Natural Childcare
The Complete Natural Guide From Preconception To Preschool For All Thinking Parents
Over two decades ago many of Elyane's patients including her elder daughter, Ev, started having babies. Suddenly the clinic was full of babies and little children and their bewildered parents. This is how Elyane realised that there was a real need for a book that would give parents truly practical help, a paper Granny they could refer to anytime. This is how Natural Childcare (1999) came to be.
Natural Childcare endorsement
I have known Elyane for over 15 years. Our professional relationship worked well for a number of reasons - mutual respect being the most important. I knew that people seeing Elyane needed a lot of information, had to be offered a number of treatment alternatives and when unpalatable medical treatments seemed to be necessary they required the time to consider the cost/benefits. I also discovered that they appreciated Elyane's eclectic approach. She is always sensible, she never launches on an evangelical promotion of one remedy over another. She never tries to prove that she is right, rather she tries to motivate people and minimise their suffering in any way she can.
In Natural Childcare one feels as if she is talking to you from her most comfortable chair. The conversational style puts the reader at ease and her effervescent sense of humour peppers the text delightfully. I was particularly pleased to see a section on the effects on fathering a much neglected area in most books on child care thereby entrenching the stereotype of the uninvolved father. The section on 'super women' also brings a welcome safety valve to those women who feel pressured by 'perfection' in all spheres.
Her references to immunisation are reasonable and I have always encouraged her promotion of immunisation. The fact that she delays this to 1 year is a view that I respect without necessarily agreeing. Her approach to antibiotic use I realise showed tremendous foresight as modern medicine moves further away from overuse. Her cleansing diets (or use of probiotics) associated with post antibiotic use are now common place in many general practices.
I enjoyed the section on nutrition not so much for the sensible advice but for the lambasting of fad diets and the religious fervour with which others choose to promote exclusion diets. For Elyane diet is a balance as well as a creative outlet.
Humour is her hallmark and I found the reading of this book left me chuckling and reminiscing about conversations with Elyane. Elyane uses comedy to make us laugh at ourselves and our too too 'earnest' concerns. In a way it is part of her approach to healing and a finely balanced approach to her remedies and treatments.
I am honoured to have been able to contribute to Elyane's tome on 'Natural Childcare' that will fill a gap in the needs of new parents seeking alternatives for advice in child care. I sincerely hope that Elyane will continue to practice her style of healing and perhaps go on to make further literary contributions.
Dr Steven Faux
MBBS, BA, FAFRM (RACP), FRACGP
Physician in Rehabilitation Medicine
Associate Lecturer, School of Community Medicine
University of New South Wales
27 November 1998
* New updated Australian Immunisation