Congratulations and Welcome to Baby!

Your newborn arrived to much love and excitement but the reality is they seem uncomfortable, uneasy and unsettled. It is difficult to see your little one upset but being so little and so new, it is also difficult to figure out how you can help and soothe them.

I am passionate about your little one’s entry into the world, that it as comfortable and nurturing as it can be and sometimes the birthing process doesn’t go according to plan.

In Pregnancy

Not all pregnancies are roses and glowing skin. Sometimes life can be fraught with challenges and upsets causing an expectant Mum and even partner, distress and worry.

That in itself can have an impact because remember we are all driven by our thoughts, feelings and in turn the energy that resides within our body.

Too much stress and it releases the relative hormones to help support you, and baby will experience the effects of those hormones.

Too much hardship and it causes the body of the expectant parent to react through blood sugars, protein absorption and deficiency in some important vitamins and minerals. Your baby will be impacted by these effects too.

Too much physically intensive work by the expectant parent can mean the affected musculoskeletal system can impinge on baby’s comfort, lying positions and space to grow and move around.

It’s a lot to think about and best thought about before or during early the pregnancy period.

Find out more about Reflexology during pregnancy, here.

In Labour

Typical issues which may occur at this time, can be stalled labour, induced labour or worst case scenario an manually assisted labour or caesarean (c-)section. That might even been an emergency requirement.

All of the above will affect the baby’s physical body during the labour and delivery process. When this happens, baby needs a little more tlc than usual and that can only really occur once they are born..

To read more about how Reflexology can help during labour, click here.

When you have a newborn, you need to take care of YOURSELF too – why not sign up for my complimentary Breathe Easy Guide to boost your energy and calm your mind.

For anyone who has been around newborns for any length of time, your own or loved ones, you will be familiar with bouts of walking the floor for hours to help a crying baby to soothe.

Sinead

Postnatal -v- Postpartum

Both are terms often used during pregnancy but the subtle difference is that while both relate to the Mum, only postnatal relates to the baby. In this instance, postnatal care very often refers to the focus on the newborn and their physical, emotional, psychological needs.

When a pregnancy, labour and delivery has any occurrence outside of the ‘norm’ – what is normal after all, but you know what I mean – that which wasn’t expected or perhaps anticipated, it can result in baby having some postnatal needs.

Generally there are not excessive and sometimes may not even require medical intervention, however the smallest hiccups can have an impact on baby’s ability to settle into the world, with comfort, to digest well, to sleep well and even sometimes to lie comfortably.

Soothing Your Newborn

For anyone who has been around newborns for any length of time, your own or loved ones, you will be familiar with bouts of walking the floor for hours to help a crying baby to soothe.

You might also be familiar with a baby that has difficulty nursing comfortably or who ‘fusses’ when being bathed or dressed. These are all little hints towards what may be a difficulty for them.

It is here that reflexology can be really helpful to both baby and parents.

What is Reflexology?

Reflexology is an ancient therapeutic treatment which involves affecting the fully body systems through gentle application to the hands or feet.

In my work over the past twenty years with newborns, children, teens and adults, I have seen some remarkable results within even the shortest amount of time.

Understanding Reflexology for Babies

When working with a newborn through reflexology, I have found they respond really quickly, primarily because they are willing to have you help them.

That willingness includes allowing you to ease their discomfort and to support their little body as it adjusts to the world.

It is a very gentle technique, bearing in mind their cells, tissues, organs and body systems are very tiny, very close to each other and very sensitive to touch.

Benefits of Reflexology for Babies

Where there is no apparent medical reason for a newborn’s discomfort, and a new parent is distressed it is too common a situation where a visit to a gp, practice nurse or hospital can result in the parent being told, ‘ah they’ll settle eventually’ or ‘that’s newborns for you’ or ‘bless, it’s your first is it?’.

When I hear these anecdotes from my clients I want to wrap them in a hug and let them know they can tell me what’s worrying them. I want to listen, I want to hear them and I want to learn how I can be of help. I’ll be honest with you, that alone creates a huge shift in the healing process for both.

Reflexology can, as stated where there is no apparent medical diagnosis, help your baby to:-

Engage better, because they are not uncomfortable, they are rested and have sufficient nutrition to allow them to explore their new world and recognise you and their primary carers as loved ones and begin that amazing journey of humankind, growing and developing within a nurturing family unit and social system.

How My Newborn Reflexology Works

In my practice, reflexology works by firstly allowing baby to settle and relax to the touch of my hands, and not feel stressed or poked and prodded. Really, who is comfortable with a stranger doing that.

I will never work on a baby who shows signs of not wanting me to work on their feet or hands. That can sometimes mean it takes 30 minutes or more of being in my company before baby ‘allows’ me to touch them.

You might ask, well HOW does baby tell me it’s okay? That is part of the way that I work, through energy and metaphysical response.

We will all know if baby is okay with it, because despite perhaps an initial aversion to my touch, baby will make eye contact, leave their hand or foot in my hand and not pull away from my gentle touch. That is my signal to begin working.

Would you like to know more about Reflexology and Reflexology for Newborns?

Visit my Maternity Reflexology or Specialised Reflexology to find out more.