Why does my infant need bodywork?
gross Motor skIlls
From tummy time and head control to rolling, sitting, and eventually crawling, tension and imbalances in the body can slow down developmental milestones or make them more challenging. By addressing the body’s needs, we can support babies in achieving their developmental milestones!
head molding
When an infant holds tension in their body, they might become fixed in a particular position and lack the strength to turn their head. This can lead to issues like head flattening, bulging of the forehead, and facial asymmetry (visible in the eyes, jaw, or ears). If detected early, there are many methods to help reposition the baby, strengthen their muscles, and promote better balance — potentially serving as an alternative to helmet therapy. As a functional movement therapist, I can guide parents in addressing their baby’s tension and imbalances and collaborate with occupational or physical therapists if needed, working together to accelerate progress.
Tension & Torticollis
Although torticollis and head molding frequently occur together, the underlying problem is tension held throughout the body, which impacts more than just head shape. This tension can lead to babies preferring one breast over the other, struggling with tummy time, and developing a persistent curve in their body. By focusing on the entire body—rather than just the neck—babies can achieve unrestricted 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.