Pediatrics

Is your child feeling fussy and frustrated?

Are you looking for a gentle way to help your child that doesn’t have possible side effects or require invasive procedures?

Using the gentle techniques of craniosacral therapy, rather than just treating the symptoms, I am able to treat in a way that follows your child’s own self-healing wisdom.

The treatments are safe and non-invasive, and several hospitals utilize craniosacral therapy in their NICU units and find great results in the development and health outcomes of the infants treated. 

I have 13 years of experience as a birth doula, and while I no longer support births, I love nurturing newborns and their families through the gentle treatment of CranioSacral Therapy and Reiki.

What To Expect At A Session

Your child’s session will take place in a quiet, peaceful setting. You will stay with them the entire time. You are encouraged to bring toys that are quiet and stationary.

Reactions will vary. Children may sleep through the session, while others may be alert and active. Newborns may cry briefly as tension releases from their bodies.

What does it feel like?

The sessions are generally deeply relaxing, creating feelings of warmth or gentle pulsing in the areas where we are working. You may be hesitant to have someone touching their newborn’s head. The pressure that I use is less than the weight of a nickel (5 grams.) I am always happy to demonstrate on the parent first so that you get a sense of what your child is experiencing.

How It Works

CranioSacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on method of evaluating and enhancing the functioning of the physiological body system called the craniosacral system. CST helps to align the body structurally and facilitates the bodily systems to work properly.

The sooner you treat a child, the fewer treatments they will likely need.  If it is possible to treat them within 24 hours after birth it may only take a few minutes.

Why Do Children Need CranioSacral Therapy? 

As babies make their way through the birth canal their bodies are designed to twist and tuck, and their heads mold, and when given time and patience they are able to be born without much assistance at all. 

The newborn body was made to withstand and even benefit from the pressure of push of the uterine contraction, but this pulling and traction from the care provider is not a normal part of the process.  Oftentimes, OBs & Midwives may apply traction on the infant’s head during the pushing stage to “help.” In extreme cases, forceps or a vacuum extractor may be used.

For babies born via cesarean, the moment the incision is made into the amniotic sac a drastic pressure change is experienced by the infant, much like a scuba diver coming up too quickly.   They are also being tugged and pulled as they exit the uterus. CST treatment helps return pressure to normal and reduce stress on the entire body.    

 This “assisted” delivery either vaginally or surgically can cause lots of tension patterns and restrictions for the newborn. Issues such as strains on the muscles, fascia, tissues, and joints throughout the body.   If left untreated this can cause long-term issues such as hyperactivity, dyslexia, and even spina bifida.   If treated soon after birth this can easily be corrected by the gentle touch of a craniosacral therapist.  

It has shown to be effective at improving and maintaining a healthy immune system, and because of its gentle, non-invasive qualities,

Breastfeeding & Ties:  The fascial system connects from the tongue all the way down to the toes.  So if there is a misalignment in the body, something tight in the baby’s pelvis, this can create the illusion of a tongue tie and the newborn may have trouble creating a good latch. CST is also helpful in pre and post revision recovery and success if medical intervention is needed in the case of a severe tie.

Parents who are having trouble with lactation have found success whether it was a physical reason or an emotional reason why the parent may have been producing little or no milk, this treatment can often help get the breast milk flowing.

Plagiocephaly The baby may need a few treatments to help release the many bones in the skull that may have become slightly impacted, either from a forceps delivery or even from the infant being malpositioned in utero for the last few weeks of pregnancy.   Often these children are treated by wearing a helmet to help the head shape over time.  CST can be done alongside helmet therapy or can be utilized instead of the helmet.  Each case is individual and a team effort is best.