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New Baby - New Parents
So now this long awaited baby is here - in person! Reality can sometimes mean tiredness and worry about new responsibilities as well as the joy and love which wells up each time you look at this new addition to your family. So as new parents it is vital to look after yourselves as well as your baby.
It is reassuring to know that Homoeopathic and Bach Flower remedies are perfectly safe for you and your child. If you are breast-feeding then the effect of any remedy you are taking will safely also work on your baby. In the early months especially, you are both likely to need the same remedies - you have both shared the same experience very intensely.
So if you are taking homoeopathic Arnica to ease the bruising and trauma of the birth, this will also ease any soreness or bruising for your baby.
If you have had an episiotomy cut then Calendula ointment will be particularly helpful to aid healing and avoid infection. You can use the Calendula ointment on sore haemorrhoids or any perineal soreness. It is also ideal for nappy rash!
Maybe Rescue Remedy or a personal mix of individual remedies will be an important support to keep handy as you adjust emotionally, your hormones settle and you cope with all the challenges your new life presents you. Whether you are Mum, Dad, Grandma or Uncle, if you are closely involved and care about this new baby, you will have strong feelings. When these are positive, open and generous, life feels to be on the right track. As we are human, though, we can sometimes feel quite different and it is good to know that individual Bach remedies are there to help.
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Possible Bach Flower Remedies
Walnut can help us adjust to the many changes and protect us from other people's strong opinions or pressures, so that we can continue to listen to our own inner voice of certainty.
Elm can help when it all feels too much to cope with - when we feel overwhelmed by our new responsibilities.
Red Chestnut is ideal if we are over fearful for our baby or our partner, worrying that something awful will happen and getting our concerns out of proportion, so that there is an atmosphere of fear instead of calm.
Olive helps when we are exhausted emotionally and mentally, feeling drained and so finding it hard to concentrate on what is going on.
All the above Bach Flower Remedies are available on this site |
As individuals we can experience the most mixed and sometimes complicated or seemingly conflicting feelings. Have a look at the Bach Flower section of this website for more ideas of Bach remedies to support you in finding an emotional balance.
Even though it is really important to look after yourself, your focus now is often on your baby and you will want the very best for them.
Most babies will thrive so long as their basic needs are met. They need to be loved, touched, fed, protected, kept clean and warm, allowed to sleep and sometimes stimulated, played with and talked to. Any minor problem is usually resolved quickly and a supportive midwife or health visitor will advise you if you are unsure.
It can also be reassuring to have some basic homoeopathic remedies to hand so that you can quickly and safely deal with a medical problem. See the New Baby Kit.
Sometimes parents worry about feeding their baby. Are they getting enough? Should I have eaten that garlic/drunk so much coffee and will that affect my breeast milk? As you and your baby get to know one another you will find yourself understanding their message more easily and building yur confidence. Sometimes it can really help for the parents to take Rescue Remedy; to relax a little and remember that this is a pleasure as well as a duty. Often, when we relax, the baby can feel safe and will be able to take their feed more easily.
Colic is sometimes an ongoing problem, especially if your baby is an eager feeder. Homoeopathic Colocynthis after feeds can ease the griping and cramping pains, which cause your baby to draw up their legs and scream. Rescue Remedy for you at these times is a good idea too!
Constipation is rarely a serious problem for babies, but parents sometimes find this a cause for concern. Ensure that your baby is not dehydrated; overwrapped or too hot and try gently massaging their tummy - to relax them and ressure you. There are also homoeopathic remedies which can help.
Opium is great homoeopathic remedy for chronic constipation. Any stool passed is likely to be very small and hard - and difficult to shift. The bowels feel completely obstructed. It may feel alarming to give a baby a remedy called "Opium" associated as it is with powerful drugs. In the homoeopathic form however, it is perfectly safe.
Nux Vomica will be helpful to ease any digestive system which has been overloaded - whether with drugs or rich food. So if despite your best intentions you have needed an anaesthetic or other drugs during the birth and these have passed through to your baby and made them constipated, then Nux Vomica is the best remedy to choose.
Suddenly exposed to the harsh realities of open air and friction from clothes, babies' skin can react with dryness, redness and little rashes. Often using Rescue Cream is enough to calm them. If you need to moisturise, then massaging their body with a pure vegetble oil (like Almond oil if there is no family history of nut allergy) is a very intimate and rewarding contact time - one which Dad can share too.
Homoeopathic remedies come in various forms - tablets, drops or powders. To give remedies to a tiny baby you may need to crush tablets between two spoons so as to give a powder that can be tipped safely into the baby's mouth or mixed with a little pure water first.
However perfect, wonderful and intelligent your baby is, do remember to look after yourself and your relationship with your partner too. Although it may not seem possible at the moment, babies grow up into teenagers and adults and will develop their own lives. Make sure you hold on to your identity too. They will love you for it!
Please visit our shop to view Homeopathic Kits, specifically for this special time. |
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