Mothers and Babies

Pregnancy & Birth

Osteopathic treatment offers a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body adapt to the changes which are taking place during pregnancy, helping to relieve aches and pains as the mother’s body tries to accommodate the growing baby.

Babies

Not all babies cope well with the powerful processes of birth as they pass down the birth canal. For example mechanical stresses affecting nerve supply from the neck and head can affect the tongue causing feeding problems, or to the gastric nerves causing colic. Tension in the skull can keep the baby in an alert state so the baby has difficulty sleeping.

Cranial osteopathy is a very gentle, safe and effective form of osteopathy, and is offered to babies to help them overcome these difficulties. Often the baby is relaxed after the treatment and sleeps well. Others become more energetic for a while but sleep well that night, whilst others may take a few days to settle after a treatment.

Post-partum

The mother is usually advised to return from between 4 to 6 weeks after birth for a post-natal check-up to help the body recover from the stresses of childbirth.