Cranial Osteopathy

[pleaseletmesleep]

Thought I would post this here as this was the only section I read in big countdown!

Just wanted to let people know about this as it has made a huge huge difference to dd (4 weeks) and wish I had been told to try it by anyone (midwife, hv etc).

DD had a pretty traumatic birth after a failed induction, not descending, needing to be manually turned while still inside, then finally pulled out with forceps after her heart rate plummeted - she also had her cord wrapped 3 times round her neck.

Anyway, after 3 1/2 weeks of being awake until 5.30 in the morning, with a screaming baby, being convinced that there must be something wrong with breastfeeding, spending several nights just weeping, being dismissed by the gp and being advised to give her infacol and ride out her colic by the hv, we took her along to the cranial osteopath.

She showed us how twisted she was from being turned and the forceps (we hadn't really seen it as she wouldn't lie down while awake without howling) and did some work on her neck and shoulders and we now have a different baby! She slept all day the day after the treatment and has actually been awake and not been in pain for the first time.

I know it may not work for everyone but if you do have a difficult birth and your baby does seem to have all the classic colic symptoms it is worth giving it a go - I never realised just how desperate I would feel until this last couple of weeks and it is an awful feeling to watch your baby cry and cry and not be able to do anything.

Anyway, hope you don't have this experience but bear it in mind if you do before you start blaming yourself!

Same here - DS had ventouse and was crying for weeks with little headaches. It broke my heart when the midwives said that he might cry due to headaches!

Anyway, he wouldn't sleep on his back either due to tightenings in his pelvis and head but literally, after 2 sessions of CO, he could sleep on his back and was a different baby.

Good to get it done as early as possible for max effect in the shortest time. Our DS was a lot older when he first had treatment so took longer but still extremely effective. Would highly recommend it too.

This is interesting, how do i find a cranial osteopath?

What exactly do they do?

Totally agree. DS1 benefitted hugely from just 2 treatments. DS2 was an unassisted delivery and didnt need them, but enjoyed being checked out and getting a gentle massage.

They seem simply to hold the little ones heads in both hands, and support them, with almost no pressure or pulling or pushing at all. I was very relieved that it was so uninvasive and ds1 loved it. He went to sleep during both of his sessions - unheard of for him to doze unless being bf.

My health visitor recommended the person we went to. Our local NCT group also knew of her/recommended her.

Dp is an Osteopath who does cranial and he posted the below the other day in response to someone asking about how CO works:

"The cranial plates have to fold over during delivery in order to get through the birth canal. Sometimes the temporal bone can have a minor affect on the vagus nerve which affects the digestive system causing colic in some babies but can also make them more restless because it is part of the para-sympathetic nervous system.

Basically during a treatment the osteopath will very gently hold the baby's head. the cranial system wants to right itself but may not be able to do it on it's own. But when the osteopath takes hold of the baby's head this provides the additional impetus required for the system to reorganise. Which it may have difficulty on it's own. Breast feeding and crying are natural mechanisms which can aid the cranial system but some osteopathic cranial adjustment.

It is a very gentle treatment where no force is applied and it has very good results."

Have a look at a list of registered osteopaths - if your local GP's surgery has an osteo clinic, their osteo there will probably be able to recommend a good registered osteo who specialises in cranial osteo for babies and children.

I can recommend a great practice if you live in Somerset!

Check this out.

Similar birth experience - I took lo at 3 days old!

Bloody brilliant!!

I can recommend an excellent one in Chester!!

I know a good one in London. Same experience for me.DD delivered with ventouse, screaming her head out for a while, in desperation went to see a cranial osteopath and although I am quite a sceptical person and couldn't understand what he was doing, it worked. DD was like a new baby and started sleeping through the night. She loved him she was very relaxed with him and always smiling. Would recommend

Yes - I thought it looked a bit like Jesus! They look as though they're literally laying their hands on the baby's head and not much else. I guess though they must gently push on pressure points and where the head bones are?

It did confuse me as to how it worked but tbh, I wasn't that bothered as long as it worked.

Can I just add that it's worth taking babies even if they are cs born.

DS is just having treatment because of transverse/breech lie before birth (and low amniotic fluid) which has left him with trouble lifting his head and turning his neck/shoulders. (And he has plagiocephaly and reflux.) Don't know yet how successful it will be but he seems to be improving -- wish I'd taken him earlier (he's 5m now). (Wish I'd taken DD too who was ventouse.)

Yes, this cured colic in ds - went magically after 3rd treatment (- long labour, forceps trial, emergency section as he had obviously got stuck) - had started with colic at 3 days but nurses didn't tell me this when I had screaming baby for hours in the night on the ward - just told me I must be feeding him wrong . Been since for congestion - helped ears problems, and when toddler managed to sleep through a treatment until it finished, then woke up.

I know someone in Leeds

I took DS2 to see one at 10 mths old, he'd had a normal vaginal dilevery but had Gastric Reflux however that was not why I'd taken him like all babies he was always catching colds but his always turned into infections and I'd lost count of the number of times he'd been on antibiotics. Surfed the net as you do and read about Cranial Osteopathy, took him to a Cranial Oesteopath who said his ribcage was tight and thus blocking the drainage of his lymphatic system, so over 3 weeks he gently applied pressure to the muscles that hold the ribcage together at the front and back and slowly the ribcage opened up by itself. It was amazing, DS2 could now breathe well, which made a significant difference to his sleep, was able to clear his chest and never suffered with prolonged colds ever again, he's now 2yrs 4mths. I just feel fortunate that I was able to not only investigate this but afford it, it made me sad for baby's who were suffering but their parents have no access to this kind of service. HVs are thick and GPs only write prescriptions. It's so frustrating. DC3 due and I will be taking him/her for a session regardless of the birthing circumstances.

If you're anywhere near London the OCC (Osteopathic Centre for Children) is amazing. They have a website. It's a charity so you pay what you can and they do all types of osteopathy, not just cranial. It's worth coming to london even for one or two visits.
DD slept poorly for ages and she actually had bad sinus and congestion (they pointed out her nose was BLUE!) because of spending a long time in the birth canal. Her head got a bit squashed but problems didn't kick in until she started teething at 6 months! But that was excruciating for her! After two sessions her nose stopped being blue and she slept much better. Now I take her every time she has a cold and it works better than anything else.
Also, they do mums-to-be and new mums and it's soooooo nice I actually want to hug my osteopath every time I see her. She really really helps my poor pregnant back. They can treat mum and baby at trhe same time.
I'll take DS as soon as he's born for an MOT, I won't even wait to see if there's anything wrong! That's what they recommend, as birth is always more or less traumatic for the baby anyway.

I took DD to see a cranial osteopath when she was about a year old as she wouldnt eat, lost loads of weight and had poor blood results when she was refered to a pead. But they couldnt expalin any of them except she was allways getting viral infections. A friend reccomened a lady called Penn Sherring, in north yorkshire, which is where we used to live, she was amazing. couldnt find much wrong with dd till dd picked up a toy snake and when penn tried to wrap it around her DD went in a blue fit. when dd was born the cord was wraped in a figure of eight around her neck and body. as a long shot penn wokred on the idea that this was affecting her desire to swallow, that night dd went home and ate a whole bowl of spagetti and slept for hours! will def do it agin with the next baby if i need to!

mistlethrush would you be kind enough to let me have the details for the leeds osteopath, i would like to pass the details to my sister who has a newborn who is quite inconsolable for up to 2hrs, this is causing her distress.

I have tried all the usual baby settling techniques, but he is irritable.

How many treatments do you think are needed? I suspect colic, although he is fully bf. How much does it cost per treatment? Thankyou

moon dot joanne at yahoo dot co dot uk

I agree - both my Ds's had colic and cranial osteopathy was the only thing that made a difference!

I used The Good Health Centre in Roundhay, Leeds. They were amazing there.

I need to find one in the North West now tho as am pregnant with no 3 and don't live in Leeds anymore. Any recommendations gratefully received!

Sorry, have been away since starting this thread, I can recommend someone in Edinburgh and also in South Wales - took dd while visiting family down there after we had a bad night.

The osteopath in Edinburgh told us that in some US hospitals (obvously the private ones ) all babies get checked out after birth by a CO.

I just think that even if this can't be provided by the hospital then they should at least have some information about it as so many people seem to have been helped by it. When your new baby spends all night howling you automatically assume you are doing something wrong - and if you add sleep deprivation which tends to stop you thinking straight.

I wonder how many people have given up breastfeeding becuse of this - I was convinced I must be doing it wrong.

Anyway - after 3 sessions dd (now 5 weeks) has, for the last 3 nights, slept through from 11 til 5 - then gone back to sleep until 9 after a huge feed and I feel like a human again

Fingers crossed I haven't spoken toon soon!

anyone know one in nottingham?

Pamelat - there is a great Cranial Osteopath in West Bridgford at the Wellbeing Clinic called Phillip Humphreys.
Took dd there after being at my wits end - constant crying, unsettled, angry baby became a joy to be around after 4 sessions. Thoroughly recommend him!

pleaseletmesleep - who is your Edinburgh osteopath? I am due in a week adn want to take the wee one soon after

WW

Hotpotmama, I can reccomend Philip Owen at The Old Hall Clinic in Gatley near Cheadle.

He worked wonders on our DS, v fractious after a forceps birth.

Hi Mewbilly, bizarrely I took my daughter there on Friday (before reading your message!), she saw Phillip.
He said that she had a lot of tension in her back (rather than her head) and that because she was in a back to back position, and turned herself during labour, she had put a lot of strain on her neck and back, and that this in turn causes digestive problems. Whilst I understand the theory behind it, there wasn't really a "fix" offered. He said for me to go back in a month and see if she had benefitted, maybe she is a lost cause ... ?! I am to take the pressure of her head each time she tries to arch backwards (which she always does), poor little mite.
What did he suggest for you? Thanks Mewbilly

Our nephew went to our chiropractor (he doesn't crunch or click) because he couldn't turn his head to one side at all for about 3 months. Even after one session it improved. He said he used the same amount of pressure as checking to see if a tomato is ripe, and just held for about 15 seconds, like magic! I would only use a chiro experienced with kids and babies though. He had been to one in Sydney who was cracking his neck with no real results!

pleaseletmesleep, if still around, could you tell me who you saw in south wales? Am about to google for someone local, but if you can recommend that would be great!

Likewise pleaseletmesleep, if still around, could you tell me who you saw in Edinburgh? AM keen for recommendations.