The homoeopathic physician's guide to lactation

Review

This book review was emailed to us by Patricia Hatherly and is from Informed Choice March 2005 edition, Volume 3, Number 1.

Breastfeeding is, without a doubt, the most important way to develop, maintain and enhance a baby’s health. Patricia Hatherly uses her 30 years’ experience at working hands-on with mothers and babies in her approach to the subject. She discusses these issues as a homoeopath, a mother who breastfed her own children and a qualified lactation consultant who is passionate about this subject. Hatherly discusses everything from the physiology of the breast to how to recognise and treat various breastfeeding problems – from position to behaviour.

There is a large section on the Lac remedies (Lac caninum, Lac humanum and Lac maternum) and information on some serious problems which so often cause a woman to either wean early or not feed at all, such as breast-reduction surgery, breast abscess and colic.

Fully referenced, this is a textbook for homoeopaths, but it is important – even necessary reading for anyone who is involved with helping women during this essential stage of family life.

Although breastfeeding is natural, it isn’t always easy. This should be required reading for all health professionals - including midwives, nurses and doctors - because breastfeeding truly DOES matter.

This book review is reprinted with the permission of Volume 100, Number 4 Winter 2007 Edition of American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine.

Reviewed by George Guess, MD, DHt

The Homeopathic Physician's Guide to Lactation is a work of scholarship and keen experience. Ms. Hatherly, a homeopath and lactation consultant, has penned a book essential for all practitioners who deal with breast feeding issues; it is likewise a valuable work for primary care practitioners who treat infants and their lactating mothers; and finally, for all homeopaths, this book offers valuable information about three milk remedies - Lac caninum, Lac humanum and new information on Lac maternum.

The author begins with a very scientific and wellwritten presentation of pretty much every aspect of lactation and human breast milk, inclusive of anatomy, embryology, physiology, endocrinology, nutrition and hormonal composition of breast milk, and immunology. She then proceeds to detail every conceivable aspect of breast feeding and the myriad problems that can be associated with the practice. Contained within these pages are numerous pearls of wisdom on how to help mothers initiate and perpetuate breast feeding, everything from nipple care and diet to positions for feeding,supplemental feedings, and promoting infant breast attachment to suckling patterns and constitutional remedies for difficulties therein, to the prevention and treatment of breast engorgement; and that's just chapter 5!

Chapter 6 discusses the maintenance of lactation - problems with under and over-supply of milk and the maintenance of lactation in the face of infant colic, gastroesophageal reflux, lactose intolerance, breast refusal, mastitis and breast abscess, gal actocoele,thrush,plugged ducts, etc. For each presenting difficulty or challenge, precise advice about the best method of breast feeding is given, as well as a homeopathic differential. A simple example: for colic prone infants, breast feeding babies in the upright or primate position can prove very helpful.

Chapter 7 covers mothers and babies with special needs; largely a primer on the pathophysiology of a host of such concerns (eg., Caesarian sections, postmaturity, jaundice, pyloric stenosis, Down's syndrome, cleft lip/palate, herpes, etc.); where appropriate the author describes the nutritional needs of such children, the contributions that breast milk can provide, and offers a few cursory comments about the efficacy of homeopathy in addressing some of the problems

Chapter 8, the last dealing with breastfeeding, addresses practical issues - contraception while breastfeeding, drug contamination of breast milk, twins, expressing and storing breast milk, and weaning. My only criticisms of the book to this point are two. The first is a superficial one - the author's choice of chapter and heading font is puzzling; the font in this case is both difficult to read and quite unappealing (the same is used on the cover and detracts considerably from the esthetic appeal of the book; hopefully, given the value of the interior of the book, shoppers will adhere to the dictum of refraining from judging a book by its cover!). The second relates to the manner in which materia medica for specific conditions is addressed - remedies and their symptomatology appear rather randomly within the text, making it difficult to consider this book a ready reference to materia medica for specific breast feeding associated problems. Also, the remedy descriptions are rather spotty and the number of remedies considered sparse. If a second edition is ever considered, I should think a more complete and encompassing materia medica differential, presented in reader-friendly bulleted/listed format, would be highly appreciated. In a similar vein, the table of contents would benefit from a listing of subheadings so readers can rapidly locate information relevant to their immediate concerns.

Chapter 9 provides the most useful homeopathic information in the book - an impressive exposition of three milk remedies - Lac caninum, Lac humanum,and Lac maternum (offering Ms. Hatherly's own personal perspective). Though at times a bit too esoteric in places for this reviewer, the information provided here is invaluable. For each of the three remedies a thorough outline of symptomatology is provided, making this section of the book a ready reference tool when considering one of these Lac remedies for a patient. A careful comparison of the listed characteristics of Lac humanum and Lac maternum, which are strikingly similar, should enable the student to dissect out some of the contrasting or individualizing characteristics. Lac humanum was collected from the breast of a mother who was well bonded with her baby; Lac maternum was made from the milk of 9 mothers in various stages of breast feeding, from day 3 to month 10. Thus, one critical difference between the two remedies is that Lac maternum contains the imprint of colostrum while the humanum variety does not. A resultant effect is that Lac maternum displays a greater affinity for pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. Another distinction between the two remedies, one based upon the earlier time of collection of the milk, is that Lac maternum seems to address the issue of "lack of incarnation"which Lac humanum doesn't. This term "lack of incarnation" in practical terms refers to a pattern of avoidance of the pain and demands of this life on earth as reflected in varied forms and expressions of escapism - drug abuse and addiction, detachment, confusion, avoidance, alienation, etc.

The final part of the book consists of a lot of appendices that can be used as helpful handouts for patients containing useful tips for managing many breastfeeding issues. An index is included.

This review was reprinted from Volume XIX, Issue I, Winter/Spring 2006 edition of Simillimum with
permission from the Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians.

Reviewed by: Neil Tessler, ND, DHANP

Patricia Hatherly has offered an outstanding combination of scientific, practical and homeopathic information on the subject of lastation. It is both informative and above all, thorough. There is so much material, covering virtually every facet and ever contingency pertaining to breast-feeding, that the book will be of tremendous value to anyone interested in a textbook coverage of the subject, which should be every healing arts practitioner. The volume is illustrated with photos and charts and each chapter has a long list of footnotes.

Nutritional and homeopathic considerations are applied to a wide list of conditions and situations. Towards the end Ms. Heatherly offers a detailed consideration of three remedies, Lac caninum, Lac maternum, and Lac humanum. She provides an excellent schemata and more direct proving information drawn from her own work done on Lac maternum. Lac maternum is the milk of nine women collected from day three to ten months following childbirth. Lac maternum, unlike other milk remedies, also contains colostrum, which the author believes is the most important component of the remedy. Her extensive usage of milk remedies and long homeopathic experience, makes this a singular volume. If helping people is your goal, and you work with pregnant and nursing woman and infants, this is a book should not be missed.

Reviewed by Deborah Collins

Patricia Hatherly, mother of three, Lactation Consultant, homeopath and prover of Lac Maternum, passes on the wealth of her considerable experience and research in her book The Homeopathic Physician's Guide to Lactation. In it she discusses all aspects of lactation, for both mother and child, from a homeopathic viewpoint. She covers basic anatomy and physiology, as well as the bio-chemistry and immunology of mother's milk. She offers convincing evidence that supports one's instinctive feeling that human milk is best for the human baby. The lactation process, its advantages and its possible problems, are discussed at length with many references to homeopathic, dietary as well as other solutions, such as correct positioning. The suckling infant, its constitution, and its possible feeding problems such as reflux, colic, lactose intolerance etc. are discussed, as well as special care circumstances and their treatment.

Although this book is not intended for lay-persons as such, mothers will find much useful information, particularly in conjunction with their homeopathic treatment. A quick reference guide in the appendices, sample menu plans, recommended reading list, and an extensive index make the book user-friendly.

Of special interest to homeopaths is the differentiation between three Lacs: Lac Caninum; Lac Humanum and Lac Maternum, as well as interesting cases and insights.

This book is thoroughly researched and highly readable - a must for every serious homeopath.

Deborah Collins
Homeopathy NewZ August 2004