Why does my infant need bodywork?
gross Motor skIlls
From tummy time and head control to rolling, sitting and eventually crawling… Tension and imbalance in the body can delay milestones or just make progress harder than it needs to be.
By addressing the body’s needs, we can help babies reach all their developmental milestones!
head molding
When baby holds tension in the body, they can get stuck in one position or another, not having the strength or desire to turn their head. This can cause head flattening, forehead bulging, asymmetry in the face (seen in the eyes, jaw or ears), etc.
When caught early, there are many ways to reposition, strengthen and facilitate better balance in baby — which can be an alternative to helmets.
As a functional movement therapist I can teach parents and address tension and imbalance in baby’s body - and can refer out to OT/PT when needed, working alongside other therapies to speed progress!
Tension & Torticollis
While torticollis and head molding are often seen together, the real issue is that there is tension being held in the body, and this doesn’t just affect head shape. With this we get babies that only prefer one breast, difficulty with tummy time, and often have a consistent curve in their body. Addressing their whole body - not just their neck, allows baby to have free movement from head to toe!
What about breastfeeding?!
As you can see, babies can hold tension in their bodies, same as adults. The difference being they have no way of communicating other than crying and fussing and being hard to settle. Often times this is called “colic” - a baby with no obvious reason to cry. But their discomfort is real, and it can have lasting effects.
While Doulajandra is not a lactation consultant, all of these issues of tension in the body can often be seen in the breastfeeding relationship. From a poor/shallow latch, difficulty drawing out milk - to tongue tie, cracked nipples, gas, reflux, spilling milk from the mouth and even lip blisters. All of these are signs that the baby is out of balance and needs their whole body addressed - not just their mouth, or jaw, or head. Working alongside IBCLC’s, Doulajandra can speed the process in getting babies back to breast.