Articles
1. Treating Adopted Children with Homeopathy
2. Treating Infertility with Homeopathy
3. My Experience of Post Natal Depression
Treating Adopted Children with Homeopathy
By Sue Anello
I trained to be a homeopath in England beginning in the early 1990s. From the beginning of our program we learned to consult with and support parents in treating their children in order to give them the best start in life. Beginning with pregnancy and birth, the homeopath can help the family influence the health of their children by offering safe, non-toxic, tried and tested (over 200 years) ways of enhancing the immune system without the use of supplements and other costly items.
Over and over again I saw children get off the treadmill of recurrent antibiotic, inhaler, steroid and antihistamine use. Upon moving back to the U.S., I found that people used medications in far greater numbers than their European counterparts, and in fact, drugs were being pushed on television, radio and in print, something that doesn’t happen in Europe.
In my Nyack practice, I see primarily families. What I noticed happening more and more was that people were bringing babies and small children with skin, lung, and nutrition issues and that frequently these children were adopted from developing countries, especially from China. The children were likely to have eczema, bronchitis, upper respiratory infections or even scabies on their arrival. They were hastily bottle fed diluted milk and were often underweight. Some suffered from rickets. Many children arrived having already suffered pneumonia in their first few months of life. They were inoculated in order to come to the U.S., or some received inoculations upon arrival. Some of the children have had reactions to the immunizations that their bodies could not really process. Parents report being sent overseas with antibiotics to give their children upon arrival in China. This, of course, doesn’t provide protection for those children who might have a reaction to the medications.
All of these issues are similar, if not a little more extreme, to those of American children. The eczema gets cortisone slathered on it and soon turns to asthma, just as it does in American born children every day. The antibiotics prescribed to kill whatever they arrive with turns into more and more antibiotic prescriptions as the immune system breaks down further, just as it does in American children with their recurring earaches and strep infections.
The illnesses in the region the child comes from – Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Yellow Fever, and Ringworm all play a role in the child’s make up as they may inherit an “echo” illness; i.e. the condition in a milder form passed down to them. This most likely would not be looked at in an orthodox medical setting, but it is always taken into account in a homeopathic consultation. It is not necessary for the adoptive parents to have the information to hand about the diseases of the region. The homeopath can determine these based on the presenting symptoms.
A case:
Tara was brought in for homeopathic treatment in April. At the time she was a well-fed and physically precocious 1 1/2 year old who arrived from China at 10 months old. She arrived in the U.S. with a bad case of eczema and red face the previous September. In December, she was given her DPT, which triggered her susceptibility to lung problems, and two weeks later was diagnosed with RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and then asthma. She was given the MMR, which caused her to have febrile seizures and immediately developed a series of chronic recurring ear infections. Since the MMR her family noticed that her language development was going backwards. This was attributed to the ear problems. She would sweat at night.
At this point her parents brought her to me. I took her case and noticed there was a pattern common to children who have a family history of Tuberculosis (skin problems, asthma, RSV, night sweats) and of a condition homeopaths call vaccinosis. On this assumption I recommended the parents give the child a remedy, which covered the vaccinosis, and then a remedy once a week for a month, which covered the history of TB.
Her ear condition cleared up immediately as did all her other serious symptoms. Right away her language began developing again. When she was brought back to see me in September, 5 months later, all her symptoms, except for her dry skin, had disappeared. In homeopathy we look for symptoms to clear up in the reverse order they appear – this being the direction of cure.
This is not an uncommon scenario in my practice whether the child is adopted or not, but the homeopath takes special time to make sure that any negative impact on the child is undone in the most gentle, effective and supportive way possible. Each bout of illness is an opportunity for the child to grow stronger and develop. Homeopathic remedies ease that process.
Another parent said, “I ran from doctor to doctor with my year-old daughter. They said she had eczema. No matter what medicine they gave her nothing helped. Finally someone suggested homeopathy and we saw miracles happen in her whole being. She gained weight, grew and flourished and her physical condition healed immediately.”
Empowering parents is at the core of my philosophy as a homeopath. I believe that parents do the best they can with the information they have. I would love to see all children off unnecessary medications – and whether a child is adopted or not I hope that as parents become more informed they will be able to make choices that will strengthen their children for the long haul.
For further information on treating babies and children who were adopted from overseas do not hesitate to contact me.
by Sue Anello
Couples who have difficulties conceiving often find themselves in physical and emotional turmoil. Deciding whether or not to take the plunge and have IVF treatment often brings up all sorts of issues that only the partners themselves can really understand. Sometimes women will undergo several cycles of fertility treatment and still not become pregnant or carry a baby to term.
Common causes of fertility difficulties include health problems such as fibroids, endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, difficulties with ovulation, poor egg or sperm quality, low testosterone, problems with sperm production or motility, Other blocks to a successful conception are the absence of menstruation following long term use of birth control pills, repeated or incomplete miscarriage, drug and alcohol use, environmental toxicity and emotional issues such as grief, anger, and untreated trauma.
Fortunately homeopathy offers an effective, safe, and painless alternative to more invasive fertility treatments. Homeopathy looks at the whole person and considers the cause of conception difficulties and treats that cause – often removing the blocks to conception and leading the way to a healthy, natural pregnancy.
Twenty four year old Rachel was unable to conceive a baby because her menstruation disappeared after coming off eight years on the Pill. She came to me six months later, her periods still absent, and following treatment with the homeopathic remedy her periods reestablished and she became pregnant, giving birth to a healthy baby boy.
Melanie and her husband Charlie tried for three years to have a second baby after their son was born. Doctors told them it was because Charlie had a low motility and a condition known as a varicocele which were preventing conception. Within two weeks of Melanie and Charlie each taking a homeopathic remedy, Melanie was pregnant, and their daughter is now six years old.
Amanda came to see me because she was unable to conceive a second baby. She had suffered a miscarriage the previous year and was still silently grieving this loss. Every month she became depressed as her friends became pregnant with second babies and she did not. After coming for homeopathic treatment for three months she took a remedy specifically for the grief of the miscarriage and was pregnant the following month.
While its recommended that both partners have homeopathic treatment when looking at fertility, it is possible for the person who appears to be having the difficulty, if that is known, to come and achieve success as you have seen above. As homeopathy is so individualized, it is necessary to seek the services of a qualified practitioner rather than self prescribe in fertility cases.
What happens at the homeopathic consultation?
A visit to a homeopath can be therapeutic for both partners. A first appointment generally lasts around 1 ½ hours. The homeopath will be interested in hearing all the history that has led them to seek treatment. The appointment is based around talking and no examinations are taken. By taking a thorough case, the homeopath is sort of like a detective, searching for possible causes to the infertility. Once she determines either the cause or the barrier in the way of a healthy pregnancy, she looks for a remedy which will allow conception to happen.
Spring Cleaning your Body for Conception:
Make sure you are eating as healthfully as possible. Cut out refined sugars, processed and refined foods, junk food, saturated and hydrogenated fats, and caffeine.
Abstain from smoking, drinking and taking any drugs not necessary for continued health for at least four months prior to conception. Contact your doctor to make sure any medications you are taking are safe during pregnancy.
Folic acid should be taken to prevent neural defects of the fetus. This should ideally begin three months prior to conception. Additional supplementation is necessary if you have been on the Pill or using a copper wire IUD as they lower mineral levels from your body.
For optimum health prior to conception, see a homeopath for constitutional treatment and contact a preconception organization such as the Foresight Association for information.
When to contact a homeopath for fertility help:
When you’ve been trying to conceive for more than 3 months without success
If you have been the Pill to clear the body, regulate the hormones and stimulate the menstrual system
If you have miscarried, lost a baby, or suffered a grief which might be interfering with conception.
If you or your partner have suffered from emotional problems or have issues you feel might be stopping you from conceiving
If you have blocked tubes, endometriosis, or other hormonal or gynecological problems.
My Personal and Professional Experience of Post Natal Depression
In the summer of 1993 I was treated for a postnatal depression that fifteen years later I can say changed my life completely. This went way beyond the “baby blues” that I experienced on the 4th or 5th day post-partum. The baby, my second, was three months old at the time. My husband suggested I go see the homeopath I’d consulted a few years before for a skin complaint.
The homeopath listened to my list of complaints – “I feel like staying in bed.” “I hate everything.” “I have no patience for my husband or toddler.” “I don’t understand why I feel this way.” “I would feel better if I could exercise but have no energy for anything.” For over an hour, I cried while listing my symptoms. The homeopath gave me a remedy and told me to put it in water and sip as needed. Within a week I never needed it again. The depression symptoms never returned. Within a year of my experience of this cue, I was enrolled in homeopathy school myself.
Over and over I have seen homeopathy help women, not only in labour, but also post natally. Homeopathy can help heal shock, bruising, episiotomies, tears, haemorrhoids, and nursing problems including mastitis. For many women, these problems and others are minor and they can move on with little difficulty. For some, however, more serious emotional problems can emerge. These can include an unexplained malaise, feelings of being overwhelmed, grief, anger, and unresolved feelings from pregnancy or delivery can take her over and she becomes distressed. Time passes and she feels that she must just “get on with it.” People may not understand how a person can be so “fortunate” and yet feel so terrible.
Fortunately help is available. I have seen it be as quick and effective as it was in my case.
Kate, a 30 year-old woman came to see me six months after the birth of her first baby. She was miserable and had been depressed for about three months. She didn’t feel any warmth towards her baby and was having difficulty bonding with her. Unhappy and irritable, she came to me as a last resort on the advice of a friend. I listened to her for an hour and a half and then gave her the remedy that most closely matched the symptoms she described. She phoned me when she got home exclaiming that the sun came out on her drive home and her feelings of post-natal depression never returned. She repeated the remedy after the birth of her second child and managed to make it through the second birth without incident.
Niamh, consulted me as a home visit following the homebirth of her second baby. The baby was about 4 weeks old and the mother was on enforced bed rest having suffered a prolapsed uterus. She felt isolated and depressed and had no energy to do anything. She felt deserted by her friends and thrown back into feelings from her childhood. A very cheerful and social person by nature, these feelings were driving her deeper and deeper into postnatal depression. I gave her remedies both for her prolapsed uterus and her emotional state and departed. She phone me for a few days after the visit and we made a few adjustments to the remedy but by a week later see was much better and was up and around and socializing and feeling like her old self again.
Sometimes its hard for a new mother to realise they have a problem. In order to ascertain whether there’s a problem with post-natal depression the following questions might help as a guideline. If you answer no to questions one and two and yes to any of the other questions, seek professional help as soon as possible.
In the past week:
1. I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things
2. I have looked forward with enjoyment to things
3. I have blamed myself unnecessarily when things when wrong
4. I have been anxious and worried for no good reason
5. I have felt scared or panicky for no good reason
6. Things have been getting on top of me
7. I have been so unhappy that I have had difficulty sleeping
8. I have felt sad or miserable
9. I have been so unhappy that I have been crying
10. The thought of harming myself has occurred to me
(Adapted from the Edinburgh Assessment for Post Natal Depression Scale; not a clinical assessment but a guideline)
Homeopathy offers a safe and gentle alternative for treating postnatal depression. Its also safe for nursing mothers – obviously an important factor when choosing a treatment.
To make an appointment with Sue Anello please email anellony@yahoo.com or ring 0787 191 2207.
