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Open Mon-Sat · (03) 9859 5059 · BOOK online OR call Reception
Open Mon-Sat · (03) 9859 5059 · BOOK online OR call Reception

Baby Osteopath Balwyn

Understanding Baby - Thoughtful Treatment
baby osteopath | cranial for baby

Why you might need an Osteopath for your baby.

An Osteopath for your baby might be exactly what you need. Although birth is an amazing experience, it can also be very traumatic for the baby with the use of birthing instruments, or simply the birth process itself.

The pressures applied to the newborns head and body during labour is intense and it’s designed to be.  But sometimes the position baby gets into during labour and/or the use of instruments to assist the birth, increases this pressure load. Given the soft nature of a baby’s skull, babies may be impacted with these strong, compressive forces.

What might you see as a parent?

  • feeding difficulties
  • irritability
  • fussing at the breast (often on one side in particular)
  • unsettled to sleep  

Strains can also be caused by baby positioned in one spot for an extended period of time.  This may occur in early head engagement in the pelvis.  At the extreme end you may see obvious physical injury such as dislocation, bruising and deformation.

Common reasons babies are brought to Osteopaths for treatment:

  • Head not turning
  • Flatness of skull shape
  • Crying & unsettled
  • Twisted looking through spine or pelvis
  • Difficulty latching
  • Strong gag reflex
  • Crying after a feed due to discomfort ie. wind

What can an Osteopath do?

We will examine your baby with gentle hands & explore where they have restrictions in the body, where they feel tight and tense, even compressed. We will check baby’s neck and spine, pelvis and hip mobility, as well as the mouth and face.

Our highly developed skills can then work to release the tension through these areas with small movements, muscle release techniques and rebalancing.  

Our Osteopaths treat the baby in whatever position is comfortable for them.  We are very flexible with our treatments to keep the baby relaxed.

Osteopathic treatment provides parents with a potential solution for a problem.  By nurturing this development we may help support your child’s health & well-being, and importantly, improve YOUR day-to-day life with your baby.

Signs & Symptoms baby may benefit from seeing an Osteopath

  • Constant crying
  • Symptoms of colic & reflux
  • Abnormal head shape/Plagiocephaly (flat spot on the skull-usually at the back from lying with head turned one way)
  • Birthing traumas associated with ventouse, forceps, emergency caesarean, prolonged difficult labour, clavicle dislocations, injuries and bruising, face and breech presentations
  • Difficulty with trapped wind
  • Difficulty with settling
  • Lack of use of a limb
  • Difficulty turning head left or right
  • Suckling difficulties when feeding
  • Post-tongue-tie excision
  • Wry neck (torticollis)
  • General post-birth 6 week check up

What age is best for treating babies?

Treatment is suitable for babies at any age.

An Osteopathic approach may help relax the nervous system & may ease the shock to allow normal growth to follow. Generally the earlier treatment is sought for difficult births and associated symptoms, the better the individual outcome may be.

Tounge tie Assessments & Treatment

Our Osteopaths can assess your baby if you have suspicion of a tongue tie. We also work closely with a dental group if baby needs to be referred on for further assessment for potential release. We can provide that referral for you. CLICK HERE for more info.

Do I need to get a referral for my baby to see an Osteopath?

No, simply call us to make an appointment or book online.

At Boroondara Osteopathy, we love to treat and find the long-term solution for residents in Balwyn, Balwyn North and surrounding suburbs.

Please Note: We DO NOT perform spinal manipulation on babies or children.

Don't forget about you.

Mum's often need treatment too.

Our Osteopaths readily see mums post-partum to assist with strains that have carried over from the pregnancy and birth process, as well as new strains that develop with looking after a baby, such as breastfeeding & lifting.

Boroondara Osteopathy is a child-friendly clinic. We are well prepared to help children relax & remain occupied throughout their consultation.

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