CST for Mothers & Infants

The birthing process is one of the most miraculous and strenuous events a mother and child can experience. The mother must endure immense pressure within the pelvic area while giving birth. And her baby, as well, must move through a relatively small space in order to come into the world. After the birth, sometimes the mother and/or the baby have experienced too much trauma for their bodies to self-heal. Craniosacral therapy can be of great help.

Craniosacral therapy is a light touch healing modality that uses the body’s cranial rhythm to assess where deep holding patterns are residing anywhere in the body. The client is clothed on the treatment table, much like chiropractic or physical therapy. Through a series of assessment tools the therapist pinpoints the areas in the body that need help. Because it is based on light touch (many times 5 grams of pressure or less), this practice is useful for treating newborn infants, as well as their mothers.

The experienced craniosacral practitioner can help the mother with many pelvic bowl issues, as well as the surrounding tissues. Treatment can help with conditions such as lower back pain, stretched or torn muscles and/or ligaments, the uterus and ovaries, and tail bone misalignment. Mothers can be treated even years after giving birth, thus finally helping the body to release and re-integrate from the birth experience.

Babies can also benefit from craniosacral therapy. Sometimes the cranial bones become misshaped while moving through the birth canal. The neck can also become out of alignment, as well as the upper palate of the mouth. While these conditions are usually temporary, every once in while the infant is stuck in one or more of these areas, and needs gentle assistance for full release to take place. Craniosacral therapy can also address other infant conditions, such as colic, nursing problems, teething issues, and failure to thrive. When all is in balance in the body and the infant is pain free, he/she can truly come into life, and the rest of the family breathes a sigh of relief!

Please feel free to look at the website upledger.com. The Upledger Institute is the school where I was trained, as well as thousands of other craniosacral therapists worldwide. If you know of a mother and/or an infant that could use some help, please do refer them to the website.

Ilani Kopiecki, BA & CMT is a CranioSacral Therapist and Therapeutic Massage Practitioner. She has been in practice for eleven years. She received her CranioSacral training through the Upledger Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. She is a certified advanced practitioner, and has additional certification for pediatrics. Ilani works with all ages of people including infants, children, and the elderly.