Patricia Hatherly, mother of three, Lactation Consultant, homoeopath and prover of Lac Maternum, passes on the wealth of her considerable experience and research in her book The Homoeopathic Physician's Guide to Lactation.

In it she discusses all aspects of lactation, for both mother and child, from a homoeopathic viewpoint. She covers basic anatomy and physiology, as well as the biochemistry 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 homoeopathic, 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 the book is not intended for lay-persons as such, mothers will find much useful information, particularly in conjunction with their homoeopathic 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 homoeopaths is the differentiation between the 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 homoeopath.

Deborah Collins MD RCHom

Homoeopathy NewZ August 2004

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 the 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 women 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 stage of family life.

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

Informed Choice Vol3 No1 March 2005

The title of the book very aptly describes its audience and contents. In her interesting preface, the author suggests an evolutionary link (in the monotremes, eg the platypus) between reptilesm and mammals and cites historical evidence of humans "reptilian heritage" (pviii) in finding alternatives to feeding their babies at the breast. She takes us back to 2000BC, painting a very vivid picture of breastfeeding and infant feeding practices through history. Our belief that breastfeeding was prevalent in ancient times is contradicted by the evidence cited by the author.

The book is divided into 10 chapters. Basic anatomy and physiology of lactation and components of human milk are discussed in depth with simple easy-to-understand diagrams and pictures. Different aspects of lactation are presented in the form of symptom, situation, or etiology, followed by homoeopathic approach; for example, "Babies who have severe reflux can demonstrate breast refusal due to a fear of swallowing. I find that they respond well to Nat carb, their mothers usually being Sepia (Lycopodium mothers run a distant second)" (p 29).

Chapter 9, "The 3 Lacs, Some Personal Perspectives", has the most valuable treasure of information every homeopath would crave. The author describes similar traits in the 3 lacs (caninum, humanum, maternum) such as the grand keynote "alternating symptoms", a possible reflection of the Doctrine of Signatures whereby nurslings tend to change sides during a feed. She differentiates the 3 lacs with respect to etiology, miasms, physiological sphere, and mental sphere, followed by a full drug picture of each lac. The case studies make the reading even more interesting. The appendices, sample menu plans, recommended reading list, and index provide a wealth of information.

This book is an important tool for lactation consultants interested in Homoeopathy and a must-have book for homeopaths. The author's exceptional dual perspective as a homeopath and a lactation consultant has enabled her to compile a book that is full of information supported by thorough research and clinical evidence. The author's website offers a good primer on homeopathy to the uninitiated reader.

Sonali Desai, BHMS, IBCLC

Journal Of Human Lactation 21 (4) 2005

A review has appeared in the premier international journal Homoeopathic Links and can be viewed by following this link.

Patricia Hatherly's book sets out to provide a complete understanding of all the issues surrounding breastfeeding, and it really does cover them all. Although titled The Homoeopathic Physician's Guide, it has something for pretty well everyone. There is enough anatomy and physiology to satisfy doctors, midwives and nutritionists. It contains some excellent practical advice for midwives, health visitors and new mums, and is written with a sensitivity and understanding which is rarely afforded to mothers these days.

An exhaustive amount of research has gone into the book, evident in the thorough referencing at the end of each chapter. She also tends to drop in some little gems of materia medica information, often from her own clinical experience, so if you try to skim-read, you will miss a lot; it is worth spending time on.

The first chapter covers the anatomical features of the breast, including breast development in puberty, changes in pregnancy and the action of hormones. She closes with a lovely reminder that the breasts lie over the mother's heart chakra, and the suckling baby learns to accept love as well as food, from this wonderful process.

The next three chapters contain detailed information about breast physiology and the composition of human milk, and offer a thorough and convincing argument for breastfeeding from both physiological and psychological points of view. She quotes research stating: "Infants who are fed artificially are biologically different from those who are breastfed".[and] are deprived of the various immune factors present in human milk". In her discussion of the psychological factors she makes references to such issues as low self-esteem and confidence, anxiety, poor concentration symptoms commonly found among the Lacs.

So what do you do for women who do not feel happy to breastfeed, or have problems? There are chapters covering the establishment and maintenance of feeding, including advice on technique, diet and of course many remedies, useful for all the common problems and some that are not so common.

Patricia Hatherly has many years' experience as a homoeopath and lactation consultant, and supervised the proving of Lac Maternum in 2002. She gives an interesting discussion of Lac caninum, Lac humanum and Lac maternum, focusing on the psychological states and archetypal themes, but also including symptom tables, which provide useful references for the consulting room. She closes with one of her own cases illustrating the complementary relationship between Lac humanum and Lac maternum.

One of the things I particularly liked about this book was that, although complex in some areas for those with a non-scientific background (I confess some of the chemistry went well over my head), she has not lost sight of the fact that the most important people to educate are ordinary mums. The book contains a great deal of useful advice, and the author has simplified and packaged it in a series of appendices, which she gives us permission to copy as handouts. For anyone working regularly with new mums, it is an invaluable reference book, written with precision, passion and enthusiasm.

Sarah North

The Hompath Autumn 2005, 24:2
www.homeopathy-soh.org

Patricia Hatherly's work The Homoeopathic Physician's Guide to Lactation (Luminoz Pty Ltd 2004) deserves a place on the desktop of every homoeopath active in assisting women and babies at all stages of lactation. Not merely a guide, her work is a handbook covering diverse subjects such as the anatomy and physiology of lactation, biochemical and immunological aspects of human milk and a huge range of clinical problems associated with breast feeding.

Hatherly's 278 page work is rich in lactation facts as well as intricate clinical details. She has managed to encompass important topics such as the modern socio-political environment which affects women's attitudes to breastfeeding, without assuming the reader's position. Clearly, given her decades of work as a lactation consultant and homoeopath she is passionate about the importance of breastfeeding, yet her work is not prescriptive and herarguments are substantiated with a wealth of evidence from respected literature.

In addition to the evidence for breastfeeding and its role in the healthy development of both women and children, Hatherly's work incorporates exquisite insights to both homoeopathic repertory and materia medicae from the classical and modern periods. She gives the reader pragmatic insights into specific remedies, aiding the reader in his/her understanding of smaller remedies such as Asafoetida and Onosmodium in the treatment of underdeveloped breasts. These insights are absolute gems for the homoeopathic practitioner as they intimately convey meanings of symptoms otherwise lost due to lack of explanation within the existing homoeopathic literature.

Whilst reviewing Hatherly's work a woman came to see me with the most severely cracked nipples I had ever seen. Sepia was not indicated and Phytolacca was not characteristic so I gave the woman Castor Equi on Hatherly's advice (p 134) watching to be certain the woman did not develop a breast abscess. The woman's nipples cleared up completely within 3 or 4 days and no abscess developed. Such clear direction is evident from beginning to end, a reassuring aspect of Hatherly's Guide. A subsequent case of chronic mastitis responded favourably when Lac Humanum 200 was alternated with Phytolacca 30 after other well selected remedies had only brought partial improvement.

The subject of potency selection is carefully examined in a number of clinical presentations. Hatherly's scrupulous experience suggests that Phytolacca works best in the 200th in acute complaints but is better in LM potencies for maintenance or in more chronic breast complaints, a fact I had not observed or read in any other homoeopathic work. This accurate advice comes from decades of careful clinical application. There are many other similar examples, each providing sensible and pragmatic guidance for the homoeopath.

Hatherly's work is thoroughly and carefully referenced throughout. Each chapter ends with a complete bibliography of the citations within that specific chapter. She has consulted both classic and modern sources and small rubrics have been closely dissected to enable the reader greater insight. These are accompanied with clinical tips, clues and ample reference to current journal articles. The "Lac" remedies themselves have of course been strategically incorporated, these being well supported with short clinical cases.

A few small things which distracted the reviewer were the inclusion of some rather ordinary black and white photos, the use of an awkward "space invaders" like font for chapter and sub-headings and the use of subscript rather than the conventional superscript when placing footnote numbers. These aside, the work is exceptionally well organized, easy to read and filled with a wealth of knowledge and solid experience.

I recommend Patricia Hatherly's work to the serious student and the busy practitioner alike. This work has already been immensely valuable in my own practice and has found its place on my desktop. Along with other fine work being written and published by Australian homoeopaths, this book is a goldmine of clinical knowledge and exceptional research.

David Levy MHSc(Ed)(USyd) DHom. ND

Similia Vol 17 No 2 December 2005
www.homeopathyoz.org

Patricia Hatherly has offered an outstanding combination of scientific, practical and homoeopathic information on the subject of lactation in her book The Homoeopathic Physician's Guide to Lactation. It is both informative and, above all, thorough.

There is so much material, covering virtually every facet and every contingency pertaining to breastfeeding 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 homoeopathic considerations are applied to a wide list of conditions and situations. Towards the end Ms Hatherly offers a detailed consideration of 3 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 9 women collected from day 3 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 homoeopathic experience makes this a singular volume. If helping people is your goal, and you work with pregnant and nursing women and infants, this is a book not to be missed.

Neil Tessler ND

SIMILLIMUM Vol XIX Winter/Spring 2006
www.hanp.net

A review has appeared in the American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine and can be viewed by following this link.