A Child is Born E-Book

Wilhelm Zur Linden

• Herausgeber: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Prospective parents are faced today with a huge selection of guidebooks on pregnancy, birth and early childhood. While many of these offer sensible advice and information, Dr zur Linden's long-established natural care book offers an important additional dimension. In clear and accessible language, he explains what the newborn baby and small child need to unfold harmoniously the full potential of body, soul and spirit. Based on this broad perspective, he offers many practical suggestions. Beginning with the growing embryo in the mother's womb, the author guides us through the birth; the post-natal period and breastfeeding; caring for the newborn baby; how and what to feed your baby; and caring for a sick child (acute and chronic illness as well as childhood illnesses). He also adds useful sections on bottle feeding, almond milk, and water quality. This new edition features many new additions on questions such as contraception, drugs, the father's presence at the birth, thumb-sucking, where the infant should sleep, cot death, overheating, and so on. Dr zur Linden's commentary on these issues is the fruit of a lifetime's experience as a paediatrician and general practitioner. Parents will find his indications for proper care, nutrition and upbringing a constant source of support.

Leseprobe

A CHILD IS BORN

ALSO IN THE ‘BRINGING SPIRIT TO LIFE’ SERIES

From Stress to Serenity, Gaining Strength in the Trials of Life Angus Jenkinson

Homemaking as a Social Art, Creating a Home for Body Soul and Spirit Veronika van Duin

The Journey Continues..., Finding a New Relationship to Death Gilbert Childs with Sylvia Childs

A CHILD IS BORN

A natural guide to pregnancy, birth and early childhood

Wilhelm zur Linden, MD

Sophia Books

The information in this book is not intended to be taken as a replacement for medical advice. Persons with a condition requiring medical attention should consult a qualified medical practitioner or suitable therapist.

Sophia Books Hillside House, The Square Forest Row, RH18 5ES

www.rudolfstemerpress.com

Published by Sophia Books 2004 An imprint of Rudolf Sterner Press

First published in English by Rudolf Sterner Press in 1973 with a second edition in 1980. Translated from German by J. Collis. This edition has been edited, updated and revised by Matthew Barton. Originally published in German under the title Dein Kind by Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main 1975 (12th edition 1986). This English edition includes additions from the comprehensive edition Geburt und Kindheit, 1971 (14th edition 1998)

© Vittorio Klostermann GmbH Frankfurt am Main 1971 This translation © Rudolf Sterner Press 2004

The moral right of the author has been asserted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 85584 354 7

Cover by Andrew Morgan Design Typeset by DP Photosetting, Aylesbury, Bucks.

Contents

Publisher’s Note

Foreword, by Günther & Brigitte Schönemann

Introduction

1. The Growing Embryo

Expecting the child

Signs of pregnancy

Expected date of birth

Medical examination during pregnancy

Ailments of pregnancy

Threats to the embryo

Smoking during pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding

Alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Drugs

German measles

Toxoplasmosis

The rhesus factor

Down’s Syndrome

Avoiding miscarriage

Signs of danger

Sport during pregnancy

Diet during pregnancy

Care of teeth for mother and child

Preparing physically for the birth of the baby

Psychological preparation for the baby’s arrival

Preparing older siblings for the arrival

2. Problems of Contraception

3. The Birth

Confinement at home or in hospital?

The father’s presence at the birth

Painless childbirth

The beginning of the birth

The birth process

4. The Post-natal Period

The first few weeks

Should the newborn baby remain in the same room with the mother?

Post-natal ailments

5. The Breastfeeding Period

Diet during breastfeeding

Menstruation after childbirth

The technique of breastfeeding

Emptying the breast

The duration of breastfeeding

Weaning

Inability or refusal to breastfeed

Improving the milk supply

Preventing mastitis (inflammation of the breast)

6. The Baby Immediately After Birth

The newborn baby

Some useful figures

First examination by the doctor

The mother’s nerves

Peace and quiet and the quality of care

The average rate of development

7. Caring for the Baby

The baby’s bed

Rocking the baby

Crying

Keeping the baby’s abdomen warm

Hiccups

The dummy (pacifier)

Should the baby lie mostly on her tummy?

Sunbathing

Daily fresh air

Infant gymnastics

Care of skin and hair

Nappies

Bathing

Sleep

Swallowing air

Colds

Bowel movements

Clothes for the baby and small child

Dangers due to carelessness

8. Feeding the Baby

1. BREASTFEEDING

Feeding times

What if the baby refuses the breast?

2. BOTTLE FEEDING

What are biodynamic foods (Demeter)?

Feeding with Demeter Holle Baby Food

The number and timing of feeds and the amount per feed

Bottle feeding during the first month

Bottle feeding during the second month

Bottle feeding during the third month

Bottle feeding during the fourth month

Feeding during the fifth month

Feeding during the sixth to the ninth month

Feeding from the tenth to the twelfth month

3. MILK-FREE DIET FOR BABIES

9. Some General Points About Feeding Children

Diet as the child grows older

Some considerations when choosing food

10. Upbringing

Early training

The child’s urge to be active

Play

So-called bad habits

The facts of life

Bed wetting

Thumb sucking

The infant’s sleep

Fear and anxiety

Radio and television

Pre-school learning—a disaster

11. The Sick Child

1. GENERAL POINTS

What is illness?

How does healing take place?

The healing power of fever

Keeping warm in bed

2. ACUTE ILLNESS

Birth damage

Ailments during the early months

Hernias

Rickets (history)

Rickets (prevention and treatment)

Diarrhoea

Constipation

Vomiting

Teething

Chills

Abdominal pain and gastro-intestinal complaints

Appendicitis

Pneumonia

Croup and diphtheria

Inflammation of the middle ear

Acute tonsillitis

Vaccination (fundamental considerations)

Frequent questions about vaccination

Vaccination during pregnancy

Important note on vaccination

3. CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES

Incubation periods and duration of infectiousness (table)

Measles

Scarlet fever

Chickenpox

German measles

Mumps

Whooping cough

Polio

4. CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Hearing defects

Sight defects

Speech disorders

Lack of appetite

Jaw deformation (and prevention)

Faulty posture and spinal curvature

Anaemia

Nettlerash

Eczema

Enlarged tonsils and adenoids

12. Nursing

The mother’s love

Behaviour and facial expression of the sick child

Taking the temperature

Diet during acute illness

The medicine chest

Compresses and water treatments

Poultices

Appendix One: Bottles and Teats

Appendix Two: Utensils for Bottle Feeding

Appendix Three: Preparing Hoik Baby Food

Appendix Four: How to Make Curd Cheese

Appendix Five: How to Make Almond Milk

Appendix Six: Water Quality

Appendix Seven: Reducing the Risk of Cot Death

Overheating

Smoking

Further Reading

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Most of the preparations, medicines and products mentioned in this book are available throughout the English-speaking world. In case of difficulty, some useful website addresses are listed below:

Weleda: www.weleda.comorwww.weleda.co.uk

Wala: www.wala.de

Holle baby foods: www.holle.de

The author’s recommendation of medicines and other products arises out of his personal experience as a paediatrician and general practitioner, and in no way constitutes an advertisement.

Measurements:

Foreword

When Wilhelm zur Linden died on 5 December 1972, the ninth edition of this book was in preparation. He always stressed the importance of keeping abreast of contemporary issues and current needs, and was continually at pains to update his research. This had been an important factor for him when he first conceived the book, determining its character and content from the beginning. This striving to keep his finger on the pulse was enhanced by his astute approach to themes and problems. Drawing on rich life experience, with compassion and wisdom, he succeeded in formulating things in a way that is still valid and innovative today. Much that zur Linden stated in his own day, which met with great resistance, has meanwhile become a matter of course—such as his recommendations for gentler birth techniques, his reservation about vaccinations and his opposition to Vigantol (synthetic vitamin D) treatment.

Although the scientific world view underpinning modern medicine has produced results of major importance in combating illness, it is simply not adequate on its own for an unprejudiced understanding of all the processes and transformations that occur at conception, and during pregnancy, birth and the child’s further development. One has to acknowledge, in fact, that science itself often does not fully understand the knowledge it has acquired through the microscope and the dissecting knife, and that its limited, more mechanistic perspectives give rise to a lack of clear direction, for instance in relation to birth control, gene technology, extending life expectancy etc. The human body cannot be understood in terms of itself alone, but only acquires sense as an instrument of the spirit which inhabits it. It will hopefully become apparent to the reader that the approach represented in this book, in contrast to the purely scientific outlook, not only makes sense but is also extraordinarily practical and beneficial.

The living and developing nature of this book, expressed not least in increasing demand for it, has faced the publisher with the task of extending it as Wilhelm zur Linden would have wished, supervising new editions and integrating new knowledge and findings. The book is today used even more extensively than in the past, since generally valid guidelines on questions surrounding birth, care of the child, nutrition and education are no longer passed on from one generation to the next as a matter of course, but each person now has to find his or her own answers. It is true that in the meantime a certain awareness has developed of environmental and nutritional issues, but at the same time greater threats have arisen, some of which—such as television and ubiquitous computer technology—have not yet generally been recognized as such. To really understand human childhood and to apply different standards to this phase of life than we do to adulthood has become one of the most important contemporary issues. This book aims to spur readers to become aware of these issues which we encounter on a daily basis. It offers help in dealing with them, inviting us to use our capacity for empathy, our imagination and our healthy common sense. It is therefore not just a handbook offering ready-made solutions but a guide that urges us to think and act. It is intended less for a single reading than for ongoing reference, in other words for repeated and living engagement with its content.

Günther Schönemann, MD

Brigitte Schönemann, née zur Linden

Introduction

The uniqueness of every child

We know that the protein substance of which almost the whole body is composed is structured differently in each one of us. Likewise we know that the skin profile image which we are familiar with as fingerprint is wholly unique in each individual on this earth; and that even the fine structure of our hair is distinct from that of all other people.

In contrast to the plant world, where young plants do not deviate at all from others of the same species, and in contrast to animals whose young show no marked differences in form from their parents, we find in the infant, and even in many newborn babies, bodily forms such as the ear, or even unique inner characteristics, that do not appear in the same way anywhere else in the family or in previous generations. Even in families with many children there are the greatest differences between siblings, and this means that we must nowadays bring up our children in very individual ways. We cannot even feed them according to general recommendations without ignoring their uniqueness. From birth already, babies react in very distinct and individual ways.

It is therefore more important to find out what is new and unique in our children’s nature—and when this new element is valuable to help it develop fully—than, as is common today, to consider inherited characteristics as of prime importance. Not in what is already known and handed down within the family, but in the new element that every child brings into the world does the unique possibility lie for new energies, capacities or ideas to be realized, which our world so urgently needs. Each child born might develop into an individual who helps humanity forwards in decisive ways, showing it new paths towards a light-filled ascent from contemporary confusion. Innovative geniuses have often sprung from fairly unremarkable families!

By focusing on the uniqueness of every child, in fact of every human being, we come to the following discovery: in the plant world, given the same conditions, the offspring plant is as like the mother plant as ‘two peas in a pod’. In the animal world each member of a species resembles the others as far as physical and soul characteristics are concerned. In the most highly developed mammals there are certain differences between members of a species, but these are not fundamental in nature.

When we come to the human being we find, despite certain similarities between people, that there is no point in speaking of genus or type, for each individual is in some sense a species in himself. He has life processes and metabolic forces in common with his fellow human beings; he has soul impulses similar to those that move the souls of others. But above and beyond this he also possesses the spark of spirit, whose nature and striving is different in each individual, making every person distinct and unique.

It is this spark of spirit which makes the soul think, feel and have impulses of will in a very particular way. Even the metabolic processes are different in each person as a result. The spirit also expresses itself in the gestures of our hands and our gait, and determines the unique structure of every cell in our body.

When we attempt to explain the wholly new and unique element that each child bears within him,* we touch on one of the greatest mysteries of human life.

Unusual events mostly happen at special places and under very special conditions. This is also true of the interior of the womb. Without any exaggeration one can say that conditions reign in the womb which one only otherwise finds on or even above the highest mountain peaks of the earth, in the cosmos. The developing embryo must live and develop with a very small supply of oxygen. His red blood count and blood colour, the whole composition of his blood, corresponds to these conditions. We adults would immediately lose consciousness and die if we lived like this.

The body of the developing embryo is embedded in the mother’s body in a wonderful way, receiving ideal protection. Apart from the wall of the placenta, the embryo is also enveloped in the so-called foetal membranes. These membranes are extremely important for the developing child because as the embryo grows they play a part in the gradual uniting of the child’s soul and spirit with the body. At birth their task is complete and they are then discarded as ‘afterbirth’. The work of the placenta is similar. This is an organ filled with the mother’s blood, which serves to nourish the child. At the same time it acts as a filter, so that the stream of nourishment does not flow directly from the mother’s organism to the embryo.