Babies are a joy to treat, as they are still open and receptive to subtle influences. They haven't had the time to develop complicated problems, and they respond so quickly and clearly. However, you can't interview them, so you must depend on observations, intuitions, and the perceptions of the parents to find the right remedy.
Your first impressions are critical. Watch their ease in their bodies and whether there is a sense of peace and acceptance. Observe tiny infants in their parents' arms. Note the interactions, especially distancing on either part and how they are dressed, wrapped, and held.
Listen to the parents and affirm their innate wisdom and sense of the child. This in itself will be healing, as health care professionals rarely value a parent's perceptions. I have often cut my own work short by asking what they think is going on. They often tell me with great understanding and insight.
If they don't, ask about any stressful event in the family immediately preceding the baby's problem or what they think set it off. If the current family situation is not as nourishing as it could be, the infant may respond to a protective remedy like Pink Yarrow or Walnut. Mariposa Lily can support deeper bonding.
Parent and child are so energetically interwoven in the first two years of life that you cannot ignore the parents' issues. If possible, take the parents' case first. If not, give the parent a dose of Rescue Remedy or Red Chestnut before you take the baby's case, especially if the parent is anxious or upset. Otherwise, if the baby is sitting on the parent's lap when you work on the baby's mix, you may be picking up the parent's issues as well. (Rescue Remedy should be issued to all new parents. It helps them cope with crises without panicking.)
MIXING FORMULAS FOR INFANTS
Use a standard dosage dilution--two to seven drops of stock to a one-ounce bottle of boiled, cooled water. (Sterilized water is especially important with newborns.) Drop the mixture on the baby's lips, forehead, fontanelle, or skin--generally where the blood supply is close to the surface, such as the wrists and ankles.
Although brandy is commonly used as a preservative in remedy mixtures, I avoid alcohol with the tinies, so refrigerate the mix and use it for a short time only. Always put the date on the bottle. Since they come back to Rescue Remedy frequently, I do put brandy in that. Teething formulas may require brandy, since they are rubbed directly onto the teeth and gums.
Keep formulas simple. I prefer to focus upon one issue at a time, although deeper layers may become apparent with treatment. One to three days of remedies will often shift their sensitive energetic circuitry, though up to three weeks is not uncommon. When parents return asking for another bottle of a particular flower, take note. This may be the child's constitutional or type remedy. Constitutionals may need repeating after a stress or illness.
BABIES' RESPONSES TO REMEDY MIXTURES
Babies respond best to their daily doses if they are administered when when they are content, especially after feeding. Two doses a day works for most situations, more frequently if they are uncomfortable. You can add essences to their baths. Putting it into a bath that the tiny one takes with Mom or Dad is especially potent. You can also spray the nursery with a mister to which the remedies are added. If you are using a vaporizer, add some of the mixture.
An infant's response can be miraculous. I have seen babies' skin change color within seconds of administering a remedy, from ashen or gray to a nice healthy pink all over. Sometimes they will sigh a huge sigh and settle down. More often they will drift off, sleeping longer or deeper than their established pattern, and wake improved. Parents often report a sense of babies being more settled in themselves. Ask parents to note especially any changes in sleeping or eating patterns to confirm a remedy assessment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gretchen Lawlor, an astrologer and naturopath of many years experience, can be reached at P.O. Box 753, Langley, WA 98260, or e-mail light@whidbey.com.
DESIGN CREDITS: The background is by Dream Fires Designs. The stork brought the babies by way of Blue Valley Design Works and The Amazing World of Animation. The animated magnolia was created by Wagontrain . The gladiola came from Suzapalooza and the quince from Art Mix Flower Web. The animated dropper comes from 2Cool Animations. Finally, the Victorian flower vase came from Our Rose Garden.