Post-natal Osteopathy in Hayes, Bromley

How does pregnancy & labour affect a woman’s body?

Your posture changes significantly throughout pregnancy and even after a natural birth there are dramatic changes to your body from hormonal to postural all of which occur in a matter of days.

Complications during labour or if surgery is needed may lead to further disruptions in your body and how it functions all of this may lead to dysfunction and pain.

Osteopathic treatment supports the body through these changes, especially in the first few months after delivery when the pelvis and lower back begin to realign again. An osteopath will use gentle non-invasive techniques which aim to bring the body back into balance and maintain good range of movement during this time.

Benefit of Osteopathic Treatment after Birth

Mother:

The mother’s pelvis is vulnerable to lasting strains from the forces involved, particularly after a difficult delivery. Some of these strains can have a profound effect on the nervous system, and contribute to postnatal depression.

After giving birth, the body not only has to recover from the changes it's made during pregnancy but also from the effects of delivery. All this whilst doing the very physically and mentally demanding job of caring for a new baby. Caring for a baby can place enormous strain on the back; activities such as nursing in poor positions, lifting car seats (especially in and out of the car) reaching over the cot, or carrying a child on one hip all place added strain on joints and muscles that are already tired.

Unresolved childbirth stresses can contribute to:

• Ongoing back problems
• Pelvic pain
• SPD- (Symphasis Pubis Dysfunction) – pain or discomfort in the joint at the front of the pelvis
• Period problems
• Stress incontinence and pelvic floor problems
• Constipation
• Headache

Osteopathic treatment can help the mother return to normal, physically and emotionally, after birth by releasing strains from both pregnancy and labour. This allows her to relax and enjoy her new baby.

Baby:

During the birthing process the baby is subject to enormous forces as it has to twist and turn as it squeezes through the bony pelvis, the baby absorbs these stresses through the head and body.

If labour is interrupted, prolonged, or requires intervention such as suction or forceps, the baby’s ability to absorb these stresses may be overwhelmed, and it may be left with strains, compressions or torsions though its head or body. In fact some stresses may have been absorbed before the baby is born if it has been lying in a cramped position or if the head was pushing down on the pelvis for a long time before delivery.

Cranial Osteopathy can help with:

• Crying & Irritability
• Feeding difficulties
• Colic, Wind & Reflux
• Sleep disturbances
• Digestive upset
• Skull moulding from forceps or ventouse deliveries
• Breastfeeding difficulties
• Flat or odd shaped head
• Dislike of lying in certain positions
• Inability to turn head or neck

A baby can suffer long-lasting effects from a natural or caesarean birth, and an osteopathic check-up is recommended to relieve any of these stresses early in your child’s life.

How it works

Cranial Osteopathy is very gentle, safe & effective in the treatment of birth trauma. Specific gentle pressure is applied where necessary to enable the baby’s head and body to release the stresses held from the birthing process. Although subtle, cranial Osteopathy has a powerful impact on babies.