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From conception through the fourth trimester, the changes a mother experiences are intense!
Pregnancy discomfort, preparing for a smooth delivery, recovering from birth — these all take their toll on your body and mind. And that’s before the baby even arrives!
What if there were a tool that would help you adjust to these changes so you could deeply relax?
Help you be ready for whatever birth brings and give you the next-level calm you need to navigate these immense shifts? That tool is craniosacral therapy.
Craniosacral is an incredibly-gentle on-the-body therapy that unwinds tension in your body and brings your nervous system to a state of total serenity.
Many people are astonished when they discover how transformative craniosacral can be! And once your baby arrives, it can help you navigate postpartum life too, helping your baby with breastfeeding issues, colic, tongue ties, head shape and more.
What is this magic that every pregnant woman deserves to have during the childbearing year? Let’s dive in together and learn more about craniosacral therapy.
How Craniosacral Therapy Works
- Craniosacral therapy is an extremely gentle touch therapy that works on the body in two main ways — releasing tension in the tissues and helping the nervous system enter a relaxed state. This combination is a massive one-two punch for pain and tension, allowing our body to begin to heal itself.
- During craniosacral therapy, a client lies on a table, but remains fully clothed. The therapist moves around the client, holding a body part such as the head and neck, feet, knees or lower back. Unlike a massage where the pressure can make you wince in pain, craniosacral uses just five grams of pressure, less than the weight of a nickel.
- The craniosacral therapist is trained to feel the flow of the cerebral spinal fluid and its echo throughout the body. As the therapist feels tension release and the flow improve, they move to another part of the body. The client often falls into a deeply relaxed state, falling asleep. Our clients regularly end their sessions by telling us they’ve never been so relaxed! With regular treatment, their symptoms gradually lessen and disappear. But even when their issue is resolved, they often find themselves coming back for the amazing relaxation they experience during craniosacral therapy.
Craniosacral for Pregnancy and Labor
Many of our clients come to us with pregnancy aches and pains or new conditions that have been brought on or worsened by pregnancy — headaches, back aches, sciatica, etc. Craniosacral is extremely effective in helping the body adjust to the changes of pregnancy, both the growing body and changing hormones.
I remember my client, Amy, who was struggling with pregnancy-induced migraines that were debilitating. While doctors could only offer her painkillers, craniosacral therapy first reduced the frequency and intensity of her headaches and then got rid of them all together. Instead of suffering through the rest of her pregnancy, she could relax and enjoy it!
A lot of pregnant clients come to me with intense pelvic pain or sciatica that pinches or burns each time they take a step. It’s wonderful to see how within a few treatments, their pain is so much less or even disappears. At the same time, I know we’re releasing tension in the back and pelvis that will help their labors be easier and more effective.
Craniosacral is amazing at preparing the body for labor. Before I was a craniosacral therapist, I worked for many years as a doula. I noticed that my clients who had craniosacral therapy consistently had shorter, more effective labors. As I learned more, I fell in love with this amazingly gentle therapy that has astounding results!
Craniosacral Therapy for Postpartum Mom and Baby
We all know that our culture just doesn’t do enough to support new moms as they recover from labor and transition to new motherhood. That’s why we love the idea of BeHerVillage! More than wipe warmers and gadgets, women deserve real, consistent support to help them recover and thrive.
I love seeing postpartum clients in my practice because I know that craniosacral can support their body’s recovery from labor in amazing ways. So many of my postpartum clients are dealing with anxiety, stress and depression. Often, their nervous systems are stuck in fight-or-flight from lack of support or trauma. Even when things are better, they can’t find a calm, relaxed place in their body. Craniosacral helps bring their body out of fight or flight and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s “rest and digest” state of being. Often, new moms tell me they’re leaving my office feeling like a different person — one they haven’t been able to access in a long time!
I often like to say, “When mom gets treated, everyone gets treated.” I know that when that new mom goes home, she’s going to have a greater capacity to be who she wants to be. She’ll be less frazzled and more resourceful when responding to problems. She’ll be able to sleep better and wake up more rested. That state of calm then overflows to her children and her partner, making the whole family happier and healthier. Self-care is so crucial in these postpartum weeks!
But at our practice, we don’t just treat moms — we specialize in helping newborns, infants and toddlers as well. Many babies are experiencing the same sort of issues their mom was during pregnancy and postpartum — either their nervous system is stuck in high-alert mode, making it hard for them to sleep or relax, or they have unresolved tension that’s making it hard to breastfeed effectively, sleep comfortably or develop properly.
Craniosacral for babies is so magical and also so incredibly subtle. As I hold a baby, bounce them on a ball or treat them while they nurse, parents remark on how their fussy, intense baby has never been so relaxed, maybe never even let another person hold them. Those same fussy babies often sleep for a long stretch of hours for the first time, and with continued treatment, sleep more regularly and consistently. I even bring my own kiddos in for craniosacral therapy when we’re having a long stretch of night-wakings or restless sleeping. It truly works wonders!
Tongue ties, head shape, and torticollis are conditions we often see in our office. Babies with these conditions often have unresolved tension in the body that’s making it difficult for them to move or breastfeed effectively. With regular craniosacral, we can smooth out this tension and help them make progress, becoming more comfortable. Sometimes we can even avoid a surgical release or helmet-therapy or make the recovery time shorter and easier. We also work with babies who have had a tongue-tie release, but didn’t see an improvement in symptoms.
Just a note here: in some communities around the U.S., a similarly-named therapy — “craniofascial therapy” — has been offering workshops and trainings. True craniosacral therapists train for years on adults before being allowed to take course on treating babies and then require numerous hours of practice. However, practitioners of “craniofascial therapy” have only a few hours training and are often holding babies in ways that could be very dangerous. Do you research before choosing a therapist for your baby or young child.
Through all our treatment with babies and children, we work with a child to help them be comfortable and relaxed. With babies, that often means holding them, rocking them, allowing them to nurse or play with toys. With toddlers, we let them move and transition as they need to, treating them while they play or shift positions. We don’t expect our littlest clients to lie completely still and quiet, and we’re experienced in working with little ones of all ages and stages.
Finding a Craniosacral Therapist for Pregnancy, Postpartum and Baby Care
If you’re interested in finding a craniosacral therapist, we recommend starting at the Upledger Institute, a wonderful training center for craniosacral therapists. Ask about what kind of training they have had and number of years of experience. A therapist with more training and more experience will help you get better results. Learn more about how to find a high-quality craniosacral therapist near you.
It’s important to ask if a provider has experience or training with pregnancy or working with young children. We recommend someone who has specific training in working with babies and children and sees them regularly. Be sure to ask questions and note if the therapist is open and honest about their level of experience and knowledge.
Experience the Magic of Craniosacral Therapy During the Childbearing Year
Check out our BeHerVillage registry page, including our virtual courses. We love working with women during pregnancy, postpartum and their little ones because of the incredible difference craniosacral therapy can make to both their body and mind during this time of immense change. We hope you’ll seek out craniosacral therapy near you so you can experience the deep relaxation and transformational change that craniosacral can bring to pregnancy, birth and beyond!
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