by Dr. Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman and Dr. Robert Ullman
Homeopathy: The Safest Medicine for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers
During pregnancy and lactation, women, with good reason, tend to be cautious about taking any medications for fear of harming the fetus and newborn. This concern is well founded, especially in the current climate, which encourages, for example, all pregnant women to receive the H1N1 vaccine, which contains the mercury preservative, thimerosal. We have found homeopathic medicines to be consistently safe and effective during pregnancy and in treating newborns as early as the day they are born. It is easy to administer tiny homeopathic pellets even to newborns, though some homeopaths prefer to administer the pellets to the mother, believing that the effect of the medicine will pass through the breast milk to the baby. In the case of mastitis, which is an inflammation of the breast tissue during lactation, the medicine is given, of course, to the mother.
Signs, Symptoms, and Conventional Treatment of Mastitis
Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast, characterized by swelling, redness, tenderness, and pain. A breastfeeding mother who thinks she has the flu may well be suffering from mastitis. She may or may not run a fever, accompanied by fatigue and chills. Generally, a nursing mom with mastitis will feel progressively worse and her breasts increasingly tender, compared to a plugged duct or simple engorgement, during which she should gradually feel better rather than worse. Antibiotics, which are often the allopathic answer for mastitis, can not only suppress the immune system of mother and baby, but can result in yeast infections for both, which can be stubborn and inconvenient to treat.
Prevention of Mastitis
Breastfeed frequently and relieve engorgement promptly. A woman who restricts the frequency of length of feedings is more likely to end up with thicker milk that clogs the ducts and can predispose to mastitis. It is not necessary to wait till your baby lets you know that (s) is hungry. If you feel your breasts becoming full, encourage your baby to nurse. Try not to sleep so far over on one side or the other that your breasts become compressed against the mattress. Resist the temptation to skip pumping breast milk. East well, rest when you can, nurture yourself, take relaxation breaks, and get help when possible.
When You Can Treat Yourself and When To Contact a Homeopath
Some cases of mastitis can be quite easy to self-treat with homeopathy. This is especially true if it is not your first episode, your symptoms are the same as there were previously, and you found a homeopathic medicine that worked well. When it is necessary to make fine distinctions between medicines, if you are ready to pick up the phone to get a prescription for antibiotics, if you are suffering too much to be objective about your symptoms, that is a good time to seek out help from a professional homeopath. A number of women whom we have treated have either tried various remedies with minimal success or have found a 30C potency of a medicine from their home kit to be useful, but then that potency no longer held. In many cases, even talking with us briefly was very helpful in pinpointing the best homeopathic medicine that would relieve the mastitis symptoms once and for all.
Although an acute homeopathic medicine is usually indicated, in some cases it will be the constitutional, or overall, medicine that is required, which would definitely require the care of a homeopath.
Remedies To Treat Yourself
- Apis mellifica (honeybee): An effective medicine whenever swelling is the main symptom, along with the classic indicators of inflammation: head, redness, and tenderness. The condition is much better from cold applications.
- Belladonna (deadly nightshade): Mastitis comes on suddenly and violently. Tends towards the right breast. The face may be red and flushed and there may be a high fever and headache. The woman may feel irritable and crave lemons or lemonade.
- Bryonia (hops): Breast pain worse from any motion. Worse left breast, especially on lifting the arm. She has to hold the breasts when going up or down stairs. Breasts are heavy, painful, stony hard, but not very red, and nipples are hard as well. Inflamed breasts with suppressed flow of milk. Symptoms are worse from touch and deep breathing and better from pressure or from lying on the painful side.
- Castor equi (rudimentary thumbnail of the horse): Sore, dry, deeply cracked, ulcerated nipples with redness around the areola. Clothing touching the nipples is unbearable. Breast may abscess. Violent itching of the breast. Breast pain after childbirth.
- Hepar sulphuris (calcium sulfide): Splinter-like breast pain exquisitely sensitive to the touch. Extreme sensitivity to cold air or cold applications, Breast abscess with thick pus that has sour odor, like rotten cheese. Highly irritable mood.
- Phellandrium (water dropwort): Pain in the nipples on nursing, especially in the right breast extending to the back between the shoulder blades or to the abdomen. Unbearable breast pain between nursing.
- Phytolacca (pokeroot): The main medicine for swollen glands, especially with mastitis accompanied by swollen axillary (underarm) nodes. Breasts are heavy, hard, swollen, and tender. Acute breast pain while nursing, worse on the left side. Breast pain radiates to the entire body. Nipples are cracked, sensitive, and may be inverted.
- Silica (flint): Breast is sensitive, swollen, and dark red. Inflamed breast with a high fever. Burning pains prevent sleep. Inflammation of nipples with darting, burning pain in left nipple. Breast abscess. Refined women with low stamina.
What to Expect with Homeopathy for Mastitis
With the correct homeopathic remedy, you should notice an improvement in your symptoms within two to twelve hours to twenty-four hours. If you are taking a high-potency medicine, such as a 200C, you may only need a single dose to relieve the mastitis. With a 30C or lower potency, you may need to take a dose once or twice a day for up to a week. If you do not notice a significant improvement within a day, it is likely that you have not taken the best medicine for you and should investigate further or call a homeopath.
Compatible Naturopathic and Other Self-Care Therapies
- Hydrotherapy in the form of alternate warm (fifteen minutes) and cold (three minutes) compresses can be of benefit. The cold tends to provide pain relief and the warmth promotes the production of red blood cells and lymph cells. Practical ways to do this are in a warm shower, bath, or sink. You can use either crushed ice or an ice pack, with a cloth in between it and your skin.
- Light massage can be helpful to increase circulation and promote lymphatic drainage, as well as to relieve plugged mammary ducts.
- Nurse often on the affected side, beginning the feeding with the opposite breast if necessary for comfort, and varying the position of the baby. Be sure to empty the inflamed breast of milk.
- Continue nursing and, if necessary, get help from a La Leche League advisor. This is very important both for your mastitis and for the baby.
- Other immune support: Herbs such as Echinacea, Hydrastis (goldenseal), elderberry or Vitamin C 1000mg three times a day, Vitamin A or beta carotene 25,000 mg a day, and Zinc 30 mg three times a day can stimulate the body to heal itself more quickly.
Mastitis is an uncomfortable, painful bump in the road for a nursing mom, but will generally pass quickly if you use the indicated recommendations and will be a mere blip amidst the joy of motherhood.
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