Infant Craniosacral

Your First Appointment

What to Expect

The Initial appointment includes a health history and birth-story intake, gentle assessments and treatment. We typically work inside the mouth as it helps your baby with feeding, sucking and other issues. Infants can rest or be moving on the parent or practitioner’s lap, or on a soft surface.

A parent may notice shifts within their baby which may present as the ability to turn their head both ways, they may be less fussy at the breast, or have an easier time passing gas. Shifts within each baby vary widely.

Sometimes babies release emotions or cry during treatments, but craniosacral techniques are very gentle and do not hurt. The comfort of the baby and the caregiver are our #1 priority.

Craniosacral Therapy can be done while babies are feeding, sleeping, playing, or during a diaper change.

Have some concerns?

What we can help with:

Babies who are struggling with the symptoms below often see improvements within a few sessions

audible clicking while feeding
back arching
blocked tear-ducts
breastfeeding issues
breast preference
breathing (shallow/mouth)
breech position
chronic ear infections
chronic sinus infections
colic
c-section birth
digestion issues
dribbling milk while feeding

flat-spots
head turning to one side
misshapen head
projectile vomiting
reflux
severe restlessness
shallow latch
spitting up (fresh or curdled)
straining during BMs
sunny side-up position
torticollis
tongue ties
vacuum/forceps assisted delivery

How does it feel?

Treatment Style

Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle form of body work used to release tissues within the body at any age, even as young as a few minutes old.

The position of a baby within the womb, coupled with events during the birthing process (vaginal or belly) is where muscle tension begins.

Muscle and tissue tensions can cause a baby to experience a number of symptoms, including, but not limited to, shallow latch; head preferring to turn to one side; breast preference while feeding; back arching; trouble burping and/or passing gas.

CST History

The science behind the techniques

This treatment was developed by Dr. John E. Upledger, an Osteopathic Practitioner. Through his extensive research at Michigan State University and many years of clinical testing, Upledger found that using as little as 5g of pressure (about the weight of a nickel) was enough to release tissues from head to toe, thus allowing the body to move freely and promote healing.

Since the techniques are so incredibly gentle, they are even safe for infants to receive.

Refer to this article, written by Dr Upledger, on his clinical findings on craniosacral for infants.

Imagine your baby calm while feeding! What a beautiful world that would be.

Benefits

Results vary from baby to baby, but just one treatment may relieve them of quite a few of their symptoms.

Benefits may include easier weight gain, elimination of ear infections, elimination of reflux symptoms, or longer stretches of sleep.

Most babies experience noticeable results immediately – have a deeper, less painful latch; stop clicking while feeding; or have a noticeable change in head-shape. Often it takes only 1-3 treatments to resolve the major issue of concern.

Since the techniques are so incredibly gentle, they are even safe for infants to receive.

Post-treatment

There may be an increase of sleepiness after the treatment, fussiness for a few days following, or no change at all. If no changes have been observed, it may be beneficial to receive another treatment, or switch practitioners for the next treatment. Sometimes an area needs to be released and integrated into the body after a good, long sleep (or perhaps a few days worth of naps) before the core issue can be addressed at the next treatment.

All Stages of Life

CST successfully addresses many of the issues that may arise for babies, toddlers and into childhood. Craniosacral is for everyone! Think about CST after a fall, surgery, sports injury, attention difficulties in school, learning troubles and other events that affect a child’s health and well-being. After a few treatments, parents are able to see noticeable results. It also gives children a chance to become more in-tune with their own body.

Try this

Can't get an appointment yet?

This massage will help a baby poop easily, and feel more comfortable when feeding.