Most people inherently think that giving birth in a hospital is the safest option for childbirth. But did you know that United States hospitals are THE most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world? Every year more than 50,000 women are severely injured and about 700 women die in American hospitals due to … Read more
Did you know that having your baby at home can be as safe as having your baby at the hospital, if not safer? The British Medical Journal published a study in 2005 (click here to read), following 5,418 women who planned their births with Certified Professional Midwives. Their rate for c-sections was below 3.7 percent. … Read more
Many people have heard horror stories about the danger of birth. They have been told about the increased safety of birth with the increase of medical knowledge. Many people therefore believe that birth is horrible and dangerous without modern technolog…
Craniosacral
Therapy is a type of Manual Therapy that Calms/Balances the Nervous System of
both, mother and child, encouraging emotional bonding which can otherwise be
short-circuited due to pre-natal and birth trauma/stress. When Mom’s
system is soothed and balanced during pregnancy, baby gains huge benefits. The
mother also benefits. Quality of prenatal
care has a vast affect on birth outcomes. The best prenatal care includes one
that addressed both the physical and emotional wellbeing of the mother. Craniosacral
throughout pregnancy can help a mother be in process with her baby (and her
life!) while creating an opportunity to let go of any physical condition she
may be holding on to in her body.
Craniosacral
Therapy is a whole body therapy that uses a light touch to listen to subtle
rhythms and patterns within fascial system of the body. Unresolved tensions
from physical and emotional stress can affect and restrict the natural healthy
motion and function of the Muscular Skeletal System AND the Central Nervous
System within the body, leading to stress symptoms, discomfort and pain.
Craniosacral Therapy enables the body to realign to its natural health and
healing place by restoring motion and vitality.
The
Basic Principles of Craniosacral Therapy:
There
are 2 basic forces at work in the living body: the Biodynamic Potencies generated
by the Breath of Life and Biokinetic or Conditional Forces introduced
into the system via trauma and life experiences (inertial fulcrums).
Nervous
system function is driving the conditional forces (and vice versa) which can
restrict the potent expression of the Inherent Health.
• The
craniosacral system (CSS) consists of the brain, spinal cord and the three
membranes that completely surround it, the cerebral spinal fluid, and the
fascial connections to all systems of the body through fluid dynamics and
nervous system balance.
• The
practitioner uses gentle soft tissue release by ‘listening’ to the craniosacral
rhythms to release tension in the fascia and fluid system throughout the whole
body. The craniosacral therapist assesses the body for restrictions and uses a
very light touch to encourage expansion, mobility and healing.
• Unique
from other systems of the body, the CSS actually slows down and enters into
stillpoints. These rests are a therapeutic time of revitalization for the
CSS—similar to rebooting a computer. After facilitating a craniosacral
stillpoint, the individual’s CSS functions more strongly and is better
coordinated; the body is using its own innate ability to heal. This balances
the nervous system and greatly benefits the health of the baby.
Regular
Craniosacral Therapy Sessions During Pregnancy Can Help:
• Maintain
Health, Well-Being and Immunity.
• Depression
• Musculoskeletal
Dysfunction
• Chronic
Stress and Anxiety
• Migraine
Headaches
• Neck
and Back Pain
• Hormonal
Balance
• Supports
Brain Health and Nervous System Regulation for both Moms and Babies.
Birth
Psychology
The
unborn and infant child experiences what the mother experiences, what the
family experiences, and builds their body to suit the environment surrounding
the outside field of which it grows – this provides the template for physical
and mental health decades later. = Epigenetics – precursor to if and when
certain genes will be turned on later on in life.
Cortisol – effects of high stress
Prenatal Care that is more than just diet and
lifestyle is very important to birth outcomes and the future health of the
child. This consideration is an essential ingredient that all too often lacking
within the Medical Model of Care. The Midwifery Model of Care provides the kind
of care that incorporates physical, psychological and spiritual support.
Bodywork will not be able to replace this kind of holistic
care; however, it can greatly enhance a woman’s self care regimen in pregnancy
which directly affects the overall Health of mother and child.
One of the biggest differences between the medical model of care and the midwifery model of care is the individualization of care that the midwife provides. To truly individualize care means to strive for an in-depth understanding of a particular woman: her unique physical, emotional and mental circumstances with regard to her physical well-being and living environment as well as her hopes and fears about birth.
Read moreMidwifery Model of Care vs Medical Model of Care: Surrounding Childbirth
Neuro-biology has come a huge distance in the past 10 years. They are finding that the very beginning of our ‘life’s journey’ has a tremendous effect on how we relate to ourselves and others in adulthood. Trauma anywhere from in the womb, during birth and the first 5 years especially effect which genetics (in terms of: long term brain health, cardio, metabolism, glucose, organ function) will turn on later on in life (adulthood). This has been the major finding in the Genome project. They uncovered something called Epi-genetics. Epi-genetics are what can be described as: how life experiences turn on and off certain genes. *Bruce Lipton was a major researcher in the Genome project and is well published
Babies are very active during the labor process. This is an aspect of Labor and Delivery that is often overlooking by both the caregivers and the parents. It seems to be the standard view point that the physiology of the mother alone and her efforts alone are the only determining factor throughout the weeks leading up to delivery (as her body gets primed for the event of birth) and during the actual labor and the delivery process. I find my clients are very surprised when I tell them how the baby is also working very hard and that the discomfort the mother is experiencing the baby is also experiencing. After all, the baby is the one trying to wiggle through the birth canal.
Read moreMama is Not the Only One Working Hard During Labor and Delivery
In 2011 the UK presented research on the effects of Craniosacral Therapy for infertility. The overall success rate coming out of the world’s best Fertility Clinics for IVF (In-Vetro Fertilization) success rate is only 30% for couples wishing to conceive. However, in clinical trials done by the Biodynamic Craniosacral Association in the UK indicated the woman who received regular Craniosacral sessions while undergoing this form of conception had a success rate of over 50%! Within that same study they also found that regular Craniosacral sessions can also improve your chances of conceiving naturally! In their study they took women who underwent up to 5 years of infertility, who began to seek out regular craniosacral therapy, and 2/3rds of those women were able to conceive naturally within 1 year of treatment.
These findings are even beyond the documented success rate of Acupuncture for infertility which is currently the number one alternative/complimentary treatment acknowledged by western medicine as a possible aid for conception in the US.