“During my second pregnancy I had regular craniosacral treatments…it not only helped my body to cope with the changes it needed to go through, but also helped me to stay relaxed and seemed to have a calming effect on the baby.”
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- www.wombecology.com Michel Odent has gathered a lot of evidence about the long term consequences of the time in the womb and the circumstances around the birth. In order to give birth peacefully, the mother’s mind needs to be at rest so her instinctive side has a chance to take over.
- www.primalhealthresearch.com this website has details of the research projects that Michel Odent has initiated.
- Fredrick Leboyer’s book Birth Without Violence is an important reference.
- Ina May Gaskin reintroduced home birth to the United States in the seventies. When I saw her talk in the eighties she was enthusiastic about the skills that British midwives had built up. She told us that to preserve them, all experienced midwives should take apprentices straight away. Unfortunately midwifery training went in the opposite direction and now many midwives feel hemmed in by a system that pays more attention to time-keeping and record-taking than the delicate art of being with the mother and empowering her to tune in to the physiology of her birth. (Mid- wife means “with the mother”) http://inamay.com
Craniosacral Therapy for new-born babies
What happens in a session?
Babies remain fully clothed and usually snuggled up with their parent or carer. Sometimes I will hold the child while I help him to unfold his body or move to express his needs, always keeping him near his mother and helping him to return to her when he is ready.
Where possible I will visit new-born babies at home or in hospital to minimise the disruption to their new lives.
When would my baby need Craniosacral Therapy?
Though some mothers sail through the process of birth, others experience pain, hard work and often exhaustion. However, we are less aware of the fact that, for babies too, birth can be confusing, frightening and painful as the baby is subjected to compressive and other forces during its journey through the birth canal.
The new-born baby has a limited range of expression at his or her disposal: We know they cry with hunger or the discomfort of a full nappy, but babies also cry to express and seek comfort for the shock and pain of birth. They may kick their legs, perhaps re-living the struggle to push their way out.(Babies are very active during birth, kicking their legs and lifting their heads as their contribution to the efforts of the mother). Some arch their backs and act out the twists of the birth journey. All these babies are trying to tell us that they are not comfortable and they may all benefit from Craniosacral Therapy.
The compression of the birth canal and the expansion as the child is born both contribute to helping the baby’s systems to adjust to the new environment outside the womb. Ideally the bones of the head overlap each other, moulding to fit the pelvis, then expand after the birth. However, even in a natural and apparently problem-free birth the fit may be less than perfect, potentially giving rise to issues such as colic and respiratory difficulties or interfering with the shape of the jaw and the palette, making feeding difficult, (see breastfeeding).
Caesarean and assisted births bring their own challenges to the baby’s ability to adjust. In all these situations it usually only needs a few sessions for the baby to be able to relax and start to enjoy life with his or her family.
Craniosacral Therapy is just as useful for older babies and toddlers, giving them the chance to unfold the experiences of their birth or any other discomfort they may be experiencing. Toddlers have their sessions on the move, playing with the toys, moving round the room or sitting on their parent’s or carer’s knee. The time I get to make contact with their body can be fleeting, but they are also very clear what they need, often placing my hand on their bodies where they want the attention and removing it when they have had enough. 
“My youngest suffered from a blocked tear duct resulting in a continuously weeping eye. My GP informed me that, if the weeping didn’t clear up by the time he was 1 year old, they would recommend operating to unblock the tear duct. Research around the subject brought me to CST and I am delighted to say that, after just 2 treatments, the blockage was cleared and has never returned, so no operation was necessary.”
Craniosacral therapy and Breastfeeding
When breastfeeding goes well it a wonderful start to the baby’s life, but it can often feel difficult at first and mothers can be left exhausted and feeling demoralised with a hungry baby that can’t get the hang of feeding. For those babies who are still shocked or in pain from the process of birth or the separation from the mother after the birth, feeding can be very difficult. They may be trying to express their confusion or pain, and being offered a breast is not the response they need.
One of the most common problems I encounter is a child where the roof of the mouth has been pushed out of shape by the moulding during the birth. The baby will start to choke if you put your finger just a short way into her mouth, almost before you get beyond the gum. Of course to feed successfully the baby needs to take the nipple much further to the back of the mouth so they are distressed and frustrated and so is the mother.
These babies either “nibble” the nipple, making the mother’s breast sore and exhausting themselves without getting much milk or they react to the breast by turning away in distress- not surprising if they feel they will choke. This situation responds very well to Craniosacral Therapy and mothers often report that the sucking feels comfortable after just one session.
Some babies have long periods of distressed crying where they cannot be comforted. This is often called “colic”. These babies respond to Craniosacral Therapy where they are allowed to move in the way they need to be able to express their pain or confusion and resolve it.
Other babies shut down and become unresponsive. These babies may be seen as “good” babies, sleeping a lot and not expressing themselves very much. However the shut down baby is not the same as the peaceful and contented baby who looks around with joy in his or her new life, the shut down baby seems withdrawn and blank. When these babies come for Craniosacral Therapy they often cry in a way that the parents have not heard before, becoming animated and expressive in their relief at being understood and having their story “heard” through the therapist’s hands. Babies respond very quickly to Craniosacral Therapy, often only needing a few sessions, particularly if they come soon after birth.
The rapid pace of life, with environmental pollution, academic pressures and overexposure to the media all create stress for growing children.This may be expressed through restlessness, slow development or generally not enjoying life. Children who experienced a difficult birth may still be carrying the consequences of that in their bodies. Other children may be suffering from difficult situations within the family, stress at school or lack of confidence.
Conditions that may be helped or alleviated by Craniosacral Therapy include:
Difficulties with concentration
Slow or difficult speech
Sleeplessness and night terrors
Lack of confidence
Exhaustion
Problems with schooling
Sinus and breathing difficulties
Frequent illnesses
“After [my daughter’s] sessions both my husband and I witnessed a big change for the better in her behaviour and her movement, although it couldn’t take the Cerebral Palsy away, it seemed easier for our daughter to deal with all of the problems associated with it.”
Craniosacral Therapy is a very appropriate therapy for children, giving them the chance to express and heal any discomfort or anxiety they may be experiencing without making demands of them.
The sessions will take a different form depending on the age and inclination of the child. Toddlers often have their sessions on the move, playing with the toys, moving round the room and sometimes charging about. This is fine and all part of their expression of whatever is bothering them.
Other little ones snuggle onto a parent or carer’s knee, surprisingly still and peaceful as they enjoy the treatment. Parents report feeling that they too have had a chance to relax.
With some children, the time I get to make contact with their body is fleeting, but they are also very clear what they need, sometimes placing my hand on their bodies where they want the attention and removing it when they have had enough. It may also be that the contact becomes part of a game; sliding off the large ball, climbing onto the treatment couch or leaning against me as they play.
There is no obligation on the child to be cooperative; So long as their behaviour is not destructive or dangerous, they are free to do whatever they need to enable us to understand what they are trying to resolve.
Young children don’t have a vocabulary for their experiences, they live very immediately in the sensations within their bodies. So, the experience of “sad”, “angry”, “fearful” are not expressed in words, but may become “tummy ache”, “restlessness”, “disturbed sleep” or other discomfort as the child experiences the immediacy of their situation and their perception. Children are acutely aware of what is happening around them, feeling deeply any stress in the family, but they have no way to articulate their concerns or distance themselves from what is happening. Because Craniosacral Therapy addresses the body directly children feel understood when they have a session even though the cause of their concern is not mentioned directly.
Craniosacral Therapy is not an alternative to traditional health care. If you are concerned about your child’s health you should see a doctor. I am very happy to work in conjunction with your doctor, or other health care specialist.