How to have a healthy and natural pregnancy in spite of your gynaecologist . (Part 5c)

Remedies AFTER labour

by Christo Lues

Once it’s all over, the pain from a normal delivery disappears almost immediately when the mother holds the little bundle of joy, at least so I am told and also observed in the eight deliveries of my own children.

The body however now starts a repairing process, and this is what we will focus on in this section. The body is a living organism and has a self healing process built into every cell. Inside each cell is the original building plan (the DNA) of what the fully built cell should look like. The cell is able to replicate or heal perfectly, provided it has the required building material for building a healthy cell.

If we think that we are able to get everything our body needs from food, what we are saying is that the mass produced, genetically modified, artificially fertilized, pesticide sprayed, cold stored for months, radiated and microwaved fresh fruit and vegetables contains all your body needs… a no brainer if you think about it.

You should keep taking all the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that you were taking before and during pregnancy, because your body still needs all that to function optimally.

Having delivered your baby your body went through a natural, though extremely strenuous experience, so some internal and external bruising will occur. Although your body will repair this in time, given the nutrients like Omega SLO, there is great benefit in taking some homeopathic remedies aid the healing process. 

Traumeel S is one of the top remedies available. It comes in pill, drops, Ampules, Ointment and Gell forms. For fast recovery start using just after delivery. Take 10 drops or 1 pill every hour for about two days then as the body starts recovering, reduce the dose to about 3 x per day, till completely healed.

If you had a cesarean section, the same procedure can be followed and after the wound dressing is removed you can apply the Ointment to the scar.

Squaline can be applied to reduce scarring and stretch marks. Apply twice a day. Squaline can also be massaged into tender nipples. If you want to strengthen the nipples, massage the squaline into the nipples for about 3 weeks before delivery.

Something most first time mothers are not aware of is the contractions that follow the delivery. These are required to let the womb contract back to it’s original size. The womb needs to get back to size asap, as this reduces the chance for post partum hemorrhage.

Taking raspberry leaf tea, will serve as a tonic for the uterus, aiding in the contractions. When these contractions become very strong after the birth, it can be quite painful. To help reduce some of these overly intense and painful contractions, taking Spascupreel homeopathic tablets, is extremely effective.

If you had an episiotomy (cut or tear) Applying Silvermax afterwards will help reduce the chance of infection and speed up healing greatly. Taking a bath with sea salt in the bath will also help heal and protect the episiotomy against infection.

If you received pain medication, antibiotics, anesthetic or any chemicals before, during or after the delivery, you would want to get these out of your system as fast as possible. Taking Liver Detox spray help rejuvenate and clean the liver fast and effectively. Generally taking 5 sprays 2 x per day is adequate.

Weccesin Powder is wonderful using on baby’s umbilical. Simply sprinkle the powder on the umbilical with the change of every nappy. The remaining piece of the umbilical cord should fall off within three days after delivery. If you see infection (redness) or a little pus, spray the area with Silvermax with every nappy change then apply some Weccesin powder. Make sure to spray some Silvermax in baby’s mouth as often as possible.

In general the white on your baby’s tongue is NOT candida, but some residue from drinking breast milk. No action is required.

If however you start experiencing itchy nipples, chances of a yeast infestation (like Candida) is possible. This is also called thrush by some. In this case make sure to use nipple guards and cleaning them with GSE after each use. Also make sure that breast pads do NOT contain any plastic layers. Use cotton breast pads instead. If you do have a possible yeast infection, make sure to spray the GSE on the breast pads, your bra or any clothing coming into contact with your breasts. It may speed the healing process by walking topless for a few days (indoors…)

If baby does have thrush, you can clean her mouth with a very weak solution of Bicarb dissolved into water. Dissolve one teaspoon to a liter of boiled, water. Keep the cold bicarb solution handy when feeding, cleaning baby’s mouth with a cotton swab soaked in the solution.

Tips on breastfeeding for mothers can be found here… (Linnie’s Blog)

Make sure you also read parts  1, 2, 3 and 4, 5a and 5b

How to have a healthy and natural pregnancy in spite of your gynaecologist . (Part 5b)

Remedies DURING labour

by Christo Lues

It is very important to realize when you are in labour, and what false labour looks like. If you don’t know, you might end up in medical hands forcing you into real labour.

Many women arrive at their chosen maternity home, convinced that their very tight uncomfortable bellies herald that most important of days, the birth of their child, only to be told that they are not in labour. Or worse, the staff can't tell the difference between real and false labour and take charge of your labour by inducing labour or any of the procedures I mentioned previously. 

Signs of false labor;

There will be no blood-tinged show off mucus.

False labor pains usually;

• Do not become closer
• disappear on rest or when taking a warm bath
• the time between contractions are irregular and longer than real ones, often lasting anything from 1 to 15 minutes.
• Can be quite painful, but not increasingly so.

Recognizing labor

The following checklist will help you decide if you are in labor

• A greatly increased (but otherwise normal looking and smelling) mucousy vaginal discharge.
• A heavy sensation in the pelvis
• Very uncomfortable back and groin pain
• An increase in the frequency and strength of practice pains
• The slight slowing down in your baby’s movements

A day or two before labour you may find these signs;

• A few episodes of loose stools but not diarrhea, which is the bowels natural evacuation instinct or nature’s enema
• A slight bloody show of mucus expelled from the cervix - this can start from even 10 days before real labor.
• The cervix often dilates a few centimeters
• Many women experienced a surge of energy commonly wishing to clean up cupboards
• Increased irritability

Definite signs of labor;

These things must all occur for your baby to be born, although the sequence and variations of patterns my differ greatly.

• A show of mucus, as described above, must occur and will be ongoing while in labour. It is not necessarily the first sign but does often precede the next three signs.
• Contractions must occur even in so-called painless birth to expel the baby from the uterus and through the birth canal. Labour contractions typically have these characteristics; irregular initially… becoming more regular;   far apart (20-40 minutes)… closer together (1 or 2 minute intervals just before birth);   less strong... becoming more strong;   shorter (20-30 seconds) … longer (60 to 70 seconds at the end of the first stage).
• On internal examination, increased cervix dilation will be felt
• Breaking of the amniotic waters must occur, although this frequently happens later in labour. It might only be a trickle of water, often mistaken for leaking bladder, or it may come out in a gush. Slight tears of the membranes often spontaneously reseal and this may be completely without danger to the mother or child. In the event of great amniotic fluid loss, labour usually speeds up considerably due to the direct pressure of the babies head on the mouth all the uterus. Labour should follow within a few hours (up to 12) of this greater amniotic fluid loss and the baby’s movements and heartbeat should be carefully monitored.

Once the above occur it may be a good idea to get your midwife close by…

Homeopathy for the first stage of labour

The remedy Caulophyllum will help relax an overly tight cervix mouth where slowed dilation leads to great distress and prostration in the labouring woman. It often also restores contractions that will have ceased and can, in so doing, avoid steps of intervention like booster induction or cesarean section. 

Most practitioners use it in a 7CH or and 9CH potency and either from a few days before the woman’s due date or starting at the moment she is in labour. Use every 30 minutes or every hour during labour.

Cimicifuga is a remedy that acts strongly on the central nervous system including the impulses to muscular organs like the uterus, improving its function. Women who are very agitated during labour and who have a particularly low pain threshold profit greatly from its regular use during labour.

Rescue, in drop (preferred) or tablet form is a Bach Flower remedy that will help you to cope if you feel that you are losing control during labour. 

If you experience terrible anxiety of sudden onset just as labour begins used Aconite to release. 

If your labour is very slow to get under way, use Pulsatilla to speed it up without stress.

Other remedies during labour.

Coral 8 is great for helping along the contractions. When a muscle contracts it uses calcium and to relax it needs magnesium. If these minerals are depleted or in low supply labour will be more challenging, Coral 8 supplies the body with highly absorbable ionic calcium, magnesium and all 72 trace minerals that makes the body work correctly. Let your partner open these in your mouth or simply chew the capsule. Then slowly let it dissolve in the mouth. You can use this remedy as often as is needed during labour.

Cell Food™ is great for when it feels like you have no energy left or become extremely out of breath. Taking Cell Food™ will supply a bolus of energy and oxygen into your system if put in a little water. In a situation, usually just before delivery, a woman may become oxygen depleted, possibly resulting in spasms of the hands or other muscles. In this instance place 3-5 drops directly under the tongue - warning, it has a strong taste, but works instantly!

Arnica oil for massaging the back is extremely helpful when baby moves down and the mother experiences some pain. Massage in one direction, i.e. not up and down.

Chamomile oil can also be used for massaging and will have a calming effect on the mother without stopping labour.

In the final post (5c), I will look at remedies to be used after delivery.

Also have a look at Part (Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 and 5a)

How to have a healthy and natural pregnancy in spite of your gynaecologist . (Part 5a)

by Christo Lues

How to avoid an un-natural pregnancy

In the previous articles (Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4) we have talked about how to have a natural pregnancy in spite of your gynecologist. I want to end off this final part (divided into 3 subsections before - during and after birth) by giving a few guidelines on what you can do to help yourself in an emergency situation or when you do not go into labour spontaneously. 

So how do we avoid an unnatural pregnancy?

The best way is to listen to your own body, to know what your body is like and how your body responds, in other words, read the signs of labour early.

This cannot be done if you do not know your own body. The first step would be to get in touch with your own body. So how do you do that? This is not something that happens overnight it takes practice, it requires trust and it takes time.

Having said that, there are certain general signs that you can look out for. 

The main thing is you must trust that God built your body in such a way that it can do its own thing and thus have a natural pregnancy.

This means that very few women will be too small to bare a baby. God made you the right size and will not make you bear an elephant!

Secondly, baby will be born when he/she is ready. You will NOT be pregnant forever :-)

Thirdly you will be able to bear the pain, it’s not unbearable and your body is designed to handle this kind of thing through secreting certain hormones  during the labour.

Remedies BEFORE labour

One of the best ways to have a healthy pregnancy is to be healthy - before you start. This really means that you start at your own birth! Living a healthy life from childhood will certainly make your eggs (and sperm) healthier than someone that starts a month before they decide to fall pregnant.

But this may only be for a few ‘lucky’ individuals who’s parents had that foresight… as for the rest of us we have to start as soon as we realize wanting a healthy pregnancy, means that we have to start living healthy asap!

DETOX (for Both…)

It’s fascinating to see emphasis what everybody places on the woman who is going to have a baby, and how the problem is always first investigated with the woman. Although the female reproductive system is infinitely complicated and important, as far as genetic composition on contribution to the conception process, the male health is at least equally important. 

So when we talk about detoxing for the purpose of preparing for a healthy pregnancy we are referring to the couple.

Detox is not simply cleaning your colon, as many may think. I recommend a detox of every cell of the human body. The only proper, and therefore effective, detox I know is that of Sevenpointfive. The reason for this is that the Sevenpointfive philosophy helps the body Cleanse, Nourish and Balance every cell in the body. One of the most important factors about this detox is that it strives to correct the pH of the bodily fluids to the ideal pH of 7.5. This is much like a swimming pool. Once you have the correct pH of the water in the swimming pool, maintaining the pool takes very little maintenance. 

After the Sevenpointfive detox, you are put onto a maintenance program (much like maintaining your pool) to keep you healthy. This includes a good and healthy diet and some supplements to help maintain your body.

It’s very important to remember that in order to produce healthy eggs (and sperm) you need to start at least 4 months before conception, six months is more desirable. Having said that, if you are pregnant already, its never too late to start. Find a Sevenpointfive consultant close to you.

In general, I recommend that the expecting or soon to be expecting mothers take at least the following supplements - note, I use mostly the Sevenpointfive range, because in 15yrs of clinical practice I have not found any product that comes close as far as efficacy, potency, value for money, purity and integrity goes.

Antioxidants - in the modern age we are swamped with toxins from the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the ‘food’ we eat. If you want to protect yourself and your baby against the effects of these and other toxins including electro-pollution, then you need a potent and wide spectrum antioxidant - I recommend Activ 8.

Vitamins - are the building blocks of every living cell in the body. If your gynaecologist thinks differently he must have flunked biochemistry. If he reasons that you get everything from your diet, well what he really means is that the mass produced, genetically modified, artificially fertilized, pesticide sprayed, cold stored for months, radiated and microwaved fresh fruit and vegetables has all that your body needs… a no brainer if you think about it. I recommend a high quality product like Viridian High Five multi-vitamin. If the mother has some stress or struggle to sleep I recommend Mindset instead of the multivitamin.

Essential fatty acids, are as the name suggests are ESSENTIAL. This means that the body cannot produce it, even if we lived 100% healthy and organic. You NEED to take it in, much like water. These build the ‘skin’ of every one of the cells in your body and that of your baby. When the skin of every cell is healthy then the body is more healthy. It also forms the building blocks of your much needed hormones before, during and after pregnancy. Studies have shown that babies of whom the mothers supplemented with omega 3 oils during pregnancy, are born with more brain folds - they are more intelligent than babies of whom the mothers did not. Omega oils are also essential in maintaining a healthy immune system. I do not recommend so called purified or concentrated oils - as much of the natural essential ingredients are removed, making these less effective than natural pure fish oils, although they are marketed as the real thing. I also do not recommend plant based omega 3 oils,(ALA and LA) as these cannot be utilised effectively by the body, unless the body converts it to usable (EPA and DHA). This process is often quite ineffective and not enough omega 3 oils is absorbed in this way. I recommend the use of Omega SLO, because it is certified 100% pure, it contains EPA and DHA as well as Squaline and Alkoxyglycerol that is needed for every function in the body. These substances are also essential for healthy lactation.

Minerals forms the frame for the rest of the body. Think of the baby forming bones, blood and organs by using the available calcium, magnesium and other minerals in your body. If you do not supplement with the correct absorbable minerals, your body will simply loose minerals to the developing fetus, leaving you depleted and vulnerable to disease.

I recommend the use of ionic coral calcium sachets in your purified drinking water to correct the pH of the body so that proper absorption can take place of all nutrients. These sachets however does not supply enough physical minerals to build the body, for that we need to add minerals in ionic form. I recommend Coral 8 capsules which contains the correct balance of calcium, magnesium, vit D and all of the essential 72 trace minerals we need for a healthy body.

Other remedies can be used to prepare your body for labour.

Raspberry leaf tea is a tonic for the uterus and helps tone the uterus so that it can contract and relax resulting in healthy contractions for natural delivery. 

If you are afraid of tearing during labour, you can massage your perineum with Squaline to make it softer and stretch easier. Do this 2 x per day - if it becomes difficult, your husband will be happy to help out…

Something that you may not have considered is a water birth. Read more about water birth here...

In part b I will talk about what remedies can be used during labour.

How to have a healthy and natural pregnancy in spite of your gynaecologist . (Part 3)

by Christo Lues

So, what is wrong with getting a c-section?

Also read:

Part 1 "What is a Natural pregnancy?"

Part 2 "What is an Un-Natural pregnancy?"

This section is NOT applicable to lifesaving absolute emergency c-sections, this section is about elective or otherwise considered, unnecessary c-sections.

When asked of side effects of a c-section, the gynaecologist will have to think really hard to conjure up any side effects. In his mind there is simply no side effects, apart from a little discomfort by the mother - but for that there is ‘medication’.

If we take a closer look there seems to be more than meets the eye at first. 

As a start, consider the fact that c-section is not a small procedure, but rather a MAJOR surgical procedure!

Doctors create an incision to deliver your baby by C-section. This incision takes up to six weeks to heal. It's also prone to infections. Contact your doctor if you notice pus around the incision, or if you develop a sudden fever. Because many of your strong tummy muscles are cut through, it is very painful and you may have difficulty holding your baby in the correct position, making mothering and more importantly, breastfeeding challenging or impossible. You would generally not be able to drive for six weeks after your operation, as the muscles repair.

A further complication from the operation is the cut through the uterus wall. Although it heals perfectly in healthy woman (like a broken arm would) most doctors won’t “allow” you to have a Vaginal Birth After Cesarian (VBAC). The reason, they argue, is that because it was once cut, it’s not strong enough to withstand contractions of a next birth. It’s like saying you are not allowed to pick up something heavy with an arm after it was broken (and now healed) Statistics in this regard indicate the opposite. Studies have shown that uterine rupture is more prevalent amongst first time mothers than mothers that has already had a previous c-section. But the point is, if you had a c-Section, and you do want a normal birth afterwards, you enter a serious battle zone. Secondly, from here on your doctor will decide FOR you how many children you will have - it will not be your decision anymore. So depending on how well your womb has healed, in the doctors opinion, he will decide on how many more future c-sections he will ‘allow’.

Organ failure

When the mother is sedated for the c-section, various complications can arise. Because of the pain from the c-section wound the mother needs pain medication after the operation. This leads to the strong drugs like Pethedine or Morphine getting into the baby via the breast milk. Studies have shown a link between the use of these drugs and kidney, liver and heart failure in newborns and the ingestion of Morphine. Everything that you as a mother ingests ends up in the breast milk and thus in your baby. Are you comfortable giving schedule 6 & 7 drugs to your newborn? Also keep in mind, that your baby is likely to have neonatal jaundice because of either being born too early or if a lot of bruising occurred during the birth - the liver normally deals with this. If you take the drugs mentioned, it also needs to be broken down in the already taxed liver of the newborn.

Developmental problems.

Even for infants born full-term, a little more time in the womb may matter.

The extra time results in more brain development, and a study suggests perhaps better scores on academic tests, too.

Full-term is generally between 37 weeks and 41 weeks; newborns born before 37 weeks are called premature and are known to face increased chances for health and developmental problems. The children in the study were all full-term, and the vast majority did fine on third-grade math and reading tests. 

The differences were small, but the study found that more kids born at 37 or 38 weeks did poorly than did kids born even a week or two later.

The researchers and other experts said the results suggest that the definition of prematurity should be reconsidered.

The findings also raise questions about hastening childbirth by scheduling cesarean deliveries for convenience - because women are tired of being pregnant or doctors are busy - rather than for medical reasons, the researchers say. More...

So then developmental problems are associated with pre-term babies. Most gynecologists will NOT allow a mother to go full term, as they will run the ‘risk’ of going into spontaneous labour. Remember that the doctor wants to avoid this natural process in 80% of the cases.

Can you see the relationship between the masses of youngsters on Ritalin for learning disabilities and the rate of c-sections, yet?

Breastfeeding

Then because the mother is partially or fully sedated by the epidural or the general anesthetic after the operation, while she is being closed up and on her way to the recovery room, the baby is separated from the mother. 

The very important initial skin to skin contact is lost and the initial immediate latching on the breast of the mother is lost.

The baby is force fead some sugar water or formula milk and stored in a noisy impersonal incubator, for later retrieval. Talk about a brutal welcome to the world!

When the baby is reunited with the mother, she may struggle to recognize the mother and have difficulty latching onto the breast of the mother. The success of breastfeeding all depends on how quickly baby can be on the breast after birth.  Within the first 30 minutes baby’s sucking is strongest and weakens from there on. After an hour you have almost lost it. On top of that the body will naturally increase the production of Oxytocin, the breastfeeding hormones, around 40-41 weeks, which ensures that everything is ready for breastfeeding. When the mother receives a C-section, either because she was induced (because her own hormonal levels were not high enough yet or baby was not ready to be born to start natural contractions) and the induction fails, or because of a scheduled c-section, the hormones for breastfeeding are also not at the maximum levels. Add to that the first thing that was shoved down baby’s mouth was a rubber teat and the drugs the Mother took with the C-section, which also sedates baby and it is no surprise that 95% of all young mothers struggle to breastfeed their babies! If the mother is not guided correctly by a midwife or breastfeeding expert (usually not a sister or doctor) the breastfeeding may be a road of torment or will be abandoned for formula milk. The mother and baby miss out on yet another wonderful natural, heathy bonding gift.

If the mother does succeed with breastfeeding, the nurse will tell the mother to breastfeed for 5 minutes on every breast and that baby has then had enough. If baby is not picking up weight or is constantly hungry, a formula will be advised, as the mother’s milk is ‘not strong enough’. If baby cries, shove a dummy in the mouth, a nasty habit that will be difficult to kick and may result in changing the shape of the baby’s mouth, resulting in orthodontic problems in puberty. This is all completely wrong!!

Rather breastfeed on ONE breast until it is completely empty for about a two hour duration, using the breast as a natural pacifier for the baby. With the next feeding give baby the other full breast. This will result in the one breast getting a resting and recovering time and will help to avoid sore nipples. Also when one breast is completely emptied, baby will get the fore milk (watery to quench the thirst) and the strong after milk to feed baby and make her grow healthy. Read more on breastfeeding on Linnie’s BLOG

Intestinal health of baby

Increased Risk of Disease in Baby.

California Watch reports that there is some indication that a C-section birth increases a baby's chances of developing asthma, allergies or Type 1 diabetes, probably because it is not exposed to the good bacteria in the mother's vagina.

When the baby is born via the normal vaginal birth canal, natural bacteria that lives in the vagina is ingested by the baby. When the bacteria reach the baby’s intestines, the seed is planted for colonizing the baby’s own strands of healthy bacteria in the intestine, resulting in a healthy strong immune system. Full colonization is estimated at around six weeks. It is further estimated that up to 80% of the body’s immune system resides in the gut.

This is of not the case when a baby is born via c-section. Ever noticed that everything is sterile in an operating theatre? Well, this means that the baby missed out on the bacterial meal it was supposed to ingest on the way into the world. The gut is thus not colonized as designed, and the immune system is compromised.  The gut of a c-section baby can take six months or longer to colonize with the correct bacteria, and some times never, where a supplemental probiotic needs to be administered. 

In most cases parents decides to sow seeds of disease into their children’s bodies by way of vaccinations. I will not elaborate on the dangers of vaccinations here, as this is not the scope of this article. I have covered it extensively elsewhere. Suffice to say that it has the ability to bring extreme harm to the little body. Because the gut was not colonized properly at birth this means that the gut lining is not formed properly. Introducing the toxins contained in the vaccines, further damages the gut and it’s permeability. This may result in strange health issues, like reflux, eczema, glue ear, severe constipation, diarrhea, colic, cramps, sinus or reoccurring respiratory tract infections. No doctor I know of will ever relay these back to the c-section birth, rather an arsenal of drugs will follow for these diseases of ‘unknown origin’. 

To aid the recovery of your baby’s gut you can give ABC Dophilus by Solgar.

Postpartum depression

Although any woman can fall depressed after the birth of a child, it seems to be more prevalent under mothers that had a recent c-section. The mother did not expect to have a c-section, feels cheated or inferior because she was unable to give birth naturally, giving rise to feeling down and depressed. The reason on both accounts are that the mother’s body is depleted or lacking in essential building blocks for the hormones needed to veer off depression in a new, unfamiliar, stressful stage of taking care of a helpless human being. What could however make it more prevalent in c-section mothers is that during the different birthing stages, various hormones are secreted by the mother’s body to help her body adapt for the birth, in particular the hormone oxytocin. In a c-section this never happens, because the Mother and baby’s body didn’t release enough ‘birth’ hormones and depression may result afterwards.

Breastfeeding stimulates the secretion of oxytocin. Oxytocin is also called the ‘love’ or ‘motherly’ hormone. As discussed earlier with breastfeeding, there may not be enough Oxytocin and a lack thereof may be implicated as one of the causes in the onset of postpartum depression. This would naturally be worsened if the mother does not breastfeed, or due to what we mentioned above, struggles to breastfeed.

Postpartum bleeding

Breastfeeding the baby straight after birth results in the release of the hormone oxytocin. This makes the uterus contract. In fact the mother will experience ‘contraction’ pains for days after the birth of the baby due to the oxytocin release during breastfeeding and this helps the uterus contract back to its pre-conception size. Again, if breastfeeding is not successful the young mother may bleed excessively after the birth. Because the uterus was cut, this is even more painful.

These are only some of the reasons we think c-sections are not great!
If you would like to read about more pros and cons of c-sections go here...

Also read:

Part 1 "What is a Natural pregnancy?"

Part 2 "What is an Un-Natural pregnancy?"
Part 3 "Why it may be a good thing to get a C-section"

In Part 4, I will talk about: “What if complications DO arise, what to do?”

How to have a healthy and natural pregnancy in spite of your gynaecologist . (Part 1)

By Christo Lues

What is a Natural pregnancy

Being pregnant and giving birth are natural life experiences for which a woman's body is well designed. In most of the world, women labor and give birth with midwives, as they have throughout history. No matter what anyone says: pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and mothering are natural processes.

Wouldn't you agree that they have worked pretty well so far (for the last few thousand years)? Without it, none of us would have been here!

Natural pregnancy is where, after conception, the mother lives a normal life as before. As the pregnancy progresses she has an ever increasing awareness that new life is being formed inside her body. She may experience a slight increase or decrease in appetite, thirst and may urinate more often. The mother starts experiencing movement inside her abdominal area and conversations with the little one may be spontaneous. 

At some point during the process, the mother may visit a midwife to discuss the birthing process. The midwife will listen to the baby’s heartbeat as well as measure the mother’s tummy growth, to confirm that the pregnancy is developing as expected. The midwife may recommend that the mother has one ultrasound scan to confirm that the placenta is implanted in the correct position. It may also be recommended that the mother see her GP or a gynaecologist that could step in should any emergency arise during the pregnancy or during labour. This, as we will learn later, is often where the mother is robbed of a natural pregnancy. 

As the pregnancy advances and depending on the mothers’ age and fitness she may experience a few uncomfortable pains in her sides, abdomen or back as her body stretches and the baby takes up more space. She may also experience some indigestion as baby grows bigger. As different hormonal changes happen in the mother’s body, so will her moods, skin, breast size, libido, blood sugar and even blood pressure fluctuate. 

Natural birth is a part of the normal human procreation cycle. It is in itself not a disease that poses any more threats than life itself. It is a process through which a mother carries a  baby in her womb until the baby signals the mother’s body to start the birthing process. The mother will then experience certain changes in her body that will enable her to deliver a baby via the birth canal. The process may take several hours and the mother may be assisted by a midwife or doctor. The midwife fulfills a supportive role to the mother and baby’s needs with absolute minimum intervention.

Once the baby is delivered, the mother’s body starts a process of returning to it’s original state. The natural birth may take place at home or in a birthing unit, and the mother may even choose to give birth in a birth pool. In this case the warm water serves to calm the mother and creates a safe environment for the baby and greatly reduces the birthing pains for the mother. (Read more on Linnie’s BLOG about water births) Baby latches to the mother’s breast and lives on her chest for several days as she is nurtured by the mother. The mother is able to get up and do normal household and motherly activities.

From here on the baby forms part of the natural order of things in the family, and new life is incorporated in the family routine.

The baby is not vaccinated to ‘sow seeds of disease’ into it’s little body. The parents, rather than living in fear of every imaginable disease on earth, focus on building the new little one’s immune system via breastfeeding and later high quality food and nutritional supplements.

Next time, in Part 2, I will talk about; “What is an un-natural pregnancy”

Remedies during labour

Although most woman, today, choose to hand over total control of the body’s natural mechanism of childbirth to a doctor, there are a few that do it the natural way. This article is intended for you. Please note that my criticism towards the unnatural forms of childbirth like elected c-sections, epidurals, inductions and the rest of it stems from the fact that in modern day life, childbirth is seen as a ‘medical condition’ that needs to be ‘treated.’ This of course mostly to the financial benefit of the ‘specialist doctor’ called a gynecologist. I do however recognize that in about 5% of woman, emergency intervention is needed to save both the mother and babies lives, my criticism is not directed at these.

I too once believed that any one that chose to even had a normal GP deliver their baby was completely irresponsible, let alone a midwife or the couple themselves! I was wrong. As we now have our 8th baby, I now know better. While I am not devoting this article to the benefits of natural child birth, let me just say the following. I see so many young mothers come in to us with their young ones with problems ranging from constipation, bottle feeding, glue ears, colic, insomnia, eczema, weakened immune system allergies and much more. Most of these are as a result of the un-natural procedures like inductions, c-sections, epidurals, vaccinations, etc, etc.

Back to normal natural child birth. We have found the following especially useful before, during and straight after birth.

Raspberry leaf tea

Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, red raspberry leaf is one of the safest and commonly used tonic herbs for women wanting to get pregnant or for women who are already pregnant. Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus) tones the uterus, improves contractions and decreases constipation. Red Raspberry leaf does not start labor or promote contractions.It is NOT an emmenagogue or oxytocic herb. What it does is help strengthen the pelvic and uterine muscles so that once labor does start the muscles will be more efficient.

This tea can also be taken after the delivery, to help the uterus contract to it’s original size.

Omega 3

Omega 3 is an ESSENTIAL fatty acid. Although fat is (wrongly) touted as a bad substance that makes us fat and cause cholesterol buildup in the arteries, it is essential to good health. The brain is made up of a large volume of fat. Omega 3 is the building block to the body’s hormones and every single cell wall in the body needs it to function properly. Make sure you take 3000mg to 4000mg daily with your meals. You will need a lot of omega 3 during labour as well. It is much needed for the healing of the bruised tissues after delivery.

Water

We do recommend that you drink A LOT of water during pregnancy. Although some ‘specialist doctors’ will (wrongly) tell you that drinking too much water during the pregnancy is bad for you and causes water retention, quite the contrary is true. It is however important to drink the correct kind of water. You can read more on water here.

Coral 8

For muscles to contract, calcium is required. Magnesium is required to have them relax the muscles. In order to absorb the calcium, you also need vitamin D. Coral 8 contains all of this, plus it’s made from the most absorbable form of calcium, coral calcium. This can also be given during the labour process and helps for pain relief as well as energy levels. The best way would be to slide open a capsule and take the powder under the tongue with a little water.

Caulophyllum (30C)

This homeopathic remedy will help relax an overly tight cervix mouth where slow dilatation leads to great distress and prostration in the labouring woman. It often restores contractions that have ceased and can, in doing so, avoid un-natural interventory steps, like induction or Caesarean Section. You can start taking this remedy three times a day a week or two before your due date and every half hour to every hour during labour.

Cimicifuga (30C)

This remedy acts strongly on the central nervous system, including its impulses to muscular organs like the uterus, improving it’s function. Women who are very agitated during labour or who have a particularly low pain threshold, profit greatly from it’s regular use during labour.

Rescue drops

Will help you cope better if you feel that you are loosing control during labour. Dose frequently for the best effect. You may also find this very useful just before baby is born, when you think you cannot go through with labour or if your body shows symptoms of shock. Should you experience terrible anxiety of sudden onset, just as labour begins, use Aconite (30C) to give relief.

Pulsatilla (30C)

Use this remedy when your labour is very slow to get underway. Pulsatilla will speed it up without stress.

Cell Food

This is such a faithful supplement. I use it mainly during the fourth stage of labour, especially when more oxygen is needed. You can look out for one of two symptoms, tingling lips or a slight blueish tint around the mouth. This is usually an indication that more oxygen is needed. You can put 10 drops in a small amount of water and sip on it, or if things are a bit hectic at this stage, put 2-3 drops straight under her tongue.

Traumeel S

Directly after the delivery take Traumeel S drops under the tongue. This remedy from HEEL helps with the healing of the much bruised tissues and wounds. Take 10 drops every 30 minutes for the first few hours, there after about three times per day, until complete healing has taken place.

Wecesin Powder

This is an awesome remedy! For many mothers, the smell of surgical spirits is synonymous with caring for the newborn baby’s umbilical stump. We have used both in the past and prefer the Wecesin Poweder by far. Straight after every body starts to settle down, and you fit babies first nappy, apply enough of the powder. After each nappy change, repeat this procedure. Within 4 days the dried out piece will drop off and you are done.

You may also find our article “Tips for Breastfeeding mothers” very useful.