These archives contain posts from the UK Midwives and Consumers email list, a discussion group for people interested in midwifery in the UK. All are welcome to join the group. Posts in these archives express the views of the individual authors, and not those of the Association of Radical Midwives.
I'm so glad for you and your baby's sake that you managed to find a solution.
And I think you will find that where there is a baby refusing the breast from
birth, many, if not most, breastfeeding experts will suggest the baby is seen
by a cranial osteopath. It's pretty standard treatment. I've heard it suggested
that it wouldn't be unreasonable for ALL babies to have a session with a CO,
"just in case".
AT
We used a cranial osteopath for our little one - she didn't cry until 3 months old (although very alert) and she had chest problems from the c/s rather than vaginal birth and also partly because her neck was slightly compressed from so long labouring and pushing. Worked wonders
LW
Theres an interesting article about this on our forum called "The effects
of being born" that Analisa wrote for the Guardian - will have a hunt and
see if I can pull it direct from the Guardian website as I can't link in to
the forum.
C
……. and I think I've already recounted that my first visited a cranial osteopath within a fortnight of birth for persistent and high pitched crying out in her sleep. She was a different child after this, much calmer and a very deep sleeper.
I recommended the same cranial osteopath to my childminder as her daughter had febrile convulsions. She was able to almost stop them as they were usually caused by high temp due to ear infections. She even told her once that one was brewing and unfortunately it was too late for her to correct it - the child had a convulsion shortly afterwards.
I believe it is an amazing form of treatment and it is just unfortunate that
there is no-one near to where I live now who does it.
AR Midwife
Am I alone in feeling uncomfortable at the notion that *all* babies should
have treatment?
JV
No not at all. I am uncomfortable with the notion that "normal" (i.e.
physiological) birth is so traumatic that it requires "therapy" to
treat the "inevitable" symptoms of this birth.
AM
Hm, yes, I could have worded that more carefully. to start with it wasn't my personal opinion, if everything's fine, why spend the money. And, while what I said was: "I've heard it suggested that it wouldn't be unreasonable for ALL babies to have a session with a CO, "just in case"."
I should have said "I've heard it suggested that it wouldn't be unreasonable
for all babies to be 'assessed' by a CO." which is what I meant. Because
what I like most about the CO's I've come across has been their willingness
to say there's nothing needed, when there isn't.
AT
I think I said something along the lines of "all mums & babies would
be seen by a CO if I had my way" and, like AT, my meaning was, not that
they all need treatment, but that it would help a significant proportion if
they were all checked out - in the same way as paeds check for clicky hips and
reflexes. Of course they don't all need treatment.
HH
I was very interested to see if a cranial osteopath wants to treat all babies
so while at an appointment with an older child asked if he could check my baby
to see if in his opinion she 'needed' treatment. It was no surprise when he
said that she was fine & had nothing that needed treating as I had such
an easy birth & could see no retained moulding etc, etc.
RL
My HBAC baby was born after over 2 hours of pushing and she had very swollen
features, especially around the eyes. I took her to see a cranial osteopath
and he said that she was fine and didn't require treatment. I guess that babies
are designed to cope with most labours, although my daughter loved her CO session.
JV
My personal experience of cranial osteopathy was with DS who was born by c-section and was very colicky/unsettled. My HV suggested an osteopath (in Gateshead if the request for a North East practitioner is still needed). After his first session he slept for five hours, which for him was unheard of and after a four sessions he was pretty much over the colic etc. This may have been co-incidental, but my gut feeling was that the osteopathy was very beneficial.
Funnily enough I think I am correct in recalling that the osteopath particularly
recommended help for babies born by c-section and breech because the pressure
on the babies head helps all the plates (can't remember the precise terms -
this was 4 years ago !) in the head fall into the correct place. Not sure how
accurate/plausible this is - but she did seem to make a big difference.
I can post the contact details if required
M
Sorry didn't phrase that at all well - what I meant was that the pressure and
compression on the baby's head during vaginal delivery helps put things in place
and babies born by c-section don't get that, which can lead to problems.
M
LW updated April 3, 2005