Birth

Home birth is definitely recommended by me, I'm so glad I managed to give birth to my first son at home without any stress or interventions, it meant I could go at my own pace. I didn't have to worry about time at all or car journeys to hospital or negotiating with hospital staff about the status of the birth. I'm positive that this along with yoga and caulophyllum tablets meant that I had a very short and straight forward labour of 5 hours. Luckily I had the support of family and friends around me which made a real difference to my confidence and in resisting the pressure to go hospital, especially as my mum and sister both had all their children at home.

The Vitamin K injection offered after birth, you can get hold of Vitamin K in vitamin pill form from Health Food Shops if you do not want to have the injection, you do not have to have it.

The Homeopathic Birthing Kit is invaluable pre/during/post birth for you, your baby and your partner. Available from some Health Stores and www.helios.co.uk, about £30.



I wouldn't be without the following remedies in birth:

Caulophyllum 200:
A homeopathic remedy used by many women giving birth to help speed up labour
Everyone I know who has used this has had a speedy birth.
Available from homeopaths, health food shops, or www.helios.co.uk who sell homeopathic 'birthing kits' for all birthing issues and problems

Arnica 200:
This is widely used homeopathic remedy for shock and repair, much needed during and after birth

Rescue remedy:
Always useful for the mother and birthing partners at any time during the birth

NATURAL METHODS FOR INDUCING LABOUR:
Caulophyllum 200 - homeopathic remedy that lots of pregnant women use to bring on/speed up labour, most have reported just that after taking it, building up from one pill a day to one an hour!
Clary Sage oil - couple of drops in the bath, this is meant to be very powerful!
Raspberry leaf tea prepares the womb for labour, making labour easier
And the more common methods: eat pineapple, drink champagne, have sex, eat curry, bumpy car journey, long walks etc

REMEDIES AFTER BIRTH:

Taking acidopholis pills seem to prevent colic in babies, again take it yourself and they get it via your milk, have worked with everyone I know who has done this

Drinking fennel tea promotes flow of breast milk