Working with Mothers and Babies
Seminar for Bowen, Craniosacral and manual therapists
WORKING WITH Mums and Babies
2nd & 3rd December 2024, Somerset (Monday and Tuesday)
For a therapist, treating babies and their mothers is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences.
Just as a seedling can be nurtured with the smallest amount of physical guidance to grow into a healthy plant, so a baby, by the gentlest of encouragement, can be helped to release the stresses and trauma of the birth process and so avoid possible physical and psychological trauma later in life.
The compressive forces experienced during birth as a result of the passage through the pelvis and the tight fit in the birth canal can cause imbalance in a baby's system, even in natural and apparently problem-free births.
Many babies experience difficulties through the use of Ventouse extraction, forceps or Caesarean deliveries. Every type of birth has its own compressive patterns on a baby's body, especially its head, and therapy can go a long way to easing these patterns through the therapist's light touch and receptive listening.
Common newborn's problems like colic, sucking problems and respiratory difficulties may be due to compression arising from birth trauma. These can sometimes develop into problems later in life such as depression, migraine, sinusitis, spinal and pelvic pain.
Recent studies involving patients with severe psychological problems have shown that the vast majority had difficult or traumatic births.
For sites of related interest, please click here: www.craniosacral-therapy-information.org.uk Please note that we cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites.
This two day workshop will concentrate on looking at the dynamics and health implications for babies and mums of different kinds of birth and how these might be addressed using various procedures.
Many practitioners have a reluctance to work on babies, partly through unfamiliarity but also through lack of knowledge of how to treat them. The workshop aims to increase confidence in treating babies and to help the practitioner understand the appropriate manual therapy approaches to babies and to mums during pregnancy.
The workshop will include a discussion and practical application of the following:
Ways to assist a good pregnancy
Addressing the psoas in mothers and babies
The ramifications of pelvic floor issues for the mother
The importance of family dynamics and treating parents and grandparents
Seated work during preganancy
Optimal Fetal Positioning and how to encourage best position for baby
The dynamics of a ‘normal’ vaginal delivery from the baby’s perspective and an exploration of the possible compressive forces introduced at this time
Treating babies who have been born ‘normally’ but are exhibiting symptoms such as colic, restlessness etc
A review of manual work for the baby and practical exercises
How to treat babies who have been born using forceps
Practical ways to address the neck and jaw with babies
Looking at suction, vacuum extraction and ventouse and how to treat appropriately
A look at the baby’s cranium – its differences to an adult and how you might treat them
Blood supply to the head
Key cranial nerves and their role in later development – how they are affected by compressive forces and what symptoms the baby might exhibit
Caesarian births and their implications
How to observe when primitive reflexes are operating and how to encourage them to inhibit using certain appraoches
The Psoas and its role in the colicky baby
The role of the umbilicus and how it is cut in delivery – how to address
Looking at fast and induced deliveries and how to work with them
Looking at posterior, ‘back to back’ and breech positions
Practical review and practice