Homeopathy & Baby's 1st Year

For all Mums who have worries about their babies' health, especially during the first year of life- homeopathy is for you. For 1st time Mums, where the anxiety is even more challenging to cope with due to lack of experience - homeopathy is for you. How can it help? In recent times I have seen babies, who have just been given a brand new body to work with, with brand new organs, a perfect little bundle with new systems all functioning seamlessly, being plagued with snotty noses, ear infections, skin complaints, chest infections, repeated bouts of antibiotics, digestive trouble such as colic, reflux, vomiting, chronic constipation. This plethora of health problems in newborns and slightly older babies has begun to be considered perfectly normal. Mothers swap  little tit bits of info about what to do in all these situations. The fact that it happens to lots of babies makes them feel a bit better, despite the niggling anxiety over whether this should be happening at all. When babies go to creche and start picking up lots of different infections from other babies - that is also considered something to be tolerated and sure what can you do? It is awful to feel you have no choice but to administer antibiotics because nothing else works. It's not that you want to - but you can't let an ear infection carry on. What if the fever goes too high and they have a febrile convulsion? And forget those guilt-trips about not having passed on your own immunity to your baby because breast-feeding didn't work out. Some Mums do everything 'right' - that doesn't guarantee your child's health even when you thought it would.

Homeopathy cannot be ignored any more. It is safe and gentle. It can be given to a baby of any age from newborn infanthood up to older ages. It is simple to administer with no bad taste, in a granule form that dissolves directly in the mouth and does not have to be digested or managed with food and will not cause side-effects. You can learn about how to use homeopathy yourself and have great success in dealing with everyday ailments - so it does not always involve seeing a professional. This 'cuts out the middle-man' so to speak, making you more empowered and feeling less helpless, more confident and less anxious when your child gets sick. Your own ability to deal with and confront sickness vastly improves - you no longer feel paranoid about germs, guilt feelings about what your child has been exposed to. Instead, you know your child will only contract an illness if they are susceptible and you don't fuss about germs and hygiene as much any more, or fuss about who visits your house, fuss about the creche or whether you can take your baby with you, if you have to visit someone in hospital etc etc. Finally, you have a medicine that lowers high temperatures instead of Calpol. This medicine does not cause your baby to be woozy, drowsy or off-form. You can help your friend's children and your relatives' children. You can relax at work instead of having to rush home and be forced to go the GP straightaway rather than nurse your child because you can't afford to have time off-work. The reason for this, is that you will know straightaway whether the homeopathic remedy is working, and it does not take long to establish an improvement.
Did you know you can consult a homeopath when your child is healthy? That your child's family history and history of pregnancy, birth, health to date can be recorded so that when your baby gets sick, you call your homeopath and get an alternative solution straightaway? Did you know it is entirely possible and realistic to bring your child up without using antibiotics except in exceptional circumstances? Did you know that you can claim back costs of consultation fees with homeopaths from your health-insurance?
So, why not find out about it? Buy a book, buy some homeopathic remedies, learn how to use them, consult a homeopath so you have more options for the health and well-being of your family. Try it. Your life as a mother will be eased and soothed, less to worry about, less guilt, less feeling trapped and frustrated. I know - as a Mum myself. My knowledge of homeopathy has meant my family never has to attend the GP, my animals are virtually never at the vets and the health and vitality of us all cannot have a price put on it. For that, I am grateful. As a homeopath, I wish every Mum could feel the same peace of mind.

Make a start with the following:

1. Inform yourself with a couple of books: Miranda Castro's Mother and Baby is an excellent start or try her The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. It explains everything.

2. Buy some remedies. There are 'First-Aid' Kits available which contain 36 remedies and an explanatory booklet explaining how to use the remedies. The kit will last you for years and each vial can be refilled.This kit is like a mini-homeopathic pharmacy at your finger tips, at home in your cupboard - it will handle most everyday ailments common in babies. Nelsons Homeopathic Dispensary in Dublin stock them and they are available online from Helios.

3. Consult a professional homeopath for your baby. Get support and direction if you feel too apprehensive about trying it yourself. I work in Leitrim but there are homeopaths country-wide. If you want to locate one in your area go to 'Find a Homeopath' section of the website of the Irish Society of Homeopaths. If you are in another country, research your own country's professional society as they will have a Register of approved practitioners.

4. Then relax! When someone asks you "How come your child seems to be so healthy? It's been one thing after the other with mine" - tell them "I discovered homeopathy - it was such a relief and helped our whole family" and then pass the word on.