Osteopathy and Cranial Osteopathy can help with Breastfeeding Issues
Gentle osteopathic treatments for baby and mother can really help some of the issues which can present with breastfeeding or following a difficult delivery. What do we commonly treat?
1. Jaw restriction (temporo-mandibular-joint) following difficult delivery (forceps pressure on temporal bone, unusual face presentation) leading to poor latching on to breast. Baby will usually feed one side better than the other and will not open mouth to create the wide gape necessary for good contact with breast. Treatment to gently release and balance the jaw bilaterally results in improved positioning on breast and better, equal feeding.
2. Tongue-tie As above, baby will not be able to suckle well. Following the simple release operation performed in hospital, osteopathic work around the mouth, jaw and anterior throat helps to encourage wider mouth opening.
3. Short palate/disturbance in palate bones, short gag reflex This will mean the baby cannot get the whole areola in its mouth and therefore will not latch on well. Cranial osteopathic treatment to release the palate and anterior throat structures will make correct latching on more comfortable for the baby.
4. Sublingual muscle disturbance possibly due to cord around neck during delivery, long restitution, face presentation, etc. Again, treatment to release and balance the jaw, temporal bones and anterior throat (among others) helps to 'normalise' the tissues and create a more comfortable feeding position.
5. Neck and upper back (thoracic spine) restriction in mother with associated over tight musculature (common after delivery) resulting in a poor let down reflex. Osteopathic treatment to release the above and create a more comfortable feeding position often greatly improves the breast drainage and reduces frequency of mastitis and general discomfort during feeding.
These are a few examples of neonatal breastfeeding and birth trauma related presentations that we see and treat successfully at our clinic through osteopathy and cranial osteopathy. Where appropriate we always refer parents to their health visitor, breastfeeding counsellor or to the Royal Berks for advice and support. We also treat babies for many other presentations ranging from colic to hip and pelvic restrictions from breech presentations.
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