Natural Circ Care for client

[MommaBear]

I have a doula client who is very insistant on having her son Circ'd for religeous reasons, even though she doesn't like the procedure at all. We have a great relationship and I don't want to push her away by beating a dead horse, but I would like to provide her with natural alternatives to help her son before, during, and after the procedure. She is very open to Homeopathics and herbs, as well as the use of teas, and does plan to breastfeed. Also are there some things that can help her comfort her son while it is happening?

[DoulaWendy]

Is she Jewish? If so the mohel usually uses wine to help relax the baby. She can try nursing him during the procedure. I don't know about the safety of chamomile during the newborn period.

If she isn't wanting to at least try ELMA combined with a nerve block it's going to be extremely painful no matter what. Even those two things don't take away all of the pain.

I'm feeling a bit hormonal, tired, and snippy but I am really surprised that people think that natural methods are going to help a baby through a unnatural, painful procedure. If we were going to have our labias cut off would we drink some chamomile tea beforehand and think everything was going to be fine? I hope she at least is open to letting him have anesthetic. I would want that if it were my body.

[happydoula]

I think it depends on who's doing it and where it's being done as to whether or not there's really anything that she can do DURING the procedure (other than a local anesthetic), but breastfeeding immediately afterwards will go a long way in comforting him. Also, as has been mentioned elsewhere, waiting until baby's at least a week old will help due to the hormones balancing out (including endorphins).

[MommaBear]

Actually she is Jewish, and also suffers from Lupus so we have been covering alot of info and I've added extra visits to help her feel prepared. One of our last meetings is next weekend when I was going to go over circing in more detail with her.

What about topically afterwards to help it heal? There must be some herbal ointment or oil(home made by her even) that could aid and replace the petrolium jelly to keep it from adhering to the diaper?

[happydoula]

Maybe aloe? If they use neosporin or such, then there's not really a need for petroleum jelly - the medicine will keep it from sticking to the diaper (as long as it's put on liberally as is typically recommended).

FWIW, I would (personally) consult a naturopathic doctor or something along those lines to see what they would recommend for a newborn before giving out that kind of information.

[DL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaMaggie FWIW, I would (personally) consult a naturopathic doctor or something along those lines to see what they would recommend for a newborn before giving out that kind of information.

I agree. MommaBear.... There's nothing wrong with pointing her towards resources for her to read that came from up-to-date professional sources, but while doing so, I would suggest for her to consult a Naturopathic Dr before following such advice from those resources. As doulas, it would be out of most of our SOPs to give medical advice like that.

ETA: Your profile says that you got your training through CAPPA. Giving medical advice is against the CAPPA SOP.

[DL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MommaBear I would like to provide her with natural alternatives to help her son before, during, and after the procedure. She is very open to Homeopathics and herbs, as well as the use of teas, and does plan to breastfeed. Also are there some things that can help her comfort her son while it is happening?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MommaBear Actually she is Jewish, and also suffers from Lupus... What about topically afterwards to help it heal? There must be some herbal ointment or oil(home made by her even) that could aid and replace the petrolium jelly to keep it from adhering to the diaper?

Ummm..... I just read your Conserving energy/encouraging activity thread and had to come back to this one to double check on this. Is this the same client who has Lupus that is also a Naturopathic Dr. that you mentioned in the linked thread? If so (and what are the odds that you'd have two Lupus clients at once, but I guess it's remotely possible...), with her education level and expertise, shouldn't she be able to come up with some helpful treatments herself for her son's circ. healing & soothing? Did she specifically ask for your help with this? It seems odd to me that a Naturopathic Dr. would ask for a doula's help with this. This would be within her SOP but not yours and I'd think that she'd know that.

[Falling Leaves]

does she know that not all jews do circumcise? there are also jews against circumcision. maybe she wants to research that. there is as an alternative brit shalom she could chose instead of brit milah. maybe she would want to discuss the issue with one of the rabbies offering this possibility (some are listed here http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html).

[MommaBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MamaMaggie Maybe aloe? If they use neosporin or such, then there's not really a need for petroleum jelly - the medicine will keep it from sticking to the diaper (as long as it's put on liberally as is typically recommended). FWIW, I would (personally) consult a naturopathic doctor or something along those lines to see what they would recommend for a newborn before giving out that kind of information.

actually my client is a naturalpathic doctor, the only one around here, lol, but around hear people don't yet trust anything other than "real" doctors for their children. I know she can find the information, but still feel it is part of my job.

[MommaBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula Lori I agree. MommaBear.... There's nothing wrong with pointing her towards resources for her to read that came from up-to-date professional sources, but while doing so, I would suggest for her to consult a Naturopathic Dr before following such advice from those resources. As doulas, it would be out of most of our SOPs to give medical advice like that. ETA: Your profile says that you got your training through CAPPA. Giving medical advice is against the CAPPA SOP.

I'm looking for remedies with hopes of finding a direction to resources I can share with her. I know I'm not to share medical information, but we both feel there is nothing medical about natural remedies by their own definitions. Giving her resources to make her own choices from and gathering general information is part of being a doula.

While I have trained through CAPPA but have decidede to not certify. DONA is the only certification recognized here, so my being experienced but not certified is of just as much use until I decide to go back through DONA, which I may or may not do.

I'm sorry if my OP wasn't clear at the time I typed it

[MommaBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula Lori Ummm..... I just read your Conserving energy/encouraging activity thread and had to come back to this one to double check on this. Is this the same client who has Lupus that is also a Naturopathic Dr. that you mentioned in the linked thread? If so (and what are the odds that you'd have two Lupus clients at once, but I guess it's remotely possible...), with her education level and expertise, shouldn't she be able to come up with some helpful treatments herself for her son's circ. healing & soothing? Did she specifically ask for your help with this? It seems odd to me that a Naturopathic Dr. would ask for a doula's help with this. This would be within her SOP but not yours and I'd think that she'd know that.

Yes this is the same client. I personally don't know much about the training she would have recieved in the area of Newborn treatment, and during our many meetings have always run out of time, so have had little time to discuss her schooling. She is new to her profession and no one around here uses anything for pregnancy and newborns unless their doctor recommends it, no doctores here support natural or homeopathic remedies so she has been able to practise in that area yet.

[MommaBear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Selina does she know that not all jews do circumcise? there are also jews against circumcision. maybe she wants to research that. there is as an alternative brit shalom she could chose instead of brit milah. maybe she would want to discuss the issue with one of the rabbies offering this possibility (some are listed here http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html).

Thank you for that, but do you have any further information relating to Canada?

[Falling Leaves]

there is one contact adress listed for canada:
ONTARIO: Rabbi Eva Goldfinger, (905) 889-7450, evagoldfinger@rogers.com (hope this is up to date).
i suppose she could contact any of the listed people for questions if she has any, and hopefully they could refer them or just give more info.

other than this, i was thinking of "huile de tamanu" (inophylum callophylum oil), it is said to act against infections, inflammations and to help with cicatrisation of the mucous membranes. it is also slightly anticoagulant. i don't know whether it can be used on babies' penis, but i suggest she research this (and come back to us and tell us about any findings

[cali4niachef]

I recommend squirting breastmilk on circs and cords :O)

[JennTheMomma]

All I can recommend is breastfeeding after the procedure is done.