Paediatric and Maternity Osteopathy
Paediatric and Maternity Osteopathy
Whether your child is holding your hand or still growing inside of you, feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or like you need some support or reassurance about what you may be seeing or feeling is a concern we take very seriously. We know that both you and your child’s or baby’s body has all the tools and knowledge to function optimally, heal and repair – and we also know that both the childbirth process and the stresses of daily life can create roadblocks the body must work around, which is where it may need a little help.
This is where our specialised mothers and children's osteopaths use gentle, relaxing and painless techniques such as stretching, articulation, balancing ligament tension and cranial techniques to help calibrate the body in a way that supports it without interfering. We also take the time to explain exactly why you’re seeing the behaviour, patterns or symptoms you are, so you can be confident that you’re doing the right thing for your family.
What we treat
We work extensively with women and children, including those:
- Whose children have been diagnosed with colic or growing pains
- Mothers and babies who are struggling as a result of pregnancy, birthing process and adjusting to life with a newborn
We see women and children during various life stages, including:
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is an incredibly exciting time, but the large changes to our body doesn’t leave all of us glowing. Our ligaments soften and become more flexible, our blood volume can double, there are a lot of shifts that happen internally to accommodate our growing baby - and our centre of gravity shifts forwards, changing the stress and forces that our joints, muscles and tissues take on significantly. The result is that many women experience low energy levels, tire easily, find it difficult to concentrate or get comfortable, and experience a range of pains, particularly in the back, pelvis, feet and legs.
Learn more
Infants
Birth is an intense experience for your baby, who gets subjected to hours of forceful pressure and ‘squeezes’ of contractions, followed by twisting and turning through the pelvis to enter the world, whether that’s naturally or with assistance. When your baby and their body is unable to release these physical strains and stresses experienced at birth, we see structural and functional impairments arise that create a wide variety of symptoms.
Learn more
Children
Children can often reap the greatest rewards of osteopathy care early in life. This is as early strains and dysfunction can be promptly addressed before they have a chance to turn into bigger problems as they grow. This is much like how a young sapling will grow around a post that is in its way, with its growth and direction being less ideal than if the post had been removed. The symptoms you may see include growing pains, muscle tension and pains, unexplained tummy aches, odd walking patterns, breathing difficulties that may contribute to asthma, unexpected behaviour, unusual posture, difficulty concentrating, and many more.
Learn more
Postnatal treatment
Pregnancy is a long journey for a woman, with the effects carrying on long after the birth. Any pre-existing stresses and strains your body is already carrying can be exacerbated during your pregnancy, which places the body under great strain. The birth then adds significant challenges, particularly if your delivery was long or difficult, you had a c-section, or an epidural was used. In the fourth trimester, poor sleep and breastfeeding demands can subject new mothers to additional strain, fatigue, movement difficulties, postural problems and more.
Learn more
Other symptoms we treat
If you are noticing something unusual during your pregnancy or in your children, have any concerns, or want a second opinion after being told to ‘wait and see’ or that nothing can be done to help, we’d like to invite you to see our osteopaths to experience our unique skill set when it comes to caring for your family’s bodies and your long-term health.