Cranial osteopathy

[BeanoNoir]

Has anyone done and will it be the magic answer to my feeding problems?

Ds is 16 weeks, shallow latch, fussing at breast, seemingly continuous feeding, trapped wind (swallowing air?), tense body, doesn't settle in cot at night. Had posterior tongue tie snipped at 8 weeks but on the verge of turning to ff (have already started giving occasional bottles) as I can't get by with this little sleep and this much feeding and still be a good mum to my 2 year old.

Currently seeking advice from local bf support. Cranial osteopathy has been mentioned. Any opinions/experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

load of woo nonsense. nothing remotely'medical' about it. have a look on skepdic.com for a non woo evaluation of it. save your cash and see a proper doctor. the experiences above are anecdote, actual studies show no efficacy at all.

How is his growth? Does he posset a lot? Has reflux been considered as a diagnosis?

austenozzy the 'anecdotal' experiences of which you speak are OUR experiences, so kindly do not seek to devalue the advice we are offering to the OP. I tried 'real' doctors for years and they left me in pain and could not help. I suggest that you aren't helping here.

I'm not sure even cranial osteopaths themselves would claim to alter the shape of the skull - they believe they feel a rhythm in the baby's head and use light touch to release tension and restore a natural balance. I'm not aware there is an official/required qualification in cranial osteopathy either.

I'm not saying anyone should use or avoid cranial osteopaths - or homeopathy, amber teething necklaces etc, lots of people find these things are helpful or reassuring. But I do think it's wrong to pretend it is something it is not. Be honest about what it actually is, then people can make an informed choice. Pretending something like CO is medical or scientific, or that there is lots of evidence (beyond belief/anecdote) that it works, isn't helpful to anyone.

I had cranial osteopathy as a child and it seemed to help. Apparently my head was squashed during birth which caused stress. I have no idea if or how it worked but I was always much calmer for a few months after a session. Supposedly US research into cranial osteopathy is further forward than in UK but I have no idea if it's true. I'm not sure I'd pay for it now knowing it's probably just a placebo but then a placebo is better than nothing if you can't find another answer!

Just to add, I saw a CO for colic / reflux and have to say it made no difference whatsoever.

I was slightly skeptical about it as the guy said he wasnt sure he could do anything yet felt 4 more sessions (which would incidentally take my son out of the typical 'colic window' anyway) would be recommended.

He did try to explain the 'science' to me but then became a little flustered when I revealed that I knew a fair bit about anatomy etc myself...

Possibly I had a bad practitioner but as other posters have said the research evidence for this working is limited.

Finding this thread very interesting.

plummyjam ds isn't a sicky baby at all. Very rarely possets and only been sick a handful of times, compared to dd who used to sick up whole feeds quite a lot. He's gaining weight in line with what the charts in the red book say should be expected.

I didn't realise that CO could be considered a bit 'woo'. It was suggested to me by a support worker from the children's centre and I thought it sounded quite medical sounding. The place I was recommended is an osteopathy clinic. I'm going to do some more research before making a decision.