How homoeopathy induces labour By Dr Pankaj Aggarwal

How homoeopathy induces labour
Dr Pankaj Aggarwal, MD (hom.)

While most babies are born after perfectly normal and uneventful labour, sometime things don’t go according to plan. A little homoeopathic knowledge, however, can help in making this plan successful.

Homoeopathy has an excellent safety index. Its remedies are non-toxic and when correctly chosen, can stimulate the body to heal its own health problems and help physiological processes. It has a more than 200 years history of its use during pregnancy and childbirth, without reports of harm and injury.

Induction of labour is a natural process which takes place after the maturity of the foetus. This maturity differs in every individual case and similarly, each patient differs in hereditary and environmental factors:

 1. Physical.
 2. Mental (psycho-spiritual, psycho-social, socio-economical).

Keeping this in view every health professional has to handle the following points:

1. Lying on your back
2. Fear
3. Not having a Doula (or other skilled birth support professional)
4. A stressful birth environment
5. An induction or augmentation with artificial oxytocin
6. Not knowing any natural pain relief options
7. A posterior baby
8. Being dehydrated

So far medical science does not know the exact time of this maturity and the time of induction of labour. Also how this process of induction takes place in the physiology is still unknown. However so far we understand it is the psychic, nervous system and endocrinal system work in co-ordination finally leads to induction of the labour. Definitely like all physiological activities this activity of labour is also be in control by the living process which is, in homoeopathy, known as vital force or vital energy and in psychology is known as self. These entire unanswered questions in medical science are under study which led to create another discipline known PNI (Psycho-Neuro-Immunology).
Having understood this homoeopathic medicine works on vital force or vital energy or self by which the command goes to the rest of the body (PNI) to do the rest. This methodology of how homoeopathic medicine works goes in every state or condition. So, homoeopathic medicines do act naturally.

Induction of labour using homeopathic remedies is a completely SAFE option for allowing your body into labour.  The remedies are safe for both you and your baby.  There are not any remedies that are unsafe, remedies cannot be contraindicated when other medications are being administered and the only effect of taking the wrong remedy is that NOTHING will happen.

When I give remedies to induce labour there are two aspects I consider:
1. What is the fear holding this woman or this baby back? This is the biggest reason women do not go into labour. Identifying the fear at the core level and then taking a remedy to lift the intensity of it, is how women go into labour after a remedy.
2.  Position of the baby – this is another way to induce labour – if the baby is posterior or breech then giving a remedy to correct the position will initiate labour because of the perfect pressure that creates on the cervix.
Homeopathy cannot override your body. Labour pain may begin from 38 to 40 weeks time. When the kind of pain comes and the mouth of the uterus (os) starts opening is the time to give indicated remedy. This timely opening of the os and natural muscular pushing the baby out is all need the help to be completed.
I have had women go into labour within 5 min. of taking a remedy but the normal range I work with is 24 hours.  Within 24 hours something will be starting, you will fully be in labour or you will have had the baby.  The remedy only suggests to your body that you go ahead and do what you need to do. It will be just as if labour has begun on its own.
Fourteen Commonly Used Birth Remedies

1.      Aconite napellus (Acon) - Contractions feel violent and intense, producing a state of fear and anxiety. Restless, agitated and fearful that may die.

2.      Arnica montana (Arn) – Feel bruised, sore, as if beaten during labour. Don’t want people to touch. Relieves soft tissue damage (perineum or abdomen) following birth or caesarian section – reduces swelling, bruising, and risk of infection, and promotes healing.

3.      Arsenicum album (Ars) – Anxious restlessness leading to physical exhaustion. Chilly with anxiety.

4.      Bellis perennis (Bell-p) – For bruised, sore pelvic or abdominal tissues.

5.      Caulophyllum (Caul) – False labour where pains fly about the abdomen. Rigid cervix with pricking pains – cervix fails to dilate. Contractions become irregular and cease.

6.      Cimicifuga racemosa (Cimic) – Cervix spasms and becomes rigid on examination. Uterus ascends high into the abdomen during contraction. Pains fly from side to side of the abdomen. Irregular but painful contractions.

7.      Chamomilla (Cham) –  The pains are unbearable, even early in the labour. Extremely irritable or angry. No matter what is offered or done, it is not right. Hands and feet cold.

8.      Gelsemium sempervirens (Gels) – Weakness and exhaustion – difficult to support weight. Muscles tremble with the effort of movement. Contractions weaken and cease.

9.      Hypericum perforatum (Hyper) – Shooting nerve pains.

10.  Kali-carbonicum (Kali-c) – Irregular contractions. Pain of contractions felt mainly in the back (ie – with posterior postion babies). Feels as if back may break, much better for firm pressure. Fearful of dying.

11.  Kali-phosphoricum (Kali-p) – Physical exhaustion either during or after labour where few other symptoms may be present (compare with Ars).

12.  Pulsatilla pratensis (Puls) – Changeable and erratic contractions. Very restless. Weepy and wanting support and comfort from others. Happy to be held. Flushed face.

13.  Pyrogenium (Pyrog) – Not likely to be needed but an important remedy if a post-partum infection in the uterus develops following childbirth. Rapidly resolves sepsis. May be used for its protective effect against infection of mother or baby if the membranes have been ruptured for a long time before the onset of labour, especially if a temperature develops.

14.  Staphysagria (Staph) – Useful following incision, penetration, or stretching of muscle fibres, as happens with a Caesarean sections or dilatation and curettage (d&c). It encourages the quick healing of incisional or lacerated wounds. Relieves the feelings of anger, resentment, disappointment, and emotional upset that may follow a Caesarean birth.

When should the dosage be stopped?
Dosage in every system of medicine is a very crucial issue and it is decided according to the basic principles of the system. In homoeopathy, dosage means 3 things:

1. Potency that means the power of the medicine

2. Quantum that means quantity to be taken at a time

3. Repetition means frequency and duration in between the quantity to be taken.

To decide the dosage (means the above 3) it is the sensitivity of patient which matters. First of all pregnancy and labour is a physiological process and not the disease. Here the pregnant woman becomes highly sensitive because her instinct is going to add a new citizen in the world and she is bound to bring the best. When the time of the labour comes these sensitive pregnant women becomes more sensitive for all safety and good for her child. In this very sensitive state the indicated remedy in the time of labour can be given in 200C potency that too in the pills format (4pills of no. 20 = 1dose). Sometimes only 1 dose of this will be sufficient to set in the positive reaction of inducing labour.
However dosage can vary according to the sensitivity of the woman and the condition at the time of labour.

While having homoeopathc medicines precautions are according to the person and the condition for which medicine is to be given. Since this is a kind of emergent situation where in she is not demanding any kind of food or drink or doing anything untoward so as such no precautions can be defined.