Homeopathy for mother and baby

LifestagesImmunisationThis is a very difficult subject forparents. It’s all about trying tochoose the path of least risk foryou child. I think you need toconsider each immunisationseparately. What is the diseasewhich we are trying to protect thechild from? How serious may thatdisease be for the child if theycatch it, and how significant is therisk of catching it? Afterconsideration of those questions,we then ask, what are the risksassociated with the immunisation?We then try to do the best for ourchildren and choose the lowestrisk. When you stop to considerthis you will realise that there areno rules, no hard and fastconclusions which are applicablein all children at all times and inall places.There isn’t a homeopathicalternative vaccinationprogramme. However, this doesn’tmean that homeopathy has norole to play here. There are twoapproaches to consider. Firstly,when it is judged that a particularimmunisation is a preferredchoice, and we go ahead andvaccinate a child, sometimes thereare obvious short term problemsafterwards. Homeopathicmedicines can help to treat, whatwe refer to as, ailments fromvaccination. This might beanything from a local reaction atthe site of the injection whichmay be hot, red and painful andneed Belladonna, to bruisingwhich might be helped by Arnica,to local pain and discomfortwhich might be helped by Ledum,which is great for puncturewounds. If there are more longlastingproblems after immunisationthen a dose of Thuja might helpto sort things out.Secondly, some peopleadvocate giving a child his or her“constitutional” remedy to boosthis or her immune system. Theidea of a “constitutional” remedyis one which is chosen to matchthe character and characteristicsof the person who is going to betreated. When given, it willstimulate the body’s systems ofdefence and repair. Think of it asa kind of tonic. If it works thenthe body will be in a moreoptimal state of health andtherefore better placed to defenditself against infections.Understanding your babyKnowing that there is such a widerange of personalities andcharacteristics described in thehomeopathic literature helps us toaccept the uniqueness of our ownchildren. How are they different?Begin to notice when they aremost at ease and when they don’tfeel secure. This might bedifferent times of day or night. Itmight be about the socialenvironment, for example, howare they with mum, with dad,with brothers and sisters and withstrangers. What kinds of toys dothey seem to enjoy most? Arethey explorers and adventurers, ordo they prefer to occupythemselves with a single toy?What do they seem to be scaredof? What do you do to settlethem down when they are upset?Noting these kinds of thingsquickly gives you a sense of theirunique character. Buthomeopathy doesn’t stop there.The understanding ofhomeopathy is that we are uniquein our whole beings and expressourselves through our wholebeings. It really is a holisticunderstanding. So, noticing thephysical features of your baby willhelp in finding the best remediesfor them too. Are they hotchildren or chilly children? Arethey sweaty? What is their normalsleep pattern and what positionare they in when you check themin their cots at night? Whatfoodstuffs do they refuse andwhich, if any, upset them? Dothey like to drink, and, if so, whatdo they like to drink? As you buildup the picture of your baby you’llbe struck by how different he orshe is from your other childrenand from other people’s children.That uniqueness is a great thing.If you are going to use any of the medicines mentioned, unlessa specific dose is recommended by your homeopathic doctor,use a 30c strength and repeat the doses as often as is necessary.For babies crush one pillule between two spoons, add to a smallamount of mineral or distilled water and give one teaspoon fora dose. The rule in homeopathy is to take a dose, experience theimprovement, then if the improvement starts to decline, repeatthe remedy. If a dose does not produce any improvement, thenthere is no point in repeating that particular remedy.Bob Leckridge MBChB FFHom graduated from Edinburgh University in 1978 and worked as a GP until 1995since when he has worked full-time as a Specialist in Homeopathic Medicine at Glasgow HomoeopathicHospital. He teaches homeopathy internationally and is the author of Homeopathy in Primary Care.He became President of the Faculty of Homeopathy in 1998.Life Stages – A Homeopathic Guide