feel increasingly worried as your due date nears with no sign of imminent labour, and you might be worried that your choice of a home birth, for example, may be slipping away. More and more women understand that being induced in hospital can seem to increase the chances of needing further interventions during the labour, such as epidurals, ventouse, episiotomy and even c-section. A homeopathic induction can help to give a small nudge to your body, encouraging it to do what it was already preparing to do, and help to avoid these interventions affecting your birth plan.

Last-minute induction with homeopathy

If you’ve been seeing me throughout your pregnancy, it’s usually easier for us to discover together the deeper issues preventing your itlabour starting, and it’s more straightforward for me to select your remedy. Sometimes, though, I get a call out of the blue a few days before the induction is scheduled, which is a bit more challenging, so even if you’re not an existing patient, it’s worth giving me a call.

Homeopathic remedies to help the onset of your labour (childbirth)

The homeopathic remedies that even non-homeopathic midwives may have heard of are Cimicifuga and Caulophyllum, which are believed to act directly on the uterus and cervix, and which can work well, but good homeopathy always comes back to treating the person, not the symptom (the symptom being the fact of being overdue), so I wouldn’t advise using these remedies routinely. It’s best to get your homeopathic prescription after an in-depth consultation (over the phone if easier).

Looking at the deeper issues

In my view, if you’re overdue and there’s no obvious reason why, it’s important that you tell me your personal story, because both you and your baby may have your reasons why the labour isn’t progressing. Labour can even begin straight after the consultation, because exploring what may be holding things back can be enough to allow release, although I do give individually-chosen homeopathic remedies, too.

It’s important to bear in mind that homeopathic induction won’t override the body’s own vital intelligence, so if either you or your baby aren’t ready to begin your birth, then it’s not going to happen.

Connect with your baby

During the homeopathic induction consultation, I’ll ask you to inwardly connect or check in with your baby, and ask if he or she is ready to be born, and whether your baby has any concerns about the birth. This might seem crazy, but it’s incredible what can emerge when this question is asked in a caring and supportive space. In any homeopathic casetaking situation, I’m always looking for an opening into the deeper issue underlying the problem, so if you offer me a door, I’ll try to go through it with you.

Your general health

I always ask about your general health and any physical complaints during your pregnancy, for example any bleeding, food cravings or aversions and any other physical symptoms, because these can help to narrow the remedy choice down, but we’ll generally gently focus on your emotions.

Life changes or traumas

I’ll ask about any major changes going on in your life (other than the pregnancy, of course!) - for example, moving house, leaving work, grief, anger or divorce. I also ask if your pregnancy was planned, and whether you’re feeling connected to your baby. If there is a history of abuse or trauma, this may also have a bearing, so, if you want to, we can talk about this. We can also discuss your fears or concerns about the birth itself, about motherhood and the changes that the birth will bring, any body issues or fears about looking undignified, your feelings about breastfeeding, as well as the reactions of others around you to your situation. Your dreams can shine a light on your subconscious fears, too. I might therefore also ask “what are you definitely not afraid of?”, because, paradoxically, the answer you give may in fact highlight a fear.

The post-partum period

At the homeopathic induction consultation, we talk about what will happen after the birth, and I’ll encourage you to tell me how you see this time, whether you’re prepared for the post-partum period, and how you feel about finances, support, time, your other children or family etc. We may also talk about how you feel about how your partner will cope, because the woman needing Phosphorus, for example, may hold back labour because she can pick up on the fact that her partner is nervous about the birth!

Your baby’s position

I’ll ask you to tell me as much as possible about your baby’s position, both now and during the pregnancy: it’s well-known that Pulsatilla can help a breech baby to turn (in one case, I’ve had success with this even when the mother had been told it was too late for the baby to turn). However, even if your baby is in the right position now, if it’s been breech during the pregnancy, a dose or two of Pulsatilla 200c may still be the right remedy. A posterior presentation usually requires a dose or two of Kali-carb 200c. (Remember, though, that professional homeopathic advice is recommended.) The reason these remedies can work so well to turn your baby is simply because homeopathy is always working in tandem with your body. Your baby and your body both know that the most effective way to be born is in a vertex, anterior position, and both will strive towards that position with the guidance of the remedy. If it’s not safe for your baby to turn, then your baby’s own wisdom will prevail, and it will remain in the alternative position - although I haven’t yet seen this happen.

Your birth plan

We’ll also talk through your birth plan, so I can gauge how comfortable you are with your care providers, birth partner, planned venue for the birth and so on. While we’re talking about these topics, if I’m face to face with you (I also do homeopathic inductions over the phone), I’ll be noticing whether your body language seems to contradict what you’re saying, and I’ll look for what you don’t say, too, because this may help us to unlock together any blocks you may be unaware of.

Fear

In my experience, understandably enough, some sort of fear is the main issue that seems to hold back a labour. In order for the remedy to work, it’s important to find out what your exact fear is, and which remedy addresses that particular fear, so I haven’t given any suggestions here, because a professional homeopath has over 4,000 homeopathic remedies to choose from!

I’ve learnt to get to a fear by asking “How did you come to know that?” For example, if your fear that you won’t have enough milk to breastfeed, I might ask you “How did you come to know that you may not have enough milk?”, as this allows you to answer from a place deep within yourself. This helps us to get at the root of the fear so I can truly understand where you’re coming from, and have more of an opportunity to address the fear with you.

For more information about how homeopathy may be able to help you through conception, pregnancy, childbirth and beyond, call 0845 166 8108 (outside the UK, call +44 1273 715822) for your FREE mini-consultation, or visit www.phoenixhomeopathy.com.

Find out what the stars have to say about homeopathy (link to OK magazine article about David & Victoria Beckham, Nelly Furtado, Nadia Sawalha and Catherine Zeta Jones - all of whom it seems use homeopathy) .

According to the Wright Stuff, the Queen never travels abroad without a collection of 60 or so vials of homeopathic remedies. Follow the link to watch a recording of the show, including a spirited discussion between homeopathy-sceptic Simon Singh and Jayney Goddard of the Complementary Medical Association: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=4369961974109179973.

It’s easy to think that we know everything about the world, and how things are. For example, sceptics often repeat that homeopathy makes no sense, and therefore can’t work.

But experts can be wrong:

“The radio craze…will die out in time.” Thomas Edison, 1922

“There is not the slightest indication that energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” Albert Einstein, 1932

“The abdomen, the chest and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon.” Sir John Eric Ericson, Surgeon to Queen Victoria, 1873

“If excessive smoking actually plays a role in the production of lung cancer, it seems to be a minor one.” Dr. W. C. Heuper, National Cancer Institute, 1954

“Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of axphyxia.” Professor Dionysus Lardner, 1830

“X-Rays will prove to be a hoax.” Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1895

“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1896

“Radio has no future.” Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society 1898

“I can accept the theory of relativity as little as I can accept the existence of atoms and other such dogma.” Professor Ernst Mach (as in speed-of-sound measurement), 1913

“There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom. The glib supposition of utilizing atomic energy when our coal has run out is a completely unscientific Utopian dream, a childish bug-a-boo. Nature has introduced a few fool-proof devices into the great majority of elements that constitute the bulk of the world, and they have no energy to give up in the process of disintegration.” Robert Millikan, Nobel prizewinner in physics, 1920

“The most important fundamental laws and facts of physical science have all been discovered, and these are now so firmly established that the possibility of their ever being supplemented by new discoveries exceedingly remote.” Simon Newcomb, astronomer, 1903

“Flight by machines heavier than air is impractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” Simon Newcomb, astronomer, 1902

“Such startling announcements as these should be deprecated as being unworthy of science and mischievious to to its true progress.” Sir William Siemens (on Edison’s announcement of a successful light bulb), 1880

“The abolishment of pain in surgery is a chimera. It is absurd to go on seeking it today.” Dr Alfred Velpeau, surgeon professor, Paris Faculty of Medicine, 1837

“With regard to the electric light, much has been said for and against it, but I think I may say without contradiction that when the Paris Exhibition closes, electric light will close with it, and no more will be heard of it.” Erasmus Wilson, Oxford University professor, 1878

“Space travel is utter bilge.” Dr. Richard van der Riet Woolley, Astronomer Royal, 1956

“Space travel is bunk” Sir Harold Spencer Jones, Astronomer Royal, 1957 (two weeks before the launch of Sputnik)

Disclaimer: Any views or advice in this weblog should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice or treatment, especially if you know you have a specific health complaint. Please remember that homeopathic remedies should be individually-selected to match the whole person, not just the unwelcome symptom. For chronic, severe or long-standing complaints, seek professional advice rather than self-prescribing.

The Daily Mail’s front page story today carried warnings of a more severe than usual flu season this winter. Yet it seems that the flu vaccine may not give as much protection against flu as is commonly thought, despite it being aggressively marketed and available in many high street pharmacies.

Does the flu jab work?

The flu vaccine’s creator, Dr Graeme Laver, is reported as saying of the flu jab “I have never been very impressed with its efficacy” and “It is better than nothing and I wouldn’t want to advise people not to take it, but you can’t rely on it doing any good.”

What’s in the jab?

This might come as a bit of a shock to the 15 million Britons who have the flu jab each year, and is a pretty worrying confession, given that recent flu vaccines have been reported as containing thiomersal (can lead to poor memory and confusion), formaldehyde, three different antibiotics, as well as three strains of flu virus - in my view, not ingredients to have injected into one’s body lightly!

Are there any risks?

According to the Lancet (1998; 351), the flu jab can be a trigger for asthma, and has little effect against flu, flu-like illnesses or pneumonia for older people living in their own homes (Lancet 2005; 366).

Side effects of the flu jab include flu-like symptoms, allergic reactions to the egg protein it contains, and joint or nervous system inflammation.

Flu in vaccinated people

There are many flu-like illnesses, and flu viruses are constantly changing and mutating, meaning that the strains of flu in the jab may be superseded pretty fast. At best, the jab may give three months’ protection from the flu strains included in it. Homeopathic remedies don’t have the same problem. This is because the remedies don’t have any direct effect on the virus itself.

Instead, they seem to modify our body’s response to it by enabling our defence mechanisms towards a better recognition of what needs to be fought off.

Flu treatment options

Last winter in the Phoenix clinic, two patients reported suffering flu: incredibly, both had been vaccinated against flu during the preceding month!

Dr Laver is concerned that new flu treatment medicines like Tamiflu should be made more widely available in order to save lives.

Certainly, flu needs to be taken seriously, because it can kill, and quickly.

However, given the excellent survival statistics for homeopathy in the terrible 1918 Spanish (bird) flu epidemic (at the time, homeopaths reported a 1% mortality rate, whereas conventional doctors were losing at least 30% of their patients), at home we put our trust in homeopathic remedies like Gelsemium (Yellow Jasmine), my number one homeopathic remedy for flu and flu-like illnesses (indicated where there is great weakness and heaviness of the limbs, eyes, head and body, and the patient is thirstless and has chills), Eupatorium perf (indicated for flu with bone pains as if the bones are broken, or flu where even the eyeballs are sore), or Bryonia (can help where the patient is very hot, dry, thirsty for cold drinks, and needs to lie perfectly still) .

Homeopathic help

Given the latest concerns about a flu pandemic, now might be a good time to consult a homeopath for:

• constitutional treatment to address current health problems and boost immunity
• specific remedies to help to prevent flu-like illnesses
• acute remedies to aid recovery from fever and flu

Phoenix also has limited stocks of a free Flu Information leaflet, available to registered patients.