What is birth trauma?
In the original article, I discuss birth trauma in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a difficult birth. I describe a response to severe stress with various possible causes: a painful or induced birth, the experience of pain, a sense of losing control or insufficient communication between the mother and healthcare staff. Using this term does not mean I am assigning a diagnosis to every woman who has had a difficult birth experience.
In my homeopathic thinking, I also pay attention to the bond between mother and child during pregnancy. Within this framework, I look for possible connections between the mother's experiences and the child's later difficulties.
The following cases represent my experiences and interpretations in homeopathic practice. The outcomes describe the course of individual cases, not proof of what caused the difficulties or of a remedy's efficacy. Personal and family circumstances have been generalised to protect the privacy of mothers and children.
How often does birth trauma occur?
In the original text, I refer to research involving 943 women: a 2017 study by Rachel Reed, Rachael Sharman and Christian Inglis. Of the participants, 748 answered the question about a traumatic experience. Approximately one third of these respondents described events such as premature birth, bleeding or concerns for their baby; 66.7% described actions and interactions with healthcare staff as traumatic. Themes included a feeling that the woman's needs were subordinated to staff priorities.
Editorial clarification of the source: Women who perceived their birth as traumatic volunteered for the study. These proportions therefore do not represent the prevalence of birth trauma among all women giving birth. The study is linked below the article.
Homeopathic support
During a homeopathic consultation, I also ask about the circumstances of pregnancy and birth. Within the homeopathic framework, I consider them relevant to understanding the later lives of both mother and child. The original article also mentions research on vivid, deeply felt memories of childbirth even 15 to 20 years later, but does not give a specific source for that information.
In my practice, I encounter children clinging excessively to their mothers, rejecting their mothers, having outbursts of anger, frequent acute illnesses, anxiety, insomnia or night terrors. When listening to a story, I sometimes consider a connection with a difficult birth. This is my interpretation within the case. I then also consider the nature of the event described when selecting a remedy.
Stool withholding
This is a problem we encounter fairly often in our homeopathic practice. A mother came to see me with her preschool-age son, who had difficulty passing stool and would withhold it for several days. During case-taking, she described a difficult pregnancy in which she lacked adequate support from her partner and carried a heavy burden of caring for the family.
She described the boy as explosive and strongly insistent on his own views. Based on these characteristics and our conversation, I recommended the homeopathic remedy Placenta. In this case, I subsequently recorded that the stool-withholding problem subsided over several weeks.
In the original article, I also list circumstances in which I consider Placenta within the homeopathic framework: difficulty accepting the child, contemplated termination of pregnancy or separation from the child, unmet needs of the child or experience of violence, placental insufficiency, forceps delivery or induced labour. This is a general description of a homeopathic picture, not further information about this family or a list of proven therapeutic indications.
Bedwetting
In another case, I worked for several months with a school-age boy who wet the bed at night. His mother also described motor clumsiness and insecurity in everyday activities. He sought her closeness, lacked confidence and, in her account, needed more support than she expected for his age.
I recommended the homeopathic remedy Lac maternum. At a subsequent review, I recorded a reduction in bedwetting and changes in daily functioning: the boy approached responsibilities more independently, did his homework and helped at home.
In the original text's homeopathic picture of Lac maternum, I mention parents' fear of responsibility for a child, anaesthesia and medication during birth, not breastfeeding, drug addiction and behaviour corresponding to a younger age. These items illustrate my thinking about the remedy; I do not attribute all of them to the child and family described.
A child clinging excessively to the mother
A mother came to a consultation with an infant who had difficulty sleeping without her nearby. When she moved away, the baby woke and cried. During the day, the baby also needed to be carried a great deal and cried when placed in the cot. The mother described severe exhaustion.
I recommended the homeopathic remedy Amnii liquor. In this particular case, I subsequently recorded that the problem described subsided.
When discussing Amnii liquor in the original text, I mention excessive clinging to the mother, oligohydramnios and meconium in amniotic fluid, early induction of labour, maternal sadness during pregnancy, loss of a twin in the womb and induced abortion or miscarriage in the mother's history. These are elements of a homeopathic picture, not further history of this mother and child or a recommendation to use the remedy for obstetric complications.
Alongside these remedies, I consider many others in practice. The experiences I describe here are why I see homeopathy as valuable support for mothers and their children. They are not a promise of the same outcome in another case.