Mina Weight
The excitement of learning you are pregnant is often quickly dispelled by overwhelming feelings of nausea and exhaustion - not to mention morning sickness. Luckily, there are ways to alleviate these ailments in a natural and safe way. We catch up with Mina Weight, registered homeopath at Integrated Medicine Institute (IMI).
Homeopathic medicine is completely safe for all to use, from pregnant women and newborns to the elderly. The medicines are made from naturally occurring materials and are manufactured in such a way as to effectively treat individuals with many types of chronic and acute conditions without side effects. Each Homeopathic medicine or remedy is carefully researched and selected for the individual patient based on their entire physical and mental symptoms. This form of medicine is safe, effective and pleasant to take.
5 Tips for Using Homeopathy During Pregnancy
1. Nausea and morning sickness
When it comes to feelings of nausea and exhaustion during pregnancy, the best tip is to listen to your body, rest as much as you can, and eat smaller amounts of plain unprocessed food more frequently. However, if you are doing all of that and you are still suffering, what can you do? There are more than 100 remedies in the Homeopathic Pharmacology listed for morning sickness, but commonly used remedies are Sepia, Tabacum, and Colchicum. So how to find the right one for you?
First try to observe what triggers your nausea and sickness. Is it a smell, motion of transport, or just thinking about food? When do you feel sick? As soon as you wake up, or at different times during the day? What helps, if anything? Do you feel colder or hotter when you experience this? A Homeopath will ask these types of questions in order to identify the correct remedy for you. Similarly, overwhelming tiredness often occurs in the first trimester whilst your body is adjusting to the different hormone levels of pregnancy. Commonly used remedies like Kali Phos or Kali Carb may help, although there are many other possibilities depending on your symptoms. Don’t panic, the nausea and exhaustion should pass as the weeks progress, but if they don’t seek professional help.
2. Second trimester
During the second trimester of your pregnancy, when the growing foetus causes the uterus to grow outside the pelvis, lower back and neck pain is often felt. Arnica montana is one of the most widely used remedies for bruising and overused muscles. This can be taken at night for several days to alleviate acute pain, but help yourself by sleeping on your side with one or two pillows supporting the hip, knee, and foot, thus preventing strain to the lower back.
3. Third trimester
During the final trimester, as the growing baby compresses all the vital organs, it is obviously more critical than ever to eat small amounts of unprocessed foods with plenty of fibre. From 36 weeks, it is advisable to avoid gluten, since this can contribute to the retention of fluid and congestion in the pelvic region. However, Homeopathic remedies such as Nux vomica and Carbo Veg can be very helpful in relieving constipation and heartburn if this has become a major problem for you.
4. Birth
Whether it is your first baby or your third, if there is one Homeopathic remedy which you should pack in your delivery bag it is Arnica montana. Best known for relieving bruising and overused muscles, Arnica is very helpful in enabling you to recover from the trauma of childbirth. It is also essential after a Caesarian! Midwives have commented that they can tell which mums have taken Arnica prior to their baby’s birth, because of the speed in which they are up and active after delivery.
5. Newborns
One of the major causes of distress for the new mum is when her newborn shows signs of jaundice, typically two to three days after birth. Excess bilirubin, (hyperbilirubinemia) is usually the cause of the yellow colour of the skin and whites of the eyes. Bilirubin is a normal part of the pigment released from the breakdown of "used" red blood cells, but in newborns the liver is often immature and so cannot filter the bilirubin from the blood stream quickly enough, causing an excess of bilirubin. Newborns suffering from jaundice can be lethargic and may feed less often. Homeopathic Chelidonium majus (Celandine) is an effective remedy for restoring the liver, and can be given safely to the newborn to help the liver adjust quicker.
Keen to find out more? For more information about Homeopathy for use during pregnancy and childbirth pop along to Mina's free talk on April 13, (12.30 to 1.30pm) at IMI Discovery Bay.
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