TRANSCRIPT FOR EP9:
Welcome to Every Mother Matters.  I’m Sharon and in this episode, I will be sharing with you my experience with alternative therapies Part 2-Bach flower remedy

In my previous episode, I talked about my fear of hospitals and how I got into natural and alternative therapies. I explored various healing methods after childbirth.  I experienced a lot of emotion after the birth of my 1st born and it affected me a lot.  A few years ago, I chanced upon the poster of Deki Soh,  the first UK Bach registered practitioner in Singapore.  The poster was talking about how to use bach flower remedy for all the emotions we experienced and can help to balance them.  I immediately contacted Deki Soh for a private consultation session.

After a few private sessions with Deki Soh, I attended her level 1 and 2 Bach remedy class. In the class, there are 38 flower essences for you to balance your emotion. As long as we can identify the emotion, there is a matching flower remedy for it.  It helps me to tune inwards to my own emotions in the present time and situation so that I can accurately identify and acknowledge my feelings to select the right remedy. Don’t be mistaken, these are all flower essence, which is different from essential oil.

During the level 2 class, Deki was sharing about the holy remedy.  She mentioned the use of the remedy for various situations.  I thought to myself, ok I felt that I needed the remedy and immediately I reached out to the holy remedy from the wooden box and dropped 2 drops into my cup of water and drank it.  The next minute when I looked up to my trainer, she looked so beautiful to me.  I looked at my trainer and told her that she looked so beautiful.  Then I turned to my left and looked at my course mate.  I told her she looked so lovely.  I looked to my right where my course mate-Ben was sitting.  I said to him, he looked so cute too.  He was shocked when I told him that I did not like him at first because he talked so softly and he was so gentle.  I just did not have the patience for people like him.  But after taking the holy remedy, everything and everyone look and feel different to me. So amazing! because it happened instantly after taking just 2 drops of the remedy. 

This is how I use the remedies

I use Willow remedy whenever I feel resentful towards my husband. Eg when he did not seem to have as many limitations placed on his interests and needs.  Or when he went to his mother’s house for dinner and came back watching endless hong kong movies. After using Willow, I do not feel any resentment and it helps me to control my emotions.

It is natural for a mother to be concerned for her baby, but I was overly concerned and overly worried for my baby.  In the hospital when my 1st baby was separated from me in the nursery room for jaundice treatment, I could not sleep.  I walked to the nursery room 3 times at night to ask the nurse what my baby was doing.  One night, I heard my baby crying in the nursery room.  I went to ask what my baby boy was doing and the nurse replied he was sleeping.  Then shortly the nurse told me he was crying.  The separation seemed so long and it was very quiet at night.  I could easily differentiate my boy’s cry from other babies. 

My ears could differentiate my boy’s cry but not my breasts. I remembered when I was at baby fair, I felt the painful sensation of let-down of milk when I heard other baby’s crying for milk.  I felt exhausted from all the emotions inside me. I was not able to do anything to help myself then because I did not have the knowledge.  Now, I learn that using Red chestnut will help to allay those fears and put them into true perspective. I can help new mothers in balancing their emotions.

Pine is the remedy to help us to remove the blame we have attached to ourselves.  

I seeked my mother’s love but she did not like girls.  I did not have a sense of belonging and also long for togetherness.  I felt very lonely growing up.  It was very important that I bond and form an attachment with my baby. Breastfeeding is not only about milk.  The closeness and that special relationship I shared with my baby, will also cement the bond between us. 

Especially with my 2nd baby, she was so thin in the first month from breastfeeding. It was very challenging.  When the baby doctor said that her growth was below the standard, he suggested feeding formula.  When I requested to meet the lactation consultant for advice, she told me that the latch was not proper.  Baby was suckling on the nipple only.  Because of that, my baby did not get enough milk.  When she explained it to my husband about my case, she told him that I did not have enough milk, which was different from what she explained to me.  I quickly told her not to say that to my husband but she repeated to him that I did not have enough milk.  I felt helpful.  I felt betrayed.  I thought to myself what the lactation consultant was up.

I blamed myself and I felt so guilty that I did not manage to feed my baby well because I take it for granted that baby latch was ok since she latched so well for the first 2 hours right after birth that I felt the contraction in the womb as it was shrinking.  I birthed at home and there was no interruption at all.  No wonder my baby girl was always hungry and it was so tough to put the baby down to sleep. 

Olive, being the remedy for tiredness, is also a beneficial remedy to bear in the mind, because not only about the disturbed sleep due to worry, but physically having to work, clean, cook, entertain, bath and clothe the child every day, when we have more than enough on our mind to cope with already, can be thoroughly exhausting.  This remedy works well for both mental and physical exhaustion.  

One day, I was feeling mentally and physically exhausted so I took the remedy - olive so that I could sleep well.  But I was still awake and could not sleep.  I was as tired in the morning the following day.  Then I thought to myself what was the true cause of insomnia. Then I realised that it was not purely exhausted.  The exhaustion was due to too much work to be completed.  The true cause of insomnia was overwhelmed.

I took Elm remedy and it worked. I slept well that night and woke up fresh.

Takeaway:

There is no right or wrong emotion. With the help of bach flower remedy, we are at a balance state to be the best of who we are.  

Conclusion

I am glad that I attended the course.

Health is not only physical, it also affects emotional and mental health.

Self care is also self love.  It is important while we as mothers take great care of our children, we must also learn to take care of ourselves so that we can always present the best version of ourselves.  Only then we can be the great model for our children.

You can connect with me through my facebook, instagram and Linkedin and my links will be in the show notes.  I look forward to seeing you in my next episode where I will be sharing with you more stories and tips.