- What is osteopathy?
- Is it possible to consult an osteopath from birth?
- How a pediatric osteopathy session works
- Which baby ailments can be relieved by osteopathy?
- Should I consult an osteopath specializing in perinatal care?
- Pregnancy and perinatal osteopathy: the right to feel better, all the time
As you know, at Élhée our fundamental objective is the well-being of our babies. And well-being means getting enough quality sleep, eating a healthy and plentiful diet, and feeling serene.
And yet, while the birth of a child is one of life's few powerful and magical moments, it can sometimes be accompanied by little worries and disorders that can complicate, or even spoil, baby's first weeks. Infant colic, sleeping problems, eating disorders or bronchiolitis may bring back a few sleepless nights punctuated by distraught looks.
Nevertheless, the 21st century, with its many advances in health care, offers a number of alternatives to young parents seeking to alleviate their child's ailments. Osteopathy is one of them. More precisely,perinatal osteopathy, a holistic discipline dedicated to the well-being of infants and young mothers (or mothers-to-be).
To find out more about this 100% natural care method based on a deep understanding of the human body, we had the pleasure of meeting Olivier Darmont, a qualified osteopath specializing in perinatal care. You can find his interview in the IGTV category of our Instagram account. Élhée.
What is osteopathy?
Very much in vogue in recent years, osteopathy is increasingly cited as THE solution to many ailments: stress, chronic fatigue, back, abdominal and gynaecological pain, migraine, but also functional sterility. The discipline is also cited as a valuable aid in childbirth preparation and infant care.
Non-invasive, osteopathy is a natural, manual treatment technique.
Its aim? To preserve or re-establish thebody's optimal functioning and physical and physiological balance, using a range of manipulative techniques.
For osteopaths, the body is a whole, where the slightest dysfunction can have global repercussions. Osteopathy therefore treats - or prevents - pain and functional disorders, with the aim of improving overall well-being. There are many reasons for consulting an osteopath, and they can be related to a problem or discomfort of any kind:
- skeletal,
- joint,
- muscle,
- visceral,
- breathing,
- circulatory
- nervous...
According to Olivier Darmont, osteopathy can be defined as "a therapeutic art that aims to preserve, restore and improve the state of health".
A different specialty from physical therapy
Osteopathy and physiotherapy are sometimes confused - and for good reason, since both disciplines are based on the manipulation of the body with the hands - but their distinctive features are both distinct and complementary.
As part of a post-partum consultation, for example, the osteopath helps the young mother recover physically after childbirth by restoring mobility to the body and its tissues (particularly the pelvis and pelvic tissues). In this way, he or she re-establishes a healthy balance of functioning.
The physiotherapist, on the other hand, works on re-education and muscle strengthening, for example of the perineum.
Legally speaking, physiotherapists are health professionals governed by the French Health Code. Their services may be reimbursed by Social Security.
As self-employed professionals, osteopaths provide care that is not reimbursed by Social Security, but is increasingly covered by complementary health insurance.
Is it possible to consult an osteopath from birth?
It's authorized and even recommended! Olivier Darmont also specializes in what he calls "check-ups" for very young babies from 10 or 15 days of age. According to him, this first consultation is the most important and - in the majority of cases, when all goes well - could be the only one.
It's important to remember thatperinatal osteopathy is a very gentle discipline, far from the contortions and creaks we tend to imagine. In fact, most babies appreciate the work carried out to improve their well-being, and many parents leave osteopathic surgeries amazed at howquickly their newborn is soothed.
To alleviate the traumas that can occur during a difficult birth, many osteopaths now advocate a pediatric osteopathic consultation from the very first days of life.
How does a pediatric osteopathy session work?
To find out in detail what to expect on your way to your first appointment with a baby osteopath, cozy up on the couch with a cup of coffee, log on to the Instagram account of bibRond Élhée and let yourself be carried away by the words and passion of Olivier Darmont. He's still the one who talks best about his profession.
Here, however, is a condensed version of her explanations. Rest assured, a perinatal appointment with an osteopath is neither complex nor traumatic - quite the contrary.
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Exchange time
It all starts with a discussion with the parent(s) present. If you were not monitored before and during your pregnancy, this is the time totalk about the last 9 months, your delivery, how it went and what you experienced. Bring as many items as you can, such as your medical records, obstetric follow-up file and health record.
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Baby observation time
Now it's baby's turn to "chat" with his osteopath. Lying down, he's relaxed. His body and natural posture give the specialist many indications. Olivier Darmont confided to us here that he starts with the lower part of the body - little feet wide open, knees mobile, pelvis in line, density of the belly - then moves up to the shoulders, arms and skull, scrutinizing at every moment the breathing, mobility, suppleness and harmony of each zone and of the body as a whole.
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Handling time
After performing the usual clinical tests to determine whether the baby is healthy and can be cared for, the baby osteopath performs an osteopathic assessment of the newborn's overall balance. He identifies what is "blocked, tight, unbalanced or out of place" and, using a range of gentle techniques, frees fixation points, relieves tension and promotes tissue relaxation for healthy growth.
Following this first perinatal consultation, a therapeutic project can be set up according to the infant's needs. At the same time, the effects of the first appointment are soon felt, often within hours for very young babies.
Ideally, a follow-up consultation should be arranged at the time of dietary diversification (around 5 months) to check that the diaphragm and esophagus are correctly positioned, that the stomach is functioning properly and to rule out any risk of colic.
Every milestone in your child's life, from his or her first steps to the start of school, will be an opportunity to meet your osteopath again.
Olivier Darmont's advice :
"We all have our own capacity to digest manipulations. Newborns, on the other hand, have a much faster capacity to digest sessions. A baby who's feeling better can relax instantly and very soon show a more pronounced sense of well-being and more serene sleep."
Which baby ailments can be relieved by osteopathy?
Osteopathy is no magic science. Its roots lie in millennia-old teachings, and its popularity stems from the relief and well-being felt by patients. But what about newborn babies? What aches, pains and tensions can be relieved by a session of perinatal osteopathy for babies?
Reflux/RGO
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is characterized by a rapid upwelling of the alimentary bolus after a meal. This problem, well known to pediatricians, may be due to immaturity of the digestive tract, but also to a mechanical problem linked to the diaphragm or valve at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach. Sometimes complicated to manage, reflux causes parents to cry, feel pain and worry.
Osteopathy is indicated for checking that there is no pressure or blockage that could cause digestive difficulties.
A change of milk for bottle-fed babies, the use of adapted teats such as the physiological teat, or slightly elevating the toddler's head in bed, can also help.
Sucking difficulties
While breastfeeding is a real moment of tenderness and intimacy between mother and baby, it can sometimes be complicated by difficulties in positioning or latching on.
A visit to an osteopath can help you feel less guilty and better understand the situation. After checking that there are no physical concerns, such as a tongue-tie that is too tight, the therapist will observe your baby and determine, for example, whether he can open his mouth sufficiently, whetherhis head mobility is sufficient to adopt a comfortable position, and whether the sucking reflex is well established.
To make it easier to latch on, try out different breastfeeding positions (cradle, rider, lying on your side...) and put a few drops of milk on your nipple, but above all, give yourself all the time you need.
Switching to a bottle? Combine your milk - or the infant milk of your choice - with the bibROND Élhée. Thanks to its rounded design and soft texture, it awakens the senses and offers a genuine alternative for more serene mealtimes.
Infant colic
From the very first weeks of life, colic can set in. At the end of the day and at bedtime, baby cries a lot, his face is red, he's tense... everything about him indicates severe pain.
An osteopathic session - always performed gently - can unblock an infant's bowel and pelvis , allowing better positioning and optimal functioning of the digestive organs.
Here too, a change of milk or the adoption of anti-colic teats can be beneficial. A new session can also be scheduled at the time of dietary diversification, for a free, unencumbered tummy.
Sleep disorders
Sleep disorders in infants have a variety of origins, and are not always easy to identify. Colic, constipation, ENT pain, torticollis, discomfort when lying down... After a period of careful observation and using slow, delicate movements, the perinatal osteopath manipulates baby to bring himsignificant and lasting relief .
Plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly - or flat head syndrome - can occur on one side or the back of a baby's skull. It may be caused by the use of instruments (spatulas, forceps, suction cups, etc.), by the baby's preference for one side or the other, by the baby's torticollis, or by spending too much time on his or her back.
Here again, with gentle, safe manipulations, the osteopath can prevent and correct cranial dysfunctions and associated torticollis, if present, to improve the balance of the infant's corns.
Since 1994, the French National Authority for Health has recommended that newborns be placed on their backs to reduce the risk of cot death. However, during the day, it is important to stimulate them to keep them awake, but also to avoid the appearance of plagiocephaly.
In this respect, babywearing is an increasingly popular solution among specialists and parents alike, for its practicality and multiple benefits. In a sling, baby is on the move, close to you and constantly stimulated. The upright position is also an important factor in improving digestion, breathing and head carriage.
Finally, babywearing offers a gentle transition after childbirth and the 9 months of mother/child bonding, as well as a good alternative to sleeping on your back, and therefore a ready-made solution to flat head syndrome.
From birth to 15 kg, Studio Roméo offers physiological baby slings in 100% organic cotton. A perfect way to extend the bond created in utero by skin-to-skin contact.
Bronchiolitis
Every year, bronchiolitis brings many parents and babies to the doors of pediatric emergency departments. And there's much debate about the best way to treat this respiratory ailment with its sometimes impressive symptoms.
Rehabilitation by a physiotherapist is part of this. However, to facilitate the work, an osteopath can be consulted beforehand. The osteopath's intervention willimprove the baby's breathing byreleasing tension in the diaphragm.
Olivier Darmont's advice :
"In osteopathy, we treat a person, not a symptom. The consultation rhythm is therefore patient-dependent, infant-dependent. However, by consulting twice a year, you improve your state of health and engage in intelligent prevention."
Should I consult an osteopath specializing in perinatal care?
When choosing your practitioner, the most important thing is to have confidence in him or her. Have confidence in his or her skills and choices. All osteopaths are capable of offering a quality session to an infant. If this is not the case, the right professional will be able to recommend you to a more competent or specialized colleague.
In the same way, listen to how you and your baby feel. If you're not comfortable enough, if you don't agree with what the osteopath you're seeing is saying or doing, or if your baby can't relax, change practices until you find the right person.
Pregnancy and perinatal osteopathy: the right to feel better, all the time
As a perinatal osteopath, Olivier Darmont kindly - and effectively - enlightened us on the practice of a therapeutic specialty that deserves to be better known. According to him, osteopathy offers everyone the "right to feel better" at any time, and especially when a woman is pregnant. You can therefore consult an osteopath specialized in perinatal care before, during and after your pregnancy.
Discuss your desire for a child with him or her beforehand. Perinatal osteopathy can be part of the solution to infertility, and a beneficial accompaniment throughout an IVF (in vitro fertilization) protocol, for example.
During pregnancy, a good consultation rhythm might be one appointment for each ultrasound, with a final consultation around 1 month before the due date, to prepare for childbirth.
Finally, post-partum osteopathy can be of great help in promoting physical recovery, preventing scars from sticking in the event of a Caesarean section, encouraging the return of each organ to its rightful place, restoring harmonious support, rebalancing the center of gravity... Your first appointment can take place as early as 15 days to 1 month after a physiological delivery with no complications.
And don't forget that theosteopath is there to listen to you. In the event of a difficult or traumatic birth, or after an emergency caesarean section... it's perfectly possible to avoid certain painful areas in the first instance.
After this wonderful interview, for which we would like to thank Olivier Darmont once again, we think that perinatal osteopathy should be systematically recommended. What do you think?
Photo credits :
Olivier Darmont - Pexel - Unsplash and Constance Bonnotte, professional photographer for the featured image.
