What does a cranial osteopath actually do?

[MayimBialik]

This keeps coming up in threads as a cure for colic/reflux/whingy babies. Ive googled to find out a bit more about cranial osteopathy but would like to know What do they actually happens when you take your baby to a CO? And does is work???

So how long does it take? And they literally just straighten the baby out?

How many sessions do they recommend or does that vary from case to case?

It's extremely gentle. They put their hands places basically. It's nothing like adult osteopathy. It's very very gentle pressure. At least my son's was.

Gentle manipulation. Did wonders for my son. Took 4 sessions and he began to sleep for more than 20mins at a time ( he was 1yr 6months so that was a lot sleep we had both missed out on). Worth thousands.

did bugger all for DD and fleeced us £200 in the process.

truth of it was she had high tone and nothing was going to help except months of physio - best in Norwich, recommended by everyone, worked in hospitals and yet nope - didn't do a thing

Worth every penny. So long as you embrace the ethos and do what they suggest. We took DD 14 weeks when she was 4 weeks as she was unsettled during the day and was told her pelvis and neck were unaligned - very common for c section babies. We had about 4 sessions and she is now very settled. It encouraged is to take DS 5 years as last year was hugely stressful for him - moving house, new sister and starting school - and his behaviour wasn't wonderful. He also had anger issues and each day was awful. The result was he had exactly the same issues, on the same sides as DD strangely enough, and it has worked wonders for him. The difference in him is amazing (for instance I could never trust him to walk along a pavement without holding his hand tightly for fear of him running of and thinking it hilarious - the first time I took him we walked back to school without me holding his hand - for him this is beyond belief ). We has been going every fortnight since November and we're now increasing the periods between treatments. I cannot emphasise how fabulous it has been, for both but especially DS. Yes it's expensive, £47 a time, but I would pay anything for my child to be happy and calm. And he is.

I was a total sceptic and was annoyed when I spent £40 and all the chap did was feel about DSs head a bit. However, within a couple of days it had turned my six month old baby into a sleeper and sorted out his weepy eye (blocked duct) so I am now a convert!

Last time I've seen an osteopath advertising they could treat colic, it didn't take long from my email to the ASA for the advert to be taken down.

It's woo.

Did a few sessions with DD1 when she was very little, 9 years ago. She had been breech with her poor little head stuck up underneath my ribcage and her skull was a bit mis-shapen as a result. She couldn't lie flat on her back without turning her head, always to the left, and it affected her feeding, so she was slow to gain weight at first. My HV suggested it I think, we toddled along with me quite a sceptic but willing to try anything at that stage. (I was a very anxious first time mum, can you tell )

After just a few treatments she had a remarkably better range of motion in her neck, started latching on and sucking properly (and boy did my nipples feel the difference).

How were the treatments? The osteopath lay her on her back, looked like she was pressing gently on DDs neck, rotating her head, some movements that looked like tummy massage, things like that. I seem to remember DD was always on her back during treatments. She (DD) was always very calm and still, and I found the sessions very soothing and almost therapeutic.

Who knows, she might have improved just as well without it, there is no way of knowing is there? I think if you are open to trying it, you are more likely to get something out of it... obviously....

Of course Widow's opinion is valid too! It's never been proven, has it?

The one we went to who had leaflets in the maternity ward was a charlatan, and upsetting. She was essentially a baby whisperer who put her hands under the baby(who was in great discomfort and couldn't sleep for more than hour at a time), made us hold hands and put our hand on the baby, and told us to focus feelings of love on the baby, but not comfort her. While baby screamed and screamed.
Baby was later was found to be severely lactose intolerant. It wasn't due to 'baby feeling abandoned and unloved due to her 3 days unconcious in neonatal ward' as the cranial osteopath diagnosed. Grr

We only had to have 2 sessions. Dd2 had real bad colic. So thought I'd give it a go. They said we may need up to 6 appointments, but only needed two. Dd started sleeping through not long after. It worked for us, and kind of regret not doing it with dd1 as she still wakes in the night and is a general nightmare child.
This lady was recommended highly, and she was very gentle. No woo, or holding hands like some hippy, sounds like a con that one. She just gently manipulated dd's head, shoulders. Looked lovely and relaxing.

Excellent; diagnosed posterior TT not previously spotted by midwives, docs and health visitors, was sorted within a week.