By Christine Csversko
Allison Houston is a 34-year-old mother of three children. Her daughter, Jennifer, was born just three weeks ago. Houston says the birth was virtually painless and she credits it to a new medical approach called homeopathy.
Houston took a class at the Ottawa School of Homeopathy last spring.
“I was looking at it as a way of having a healthy pregnancy,” says Houston. “And it was the quickest and easiest birth of all three.”
Homeopathy was first introduced in the nineteenth century by a German physician.
It’s a system of natural medicine that heals through the use of remedies.
These remedies are derived from plant and animal substances that are heavily diluted then shaken. They can be taken in either tablet or liquid form.
There are more than 2,000 homeopathic remedies to cure everything from headaches to blood loss after giving birth.
Rosemary Taylor, founder and director of the Ottawa School of Homeopathy, says the approach is slowly starting to become popular in Canada.
“It works because the remedies are dilluted to the point where there is no measureable, quantifiable herb left,” says Taylor. “All that’s left is a healing energy message and it’s this message that triggers the body to heal itself.”
Taylor has worked with about 30 pregnant women and has recently written a book called Homeopathy for Pregnancy and Childbirth.
She says the most common concerns of the women are worries about pain during the delivery, hemorrhoids and morning sickness.
Remedies for all of these conditions are included in her book and she says most of the women she has worked with are happy with the results.
“Homeopathy is still not that popular because it’s not known,” says Taylor. “I put this book together so that other women will hear about, think about it, and maybe consider trying it.”
About three months into her pregnancy, Houston took a remedy called pulsatilla.
It acts as a general toner or cleanser of the reproductive system. She also took a remedy to help her and the baby absorb calcium.
Houston delivered her baby at home with the aid of a midwife. During labour, she took arnica which helps deal with physical and emotional overexertion. And after the birth, she took china to help with the blood loss and a second dose of arnica for the overexertion.
“My recovery was so much faster and less traumatic compared to my other two births,” says Houston.
Anne Maranta is a midwife in Ottawa with 12 years of experience. She has just begun using homeopathy but says she has seen positive effects through its use.
“It’s a gentle way to get the body to respond during childbirth,” says Maranta.
Taylor recommends that anyone considering using the remedies consult with a trained homeopath.
“The challenge is to match the symptoms of the sick individual with those of the remedy,” says Taylor. “This should be done by an expert.”
Taylor also encourages consulting with conventional medical doctors during pregnancy.
“It’s important to work with both worlds,” says Taylor. “We need both approaches and both sides.”
Taylor will be teaching an 18-hour course on homeopathy for pregnancy and childbirth at Algonquin College from May 16 to June 20.
“I recommend this approach to anyone considering alternatives to conventional medicines,” says Houston.