Postpartum Osteopathic Care for Mothers and Infants

Birth is undoubtedly a physically traumatic event. Most people will sympathize with the mother but not many people consider how the ordeal can have a negative impact on a baby’s body and eventually on their health and mood.

Sometimes, a baby travels for hours through the birth canal while enduring the repeated contractive force of the uterus. Afterwards, they can be affected by untreated birth strain injuries for years which can result in a variety of symptoms such as headaches and body pain.

Since a young child is unable to effectively communicate their specific problems, undetected pain could manifest into crying tantrums, poor sleeping habits and even difficulty latching on and sucking.

During this crucial phase of rapid development, the child could fall behind physically and mentally from malnourishment and disrupted cognitive function from lack of restful sleep.

Safe for even a newborn, gentle manipulative techniques are used in postpartum osteopathic care for mothers and their infants in order to detect and treat misalignment or damage in the bones, muscles and tendons. Aside from being a relaxing experience, an aligned body is a healthy one which is able to efficiently transfer body liquids such as blood and reduce muscular strains which can lead to faster healing and a less likelihood of future injuries.

In order to get beneficial results, it is important that the new mother chooses an osteopath with knowledge of the intricate birthing process. At the Ottawa Holistic Health Centre in Ottawa, Elissa Gustafson DOMP is the osteopath with vast experience in treating mothers and their babies postpartum to ensure the birthing process was a positive experience.

Some mothers also choose pre and post natal massage therapy and chiropractic care to ease the process.