by Liz Hoffmaster
Julie was a healthy 8lb baby when she was born via C-section. Her head was perfectly round and her face was scrunched up as though she was squinting. A baby delivered vaginally has its first cranial manipulation as it is squeezed through the vaginal canal and is more likely to have an odd shaped head or overlapping sutures, which are usually temporary, but can be treated early with cranial technique.
Julie’s mother brought her in to see me around 2 months because she was fussy, waking up frequently during the night and having digestive issues with 15 or so bowel movements a day. The first thing that caught my eye was her tiny scrunched up face, so I placed very gentle pressure on her inner eye orbits and opened them up. Then gentle pressure from her nose to her orbit, nose to zygomas on both sides. A little work on her cranial base and temporal bones finished the session.
Unlike some babies, Julie tolerated all the touching very well and squirmed a little, but didn’t cry or fuss. Right after the treatment, Julie’s eyes looked bigger, and she was looking all around, seeming a little startled that she could see that much. Her mother called me three days later to say that Julie was sleeping through the night and was only having two bowel movements a day.
Not all treatments are that easy or successful. An infant head has extraordinary flexibility and malleability and can respond very well to cranial work, especially in the first few months of life. It is a great privilege to be able to work with them when they are so young and impressionable.
Learn more and attend Liz’s Cranial Sacral Therapy Workshop on Sunday, August 11 – Click here for more information.