Menstruation

The beginning of menstruation can be a very difficult time.  Using homeopathy, I can help with any disturbance in the onset and establishment of menstruation, with amenorrhoea (absence of periods), PMT, period pains (dysmenorrhoea), breast tenderness and many more associated symptoms.

Some remedies that may help are:

Disturbed onset - Pulsatilla: changeability, tearfulness and irritability, cramps

Amenorrhoea - Bryonia: sluggish, chilly and pale. Colicky pains, headaches and dizzy.  Cannot stand tight clothing.  Tired, lacking energy and body heat.

PMT – Nux Vomica:  irritable and angry, trying to get everything done faster but with less energy,  Constipation.  Carves sweet or fatty foods

Period pains – Belladonna: extremely heaving and violently painful periods with bright red clotted blood.  An aching, dragging sensation made worse by lying down.  Hot, red face.  Very sensitive to movement.

Pregnancy

Homeopathy is ideal for women in their childbearing years.  During pregnancy, some women will choose to live with the discomfort of minor complaints, such as, morning sickness or heartburn, rather than seek treatment because they are concerned about the possible side effects of orthodox medicine on their unborn child.

Homeopathic remedies are safe for your growing baby because only a minute amount of the active ingredient is used in their preparations.  They work by stimulating the body’s own healing powers.

By stimulating your vitality in pregnancy, homeopathic treatment will automatically benefit your baby and by staying as healthy as possible during pregnancy, you are giving your baby the ideal conditions in which to thrive.  I can offer you advice on your diet and lifestyle to encourage a healthy pregnancy and birth.

Physical and emotional changes during pregnancy may cause minor health problems, such as, nausea, mild urinary problems, diarrhoea, heartburn, anaemia, varicose veins, backache, cramps, thrush and emotional distress.  All these problems and more potentially complicated symptomd, such as raised blood pressure, can also be helped with homeopathic remedies.

Morning sickness

Morning sickness, the symptoms if which include nausea, occasional vomiting and tiredness, is experienced by many women in the first three months of pregnancy.  It occurs most usually in the morning, but can occur at any time of day or sometimes all day.

Eating a dry biscuit before getting out of bed is is a traditional cure worth trying.  Also try to avoid rich, fatty foods and try eating a little and often if nausea is worse when you are hungry.

Depending on your symptoms, the following remedies may bring relief:

Ipecac: constant nausea with empty belching and retching, vomiting is difficult and does not relieve the symptom

Nux Vomica: nausea with retching that is relieved by vomiting, sour belching, indigestion and heartburn.  You may have a sensation of a knot in the stomach.  You may feel bad tempered.

Constipation

Constipation is common in pregnancy as the hormones which prepare the pelvic muscles for labour, can slow the digestive process down.  Adjusting your diet can often help releive mild constipation, such as increasing your intake of fluids (especially water), fruit and vegetables and go easy on wheat products, as gluten can have a clogging effect and avoid iron tablets as they can cause constipation.

Depending on your symptoms, the following remedies may bring relief: Bryonia:  large, hard, dry stools which are difficult to expel, often with a headache which is worse for the slightest movement.  You are irritable.

Sulphur:  constipation with piles that itch and burn and are worse for heat.  You are generally restless, thirsty and sensitive to heat.

Childbirth

There are effective remedies to help deal with the possible problems that can occur during childbirth, such as a cervix which is slow to dilate, pain, excessive bleeding, retained placenta and other difficulties.  I can provide you with a kit of remedies to use during labour and advise on how and when to use them.

Some of the remedies that can be used during childbirth include:

Aconite:  the labour is too fast, the pains are very strong (even unbearable) and you have a feeling of panic.

Arnica: a remedy to help the muscles function properly, to relieve the over-exertion of labour and reduce the bruised feeling after delivery.

Kali Phos:  for simple exhaustion during labour, mental, emotional and physical.

After the birth, homeopathic remedies can be used to speed up your healing and your babies.

Aconite: for shock following the fear of the intensity of birth, in yourself, your partner and the baby.

Arnica: to relieve some soreness, bruising and after-pains.  Also helpful for babies that are bruised from forceps or a long labour

Kali Phos:  for mental exhaustion after delivery, with headache, tiredness but too exhausted to sleep, especially the first two or three days after the birth.

Breastfeeding problems

Problems that make breastfeeding difficult include mastitis, painful nipples and a slow milk supply.  Phytolacca is a good remedy to help sore, cracked nipples, which hurt when the baby feeds.  It is also useful for breast infections where there are painful lumps in the breast.

Menopause

Menopause is the change of life that signals the end of childbearing years.  It generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years, but can start before or after this for a variety of reasons.

During menopause the release of eggs from the ovaries becomes more erratic and the time between periods become further apart, until they eventually stop.  Levels of oestrogen and progesterone hormone begin to fall.

Conventional medicine treats menopause as a disease that needs to be treated and replaces the lost hormones with Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).  Homeopathy can also help, especially when used in conjunction with lifestyle and diet changes, in the treatment of hot flushes, mood-swings, menopausal headaches and a host of other menopausal symptoms.

By choosing a remedy from a variety of natural sources - vegetable, mineral and animal, that closely matches your symptom, I can help you relieve many of the symptoms of menopause.

Remedies that can help hot flushes include:

Belladonna:  where there is restlessness, agitation and a red burning face, often with palpitations and great intolerance to pressure, touch or any sudden motion.

Lachesis:  where there is sweating with flushing and often violent headaches on the top of the scalp.  All symptoms are worse in the morning and for sleep.