Pre/Post-Natal Osteopathy

The body goes through some very dramatic changes when trying to conceive, implanting, and throughout the course of pregnancy and beyond.  What most people are unaware of is that they do NOT need to suffer endless hip and back pain, carpal tunnel and breathing issues, and postpartum issues such as incontinence, excessive pain with postpartum menstruation and the list goes on.

What Can Osteopathy Do For Me?

Manual osteopathy during the trying to conceive months and beyond can be a big helping hand in keeping blood flow and drainage pathways open and functioning well.  By keeping your anatomy aligned properly, you will be better set up to have the optimal environment for conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum healing.  If the anatomy is functioning well, the physiology naturally functions better as well.

Why Should I Get Regular Osteopathic Treatment During Pregnancy?

Just like any other major health change, having a baby is very difficult on the body.  It is such an incredible time in a woman's life and an amazing natural function of the female body.  Getting regular treatment starting before conception, and restarting treatment in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters can help you to avoid excessive aches and pains and improve your odds of avoiding major medical issues associated with pregnancy such as:

• gestational diabetes

• gestational hypertension

• hip/back/leg pain

• excessive swelling

• gestational carpal tunnel

• difficulty breathing

• diastasis recti

• Pubic symphysis dysfunction

• Round ligament pain

• migraines/headaches

• insomnia

• digestive changes

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Again, having a good diet, exercise and manual therapy regimen will all contribute to better chances of having an uneventful and healthy pregnancy and a much easier recovery after birth.

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When Would I Come for Postpartum Care? and Why?

Just like prenatal care, postnatal care is just as important if not more so. Most women will work hard during pregnancy to grow a healthy baby and have a great outcome but after baby is born, everyone including mom forget that that same body that grew their precious baby just went through a traumatic event and needs some care and love.

Growing a baby is a lot of work on the body and giving birth is a traumatic event.  The body goes through some incredible changes postpartum including all organs, tissues etc going back to where they came from pre-baby.  While the body is naturally going to go through this process, it often times needs a helping hand. 

It takes about 9 months to a year for the body to fully recover from giving birth.  Yes, that's right, much longer than you might think.  Getting postpartum care helps with the following and much more:

• pubic symphysis dysfunction postpartum (ie. peeing when you sneeze, laugh, jump)

• hypertension or diabetes postpartum

• swelling of the extremeties

• diastasis recti (separated abdominals)

• incontinence or excessive bleeding

• migraines, headaches and general fatigue/stress of having a newborn/infant

• recovery and realignment in preparation for a child in the future (should you wish to continue to expand your family at a later date)

• Latching or feeding issues including avoiding mastitis infections and increasing milk supply for breastfeeding moms

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Newborn/Infant Osteopathy

How Do I Know If My Newborn Needs Treatment?

It is always a good idea to have a newborn baby come in for osteopathic care.  Setting our babies up for success is always a good idea. Being born is a traumatic event and babies are very easily manipulated which makes this a great time to fix any issues they might be having before using medications and other more harsh methods of treatment.  Treatment is mainly painless and very quick and gives almost instantaneous results.  Usually a few treatments and baby is already significantly improved.  It is highly recommended to bring babies in at all major growth spurts until they begin walking to make sure they are set up well and spinal development is on track.

Some of the main reasons people should bring their newborn in for osteopathic care are as follows:

• Colic

• Reflux

• Excessive screaming or writhing after feeding

• Teething

• Major growth spurts

• Torticollis

• Flat spots

• Tongue/Lip ties (before and after corrections)

• Digestive issues

• Latching/Feeding issues

• Sleep issues

• Jaundice

• Other medical concerns such as strabismus or hearing problems

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Pediatric Osteopathy

Why Should I Bring My Child For Osteopathic Care?

Children go through so many stages of development so quickly that they can encounter aches, pains, infections, allergies etc just like adults.  The difference between bringing in children and adults is that we can hopefully resolve the issue in children quickly, therefore avoiding any future problems as an adult.  It is much easier to resolve issues in children than in adults because their boney structure has not fully firmed up and they are easily manipulated.  As we age, problems become compounded and our body structures less easily manipulated, making resolutions to aches and pains, and other body issues much more difficult.

We all want our children to grow into healthy adults and to live full lives free from medical interventions.  With osteopathic care, we can help them succeed.

Some reasons pediatric care may be recommended for your child are:

• Digestive problems/allergies and sensitivities

• Asthma or breathing problems

• Excessive nose bleeds or ear infections

• Migraines or headaches

• Vision or hearing problems

• Anxiety

• General breaks, sprains and strains

• Competitive sporting competition/training

• Car accident/other accidents

• Concussions

• Intense growth spurts

• Eczema/psoriasis/childhood arthritis or inflammatory conditions

• Auto-immune conditions

• Cancer recovery

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Dad/Partner Care

Dads/Partners are often overlooked before, during and after having a baby.  But dad/partners are half the reason baby exists and often go through body and hormone changes as well.  If you are having any difficulty trying to conceive, it never hurts to make sure both mom and dad/partner are physically in as good condition as possible. It also is a good idea to come in postpartum for dads/partners as they often are more stiff than moms, more nervous holding baby as they are often afraid as new dads/partners of hurting baby.  They hold a lot of tension just like mom and are often also very sleep deprived.  While attention should always be paid to mom and baby recovery, dads are just as important and a healthy happy dad or partner is just as important!

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To ask any questions about pediatric and family osteopathy please contact Jaclyn at rockwellosteopathy@gmail.com.  I am always happy to chat. To make a pediatric appointment for 12 years old or under please book a 12 years and under appointment.  If booking for a Mom, Dad or partner please book an initial consultation appointment.  If it is an infant, please mention that in the notes as I will contact you will tips to make the visit easier.

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You can book here:      

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