A Mother and Toddler Story
Homeopathic treatment can increase well-being on an emotional and energetic level for both mother and child. Remedies can be very supportive at different stages of life, as this case study shows.
Mary first contacted me on the telephone. She was concerned about her 18 month old toddler Ellie because she had contracted a bug that was causing her to have diarrhoea. Mary had a homeopathic remedy kit at home, so I was able to suggest a couple of remedies to help clear it up.
A few days later, we had our first appointment. Ellie had a slight rash on her back and thighs, but her diarrhoea was much better. (Rashes often appear as part of viral illnesses, and usually clear up within a week or so.) Mary reported that Ellie had begun to regain her appetite and energy, both of which indicated that she was on the mend.
Mary's main concern was that whereas Ellie was usually very happy and sociable, she had begun to have some screaming tantrums. She wondered whether it was related to the fact that the family had recently moved to London from a rural area, which had been slightly unsettling for everyone. I explained that while tantrums are often seen as part of normal childhood development, targeted homeopathic treatment can really help to settle them down.
Ellie's health history was very straightforward. Mary had been very healthy in pregnancy and had a straightforward home birth (using homeopathic remedies and hypnobirthing techniques).
Mary had breastfed Ellie for 11 months, and she and her husband chose not to have any early childhood immunisations for her. Ellie had been weaned onto a wide range of food, and was now mainly eating the same foods as her parents. Ever since she was a baby, Ellie slept well at night but was always active during the day (she had been very active in utero too).
Ellie's first prescription was in two parts. The first part was a remedy to help clear up the diarrhoea virus. The second part was a 'constitutional remedy' that I chose to help strengthen her immunity, taking into account her personality and general characteristics.
At the second appointment Mary reported that Ellie was generally well, but that she appeared to be more 'cranky'. She had started to throw things around, and was generally very lively. On one occasion she had spat her juice onto her grandmother. Mary had also noticed that Ellie's body temperature seemed to be warmer and that she was thirstier than before.
As the tantrums and over-active behaviour had come to the fore, this time I chose two different remedies for Ellie. The first was a different 'constitutional remedy', followed by a deeper acting and complementary remedy, both chosen to address the restlessness and temper tantrums.
Our second appointment also focused on treatment for Mary herself. She had not been feeling like her usual self for a couple of months. Her general health was very good and she always slept well. However, she hadn't had her usual energy for a couple of months, and was wondering whether she was feeling stressed. She explained that the year before Ellie was born, two close relatives had been diagnosed with cancer, and one had died soon afterwards. Also, since the family had moved to London, they had had a series of visitors at weekends, which they enjoyed, but meant that they had little 'down-time'.
I decided to prescribe a series of three complementary remedies to help restore Mary's energy and bring about balance in her busy life that centred around caring and looking after others.
At our third appointment, Mary reported that she was feeling very good; 'I'm back!' She felt more energetic and she and her husband had started to plan another pregnancy. Ellie, while still high spirited, was much calmer and there had been no further episodes of screaming or tantrums.
The family were planning to return to their previous home, so this was our last appointment together. I gave Mary a repeat prescription that she could use again if necessary, and Ellie a further dose of her constitutional remedy with a second remedy to use if her tantrums showed signs of returning.
Mary expressed her positive feelings about their homeopathic treatment, 'I have really appreciated your input with both Ellie and myself and feel we have really benefited from your interventions.'
This case study has been written with permission, but both names have been changed.