Craniosacral therapy for newborns
I don’t often share blogs from other practitioners, however Barbara Gornall is someone I highly recommend. Having benefited from Barbara’s craniosacral therapy treatments for many years, both personally and with my daughter, I’ve seen first-hand the difference her work can make. Barbara’s blog below offers a great explanation of why craniosacral therapy can be so beneficial for babies and is well worth taking a few minutes to read.
Craniosacral Therapy for Newborns
The first few weeks with a newborn can be beautiful, exhausting, emotional and sometimes a little overwhelming. Every baby is different, and while some settle easily into life outside the womb, others may need a little more support as they adjust.
The process of childbirth involves a series of complex movements and adjustments as the baby passes through the birth canal. This journey can involve twists, turns and compression as the baby’s head and body navigate through the mothers’s pelvis. The ability of a baby’s skull to reshape and adapt is a remarkable aspect of human physiology that aids in the successful passage through the birth canal and early postnatal development.
After birth the baby’s cranial bones can continue to adapt and reshape within the next few weeks. These adaptations are helped by yawning, sucking and breastfeeding. Difficulties occur if the baby’s cranial bones become compressed or have trouble releasing naturally after childbirth. This can occur if there has been a very quick or long birth, if there has been intervention such as forceps suction or Caesarean births.
Craniosacral therapy is a gentle, hands-on approach that some parents choose as part of their baby's wellbeing routine, whilst others bring their babies for treatment if they are suffering from colic or other digestive problems, are unsettled, have problems sleeping or have problems following a traumatic birth.
Craniosacral therapy can be effective in dealing with the effects of birth trauma including both the compressive forces exerted on the skull and the shock effects of a traumatic birth. The transition from the womb to the outside world is enormous. Babies are learning to feed, sleep, digest, move and respond to a completely new environment.
During a Craniosacral Therapy for Newborns appointment I spend time listening and appreciating the parent's concerns and the baby’s journey to be born. With a background in midwifery, neonatal intensive care nursing, I am able to understand the processes parents and babies have experienced. The treatment involves light touch around the babies head, spine and sacrum. I am constantly paying close attention to the baby's signals and responding to their needs. Babies can be treated whilst feeding, asleep or cradled in parents arms, there is no need to undress them.
Parents often report their baby feels relaxed, less tense and more comfortable. Babies often lay straighter and are less twisted after treatment having been given the opportunity to unwind and release the tension or trauma from the birth process. If you would like to discover more about Craniosacral Therapy for Newborns and helping babies to adjust to life outside the womb please get in touch.