Does rescue remedy really help?

[amydidit]

I'm thinking about picking up some rescue remedy today but I want to know if it really does help... it's rather expensive (for my budget), so I don't want to waste money if it's iffy. I'd be buying the liquid, not the cream, because I've heard about using it with animals in stressful situations too and we're about to move with 3 cats who don't like change ~laughs~

Also, if it does work, do you think I could take it in apple juice? Everything I've read says to take it under the tongue or in water... but that sounds really gross... I can't tolerate things that taste icky.

[NYCVeg]

I can't speak for its effectiveness during labor, but I just used it the first time when flying and found it to be quite effective. I've always been a very fearful flyer, even sometimes getting panic attacks on a place. I had to take 4 plane trips in the past month and used RR for all of them (along with deep breathing and a mantra) and was totally fine on all of the flights. There may be a placebo effect involved, but, heck, even placebo effects are effects. I didn't find the taste too bad--it actually tastes a lot like whiskey!

[Mama Bee]

I've not used it during labor but we use it pretty reguarly around here in every day life (the liquid). DS uses it when he's having a melt down and I use it to keep stress levels low on stressful days. I even buy it for my Mom who has anxiety attacks. I keep it on hand and intend to use it during labor (whenver that may happen!).

It doesn't taste bad at all... it doesn't really taste. There's a little bit of an alcohol kick but it just lasts a second and then there's nothing.

It is pricey but IMO well worth it! Good luck!

[Messac888]

Hey there. I HAVE used RR during labor and found it to be helpful. Of course, I was getting panicked through a few contractions and my mw felt it would help me relax, which it did, which helped my body do what it needed to do to have my dd. I also have used RR on my ds a small handful of times, as well as on myself when I'm incredibly tense or angered. It's been effective each and every single time, but I only have used it when I really felt it was needed.

I haven't tried it on my cat yet. :LOL

[mamasaurus]

No. It did not help me at all during labor.

[Sonnadoula]

I have not used it during labor, but I assisted in a labor a week ago Sunday and it worked wonders. The mother did not know that her MW had added it to her juice (apple juice as a matter of fact!). MW just said to drink it and it would help. It allowed this mom to make the mental change she needed to progress through labor. It was accompanied with an incredible amount of love and support. This mother was talking epidural at 2 cm. She had back labor and seriously doubted her ability to continue. I was the doula on call. We had not met before and I worked with her for about three hours before MW gave her the RR. Her pain continued, but her ability to cope with it increased significantly.

Mammasaurus-RR is not a drug in the same way a chemical drug made in a laboratory is. It will not work if it you are working against it for any reason. Mind set is a HUGE part of labor and birth. (read Ina May Gaskin's books) If you did not have the support you needed to help you to change your mind set, I doubt it would work. And mindset (most of the time) cannot be changed by the laboring mother alone. She must have outside support and a great deal of it if a negative mindset is to be changed. I am sorry it didn't work for you.

[Sonnadoula]

I should also add:

Do not count on RR to "make everything better." It just won’t do that. It helps to relive anxiety. If you feel that you may have a need for RR, than that may mean that you have some issues to work through before you go into labor. Anything that RR can alleviate can be addressed with counseling, self-analysis, and/or prayer.

I worry for the mother who goes into labor planning to take RR. If you suffer from panic attacks, it may not be a bad idea to have it on hand just in case, but please don't plan on using it. Actually, plan on NOT using it.

Just my thoughts.

[Baby Hopes]

I am kind of curious about Rescue Remedy. I read the ingredients and it looks like it's five different types of flower essense. Guess I am confused about the alcohol references in above posts. Does it just taste alcoholy? (alcoholie/like alcohol.)

[NYCVeg]

It says on the bottle that it's 27% alchohol--I'm not sure why (though vanilla extract is also very alchoholic, so maybe it has something to do with how plant extracts are made?). But you only use 4 drops...so it's not as though you're going to get drunk on it--unless you swig a dozen full bottles!

[amydidit]

Thanks for the opinions ~smiles~ I did go ahead and get some... I highly doubt I would *need* anything like that during labor, but I do tend to let stressful situations get the best of me and I'd really like to be able to avoid that... I have a great team of midwives that'll be there and they are great help, but I have nothing against using any little thing possible to get the edge on my mental state. I have essential oils, lavender/rice sack (to warm and use on my neck, etc), things like that... I had no problems and no worries during my first birth... never felt panicky or like I couldn't handle it, so I'm confident in my ability to handle birth well this time too... but I also like to be prepared ~smiles~

Plus having it on hand for my cats during our move in a couple weeks is an added bonus ~smiles~

[Sonnadoula]

amy-
I am glad you are so confident. Sets my mind at ease... A good thing to do may be to tell your MWs that you have some, that way, if they feel it would bennifit you, they could suggest it and you could put it out of your mind.

My 3.5 ds wants me to post a "laughing guy" so here it is. Good luck to you in your labor and birth.

Blessed Be.

:LOL

[melamama]

about the alcohol--the flower essences are in a brandy base--as a preservative. if you were concerned about the alcohol component you could add the 4 drops to a bottle of spring water.
-I also can't tolerate icky medicinal/alcohol tastes

I'm also posting because of the cats--I've given it to my cats when they've been stressed and it has helped them. : <<as well as helping ds with his airplane fear during a multiple hop cross country trip>>

I think it's a great all around thing to have with you any time--but just be careful as I've found the bottles to be very delicate and have broken them before--such a bummer with the $

[flapjack]

As far as the cats go- I'm currently nursing our Springer Spaniel bitch through a phantom pregnancy, and she started calming down within an hour of having RR added to her water bowl. I love the stuff, and always, always have a bottle in my handbag (and lavender e.o. and arnica- fixes most problems small people get themselves into.)

[mamasaurus]

Originally Posted by Sonnadoula

Mammasaurus-RR is not a drug in the same way a chemical drug made in a laboratory is. It will not work if it you are working against it for any reason. Mind set is a HUGE part of labor and birth. (read Ina May Gaskin's books) If you did not have the support you needed to help you to change your mind set, I doubt it would work. And mindset (most of the time) cannot be changed by the laboring mother alone. She must have outside support and a great deal of it if a negative mindset is to be changed. I am sorry it didn't work for you.

I am just going to control myself here... :

To the OP - I had incredible pain with my first birth. Even with a positive mindset , I wasn't prepared for that pain. Sonnadoula is right - RR is definitely not a drug. RR was the "strongest" thing that my midwives had to offer. Their other methods of easing the pain didn't work for me either. I'm just one of those women that should have been in the hospital for my first birth - I could have still had a midwife and doula, but at least I could have had drugs available to me.

I did read Ina May Gaskin and had a doula who worked directly with her. But no one on my birthing team was prepared for the amount of pain I felt. Nothing they did helped me. I suffered and suffered and have been through birth trauma counseling.

But, enough of that. I've hashed out my first birth enough on Mothering. If you care to read more, search for my other threads. Also look under the username ilovemybaby - I used that one for a while.

[magentamomma]

It worked wonders as did Calm's Forte You maty have to use repeat doses