LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 3 Jul 2000 14:50:10 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (120 lines)
At 01:34 PM 7/3/00 EDT, you wrote:
>Could someone please explain what "rescue remedy" is.  It was discussed in
>the case of extreme engorgement by Pat Gima.  Thanks

Kathy, I am going to "cheat" again and re-send some earlier posts.  Chris
H-E had given some information on Rescue Remedy, as did Mary Kay Smith
today.  Below are a couple of posts that I sent earlier when people were
interested in RR and its use in lactation work.

You can search the archives for further posts.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
_________________________________________________________

Chris gave you information on Rescue Remedy and I will tell you how I use
it.  It has many uses that I knew about before I began recommending it to
nursing mothers.  My daughter is a singer and if she has a solo she puts 4
drops under her tongue and she doesn't get "butterflies" in her stomach.  I
have used it for the same purpose when speaking before groups. It is
basically a calming remedy beginning with 5 calming herbs.  Since it is
homeopathic it cannot be allergenic, nor does it have any side effects
other than calming.

I began using it with mothers because of all of the stress they were
experiencing with Instant Motherhood.  It is recommended for crisis times
and times of great frustration, so it seemed appropriate.  One mother who
had a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, then twins found that it helped her get
through the day.  She said that what happened didn't change, but when she
took Rescue Remedy before each feeding she could take the challenges of the
day with some ease. She used it until everyone settled into the new routine
of two little ones. I recommended it before feeding only so that she could
remember to take it.

One mother was so uptight that her seemingly bountiful milk supply wouldn't
"let down."  So we tried RR, and she called the next day and said that it
had increased her milk supply.  It doesn't do that, but it helped her relax
so that the milk was released. That's what gave me the idea for using it
with mothers who are pumping if they find they have trouble with an MER and
a breast pump.

I was working with a newborn once and the middle child (2 yrs) awoke from a
nap with nigh terrors.  No one could stop his screaming. I put 4 drops of RR
under his tongue and in half a minute he happily ran off to watch TV with
his brother. It doesn't always work that fast; the more extreme the
agitation the faster the effect. And there is no "felt" effect like with a
sedative or tranquilizer.  One just notices that she feels more at ease.

It is not a drug, nor a sedative, nor habit forming, nor does it solve all
problems.  I use it at night when I awake stewing about a client and can't
get back to sleep (I'm sure that I am unique in that scenario).  It helps.
That's actually how I discovered it. I also found it most helpful when I
was flying from Nashville in March when the tiny airplane that I unwisely
chose to fly home in, was tumbling around in a storm.  I even shared it
with my seat-mate.

It has a calming effect when a person is anxious.

As Chris said, the original came from England and most health food stores in
the USA carry the original Rescue Remedy.

All of my success in using it is anecdotal, sort of
like cabbage leaves and fenugreek. It is totally safe and I find it most
helpful in my LC work. I know that many of you have constraints on what you
can recommend to a client, but if a client mentions it, you can say that you
have heard of its use with breastfeeding mothers.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee
__________________________________________________

Date:         Fri, 16 May 1997 11:30:23 -0500
Reply-To:     Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
From:         "Patricia Gima, IBCLC"
Subject:      Re: Rescue Remedy
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>I was rather amazed that, after reading of this product for the first
>time on Lactnet, a mom showed up to my office with some!  So I guess it
>is available in my community.  :-)  Her sister recommended it to her, and
>she "dots" the cream behind her ears. So my question: is this just a
>cream, or does it come in any other form? How else does it get
>applied/used?

Rescue Remedy is usually used in its tincture form.  But there is RR cream
for topical use. The tincture dosage is 4 drops under the tongue, or it can
be added
to a small amount of water and it can also be used topically in ointment form.

I hesitate to list all of the uses I have for it because it begins to sound
like "snake oil" that cures in-grown toenails and male-pattern baldness,
along with improving eye sight.  I recommend it for problems that are
created or made worse by stress and frustration.  And we know that that
covers a lot.

I began recommending it when I would walk into a home and mom was
overwhelmed with all that was not going well with breastfeeding, and she was
in tears, and the 2-year-old wouldn't take a nap, and the laundry was piling
up, and what was she going to do? I would invite her to sip a little water
with these 4 drops in it.  I described its effect as similar to a cup of
relaxing tea. Very soon she was feeling that she could see some solutions to
her problems and we could get to work on the b'feeding problem.  If she
wanted to use it I would leave a small 7 1/2 ml (1/4 oz) bottle of it for
her. As time went on I saw its effectiveness in more situations.

I have found that it is very effective in initiating an MER when stress and
anxiety are the inhibiting factors.  I always recommend its use along with
galactagogues, and for my clients who are pumping at work and, with being
rushed, find that their MERs are reluctant.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Mailto:[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2