Cranial Osteopathy?!!

[grubbysoles]

Hello all,

Just wondering if anyone has ever tried cranial osteopathy for their little people? My 14 week old daughter was born by caesarean and was clearly VERY unhappy about it. She's been a real screamer ever since and settling her for a nap/night time is still very difficult. Once she IS asleep she is very jumpy and wakes up at the slightest little sound. She seems to dread being laid down to sleep and I don't know why. I always thought she was just getting overtired and happens to have a grumpy temperament, but my sister mentioned cranial massage and I am going to call the clinic tomorrow to book DD in.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of this and if it has helped your babies/children. I really hope they can do something as I am very tired, and I think the baby is too.

[Silver Ether]

My son had it done when he was about five... he had been seeing a guy since he was 7 months old for severe allergy probs, with his aid they became controlled. The CO was for his breathing as due to a syndrme his nasal cavities and facial bones are not as ours, he doesn't look different they are small and not so fuctional ... So his treatment was to move things around so they work better... The experience was fine for him and it helped ...

[Annpan]

Have you tried baby massage?

I don't know anything about CO but I have to say that my wee girl was a NVB and she screamed the same every time I lay her down and she was very jumpy (though not at night)

She is now 3 and still loves a wee massage

[grubbysoles]

Thanks for the replies. Her appointment is this saturday so hopefully he will find something that he can help her with. And I will certainly try giving her a bit of massage. I rub olive oil into her skin after her bath and I try to make it massage-like, but she tends to just jump a lot and do that thing where they fling their arms up in the air Of course, it could just be that I have a grumpy baby and I'll just have to learn to live with it!

[kiwirach]

Hi grubbysoles....i'd certainly give the CO a try....it'll either help her or it wont, but it wont make matters worse, so you have nothing to loose. I used to recommend it alot in NZ when i worked in the well child health system there(like your health visitor system here), and found for some babies it made a huge positive difference.

[Annpan]

Well, I would still reccomend taking part in a baby massage class or pick up a book from the library... there are do's and don'ts for baby massage though most of it is basic.

It is still a nice thing to do, even if the CO helps more.

Baby massage also helps you calm down and spend some lovely time with your LO for 10 mins a day. A friend of mine also did baby yoga and found that had similar effects with her little grump.

Good luck for Saturday, I hope you do find a way of calming her a little.

[grubbysoles]

So, here's an update following little Nya's visit to the cranial osteopath. Verdict is that she is very tense across the back of her shoulders and in her neck, which will most definitely be making her very miserable by the time she has slogged it out through the day and got to bedtime. He also said it is possible that the tension will be giving her headaches, which would certainly make her miserable and grumpy. It would also explain why her sleep is never very deep and restful. She is also starting to get a flat head - probably because she's not turning her head much when she's sleeping because it is uncomfortable for her to do so. The flat head will also be starting to put more strain on her ligaments around her skull and in her neck, which will just all be adding to her discomfort.

Anyway, best course of treatment - baby massage!! 1-0 to Annpan! Osteo gave her a good massage and showed me how to do a few things (like 'monkey in the tree'...). She sat there very happily letting him get on with it - she was probably just grateful that someone was finally helping her! She then had a lovely 90 minute kip in the pushchair on the way home, had her afternoon nap (which I recently gave up on as she screamed so much when I tried to settle her that it became not worth the effort), and went to bed tonight without crying once. In fact, she was even smiling at me when I was getting her settled.

I hope it wasn't a fluke or a one-off. I've ordered a baby massage book and will look into some local classes. Fingers crossed this will be the start of some better sleeping patterns for her, and also for me

[Annpan]

So sorry to hear that she is sore, poor little sweetie..

Good luck with the baby massage hope you get into some classes, they gave me much more confidence in it.

[kiwirach]

grubbysoles...how did your night go?.
pleased to hear that you got a good sleep out of her after the CO visit and that she was happy.

[Silver Ether]

It's not nice hearing liitles one are hurting but at least now theres a way forward. Enjoy each other.

[thesunflowergal]

I keep meaning to check for an update, I am so slow.

Is the massage still working?

Hope your little lady is a bit more settled, and your getting some more rest.

Nikki xx

[grubbysoles]

Hi Sunny,

I'm getting a bit slower on these boards myself - it's such a long day with the littlies, and Mr Grubby is now working extra shifts so I am flying solo most days/nights/weekends!

Still doing the massage and Nya has been getting steadily more and more chilled out. She feels more relaxed when I hold her now - she used to be as rigid as a board all the time. I'm also sleeping her on her side so that her head bounces back into shape, and she seems to be much more comfortable. Her daytime naps have got better and longer, sleeping deeper, and she has been putting up less of a fight at bedtime. In fact, tonight was the 3rd night running that I've been able to put her down at bedtime and leave her to get herself to sleep with no meltdown. Not even a cry. Just some baby noises and even some giggling before drifting off all be herself. Amazing!! Last night she slept through to 5am and she just generally seems to be feeling happier about this 'life' business. Don't want to speak to soon but I'm hoping she has turned a corner. Seriously, she would literally scream every night, and often during the day too, so it is a great relief for her to be feeling more comfortable.

Hurrah for the cranial osteopath, even though it was a very expensive way to be told what Ann Pan had already told me!

[Annpan]

I know just how it feels to have a baby that cries like that all the time. And to have the kids all day yourself too must be so hard. You are doing really well.

Pleased to hear that little Nya is getting better.... poor little lady.

I know we can't be there to help physically but remember we are here for you in cyberspace whenever you need us.

[thesunflowergal]

I know we can't be there to help physically but remember we are here for you in cyberspace whenever you need us.

Ditto, always around if you need to chat!! Mr Sunflowergal has just accepted a new job, which will mean that he is out of the house from 9ish am- 11ish pm 6 days a week. Should make life a bit interesting, with three smalls under five.

Great to hear that Nya is settling down for you. What does you eldest daughter think of her?

Keep smiling

[mrsflibble]

I never tried cranial massage, but all over baby massage worked really well for us and still does

I even taught my friend Katie how to do some of the colic/tummy pain relieving ones on her little boy when he was tiny and it helped them too. Sophie sometimes asks me for a massage, if she's feeling lonely, upset, tired (but restless) or ill.

I love doing it. I like singing to her while we do it too.