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Natural Childbirth

by Aug 25, 2017

Home » Naturopathic Medicine Student Blog » Natural Childbirth

Our daughter, Jade, has arrived! We were able to have the natural, unmedicated, childbirth for which we had been preparing. Studying naturopathic medicine helped me in many ways, and I was able to use natural healing modalities throughout the entire labor, delivery, and recovery process. 

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The whole morning I felt like labor was coming soon because ligaments were stretching in my pelvis that I’ve never felt before! It was as if I’d done a strenuous 6-hour workout. Around 2:30 in the afternoon the bag of waters started to break, but it wasn’t a big gush, so I called my midwifery group, and they had me come into the office.

In the office visit, I was only 1-2 centimeters dilated, so the midwife instructed me to go home for a few hours and present to the hospital at 8 pm. With rupturing membranes before contractions begin, the risk of infection increases, so the topics of induction and antibiotics were discussed, and if we got to the 18-hour mark, they were strongly recommended. I decided to use all the tools in my naturopathic toolbox to speed up the process and avoid that!

Immediately upon leaving the clinic at 5 p.m., I started alternating three homeopathic remedies every 15 minutes for about an hour and a half: cimicifuga (to increase contractions); gelsemium (to increase cervical dilation); and caulophyllum (increases both). As soon as I got home, I had a castor oil smoothie to also help with contractions. The acupuncture clinic was closed, but a friend had been in communication with one of the acupuncture and oriental medicine clinicians earlier about specific acupressure points I could use, and another friend brought me some needles if I’d want to attempt doing acupuncture on myself. However, I didn’t have to use acupuncture or acupressure because within about an hour, I was in full-blown labor, contracting every 2-4 minutes. The intensity increased quickly, and at that point, I knew exactly why the majority of women get an epidural, and the thought definitely crossed my mind!

We got to the hospital around 8:30 p.m., and I felt the urge to start pushing shortly after. The midwife arrived at 9:30 p.m., and I was finally allowed to go into the birthing tub. Being in the water decreased the pain, although it was still incredibly painful in a way that I’d never felt before. It also was too soothing, and I was getting tired quickly. I moved to the birthing stool per the midwife’s recommendation, and two contractions later, at 10:24 p.m., Jade was born!

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Some other homeopathic remedies that I used during the recovery process for the past few days include: high-potency (10M) arnica for achy, sore, bruised feeling; hypericum for nerve pain; and bryonia for feeling “worse with motion.” I successfully managed the pain at a tolerable level, so I didn’t have to take any medications at all. Contrast showers also helped me stimulate the vis (the body’s natural healing power), and I feel more refreshed when I take them.

Jade and I are both doing well, and Luis and I are adjusting to parenthood. Tired is an understatement, so I better take a nap now!

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About the Author

Mary Simon

Mary Simon

I'm a naturopathic medical student at NUHS. I started the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Program in January 2014. I was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a beautiful town on Lake Michigan. My experiences interpreting (Spanish to English) in nearly all medical specialties solidified my decision to study naturopathic medicine, as I saw a deep need for treating the body as a whole, getting to the root causes of symptoms, and using minimally invasive low-cost therapies to restore health.

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