CST & Breastfeeding:
One afternoon I was called to do a Craniosacral sessions at home with a new mum who was having difficulty feeding her baby, and her friend, a breastfeeding expert and midwife at Ealing Council sat in on the session.
Slightly apprehensive at being watched by an ‘official’ NHS employee who was curious about the process, I began working with the baby and holding the space and soon we witnessed the baby transforming into a calmer, happier being whose rigid body started to soften and release. The following day feeding became easier and it wasn’t long before latching on was no longer a problem and the baby was putting on weight.
The pressure new mums feel to breastfeed successfully is immense. The stigma attached to being a bad mum, the feeling of being clueless and the fear that there is something wrong with either their baby or their body can be agonising. Feeding problems are incredibly common, and can be due to tongue tie, misplaced jaws, the skull bones being contorted during the birth process (particularly with forceps or a ventouse) consequently effecting the upper palate and making it hard to suck or swallow. The neck might be twisted trapping the vagus nerve and making digestion uncomfortable, and even the pelvis being out of alignment can effect the jaw, gut and oesophageal tract. Not to mention the emotional trauma of being born! And some mums just can’t produce enough milk and need to mix or change to formula just to fill their babies up. So new mums know that you’re doing a fantastic job!
