Pregnancy Article:

Healing from the Pain of Birth

By: Su-lin Sze

Approaching healing after birth naturally will ensure that you are treating your body and your baby with respect and kindness, just what you need when you are not yet feeling one hundred percent. Statistics show that post birth can be a challenging time for new mothers both physically and mentally, and there is increasing interest in specific herbs that have been used for centuries after birth with great efficacy. Three of these widely used herbs are Arnica (Arnica montana), St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum), and our exuberant marigold flower - Calendula (Calendula officinalis).

All over the world, the delicate yellow flowered Arnica plant has been used topically and internally, as a medicine post birth to get the recovery process underway quickly.. In homeopathic form, Arnica stimulates healing in a completely pain-free and non-invasive way. Words such as trauma, pain, great soreness and bruising will have any homeopath reaching into the dispensary for ‘ARN’. It can be administered in spray, drops or pillule form after the rigours of birth as a healing medicine for muscles, birth trauma, perineal trauma and a bruised sensation. It is also helpful after caesarian section or forceps delivery due to the trauma and impact involved in both procedures.

The most commonly recorded types of pain after birth are back ache, episiotomy pain and perineal trauma. To bring some relief to any of these consider St Johns Wort, or Hypericum, an aromatic herb that is commonly used to boost healing after surgical or traumatic procedures. This herb has been proven in clinical studies to rival modern medications for both depression and pain management with fewer side effects. It reduces strong radiating pains after trauma and injury to nerve-rich areas of the body such as the perineum. If you are looking to improve healing post episiotomy, start taking Hypericum internally as a homeopathic remedy as soon as you are able to. Your stitches may take a week or two to disappear completely, and when you are sure that there is no open wound you can apply this healing herb in a topical form as well. It works very well in combination with the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal herb Calendula in homeopathic cream form, applied daily to the wound area.

Lower back pain affects 1 in 12 women after birth with a higher incidence where epidural analgesics have been used in the birth. The motor block of the lower back and limbs can cause a body to adopt unnatural and stressful postures for a long period of time. To relieve back aches and pains ask your partner to massage your back with hypericum oil daily using long firm strokes for at least 15 minutes each time. The therapeutic properties of the herb will be released into your muscles and ease the sharp shooting pains. If your pain is mild try lavender oil instead. And if you are feeling really bruised arnica massage oil will be the best choice.

When it comes to healing tissues and preventing infection Calendula officinalis can provide these with virtually no known side effects. It’s completely safe and natural. Use Calendula cream to keep your skin soft and supple as pregnancy can dehydrate the skin, and use it prior to the birth in perineal massage to reduce the risk of a perineal tear during birth. To support healing from an episiotomy or any injury to the body, introduce calendula into your daily bathing regime by adding a tablespoon of Calendula oil into your bath or sitz water.

The journey of pregnancy and birth can leave a woman chronically exhausted, so it is important to make use of the many herbs that soothe the nervous system and promote a better quality of sleep such as Oats (Avena sativa) and Chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

Oats strengthens the adrenals, restores bone and muscle mass, supports normal hormone balance and enhances the health of capillaries and the circulatory system. Well known herbalist Susan Weed recommends it especially for woman after birth. Take it in extract form for best results. Chamomile is commonly used to calm a person with nervous excitability, however it is a very soothing herb and will help you to regenerate your energy levels taken in tea form a couple of times daily.

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