“Do you want to have this baby tomorrow?”

07/24/2016

“Do you want to have this baby tomorrow?”

I was 39 weeks pregnant with my second child, when I went to see Sheila Viel at pHotential Wellness in Sherwood Park for a Biodynamic Craniosacral session. My intention was to help my body open up my hips and pelvis, and get my body ready for delivery.

In the middle of the session, Sheila asked me “do you want to have this baby tomorrow?”.  I said, “yes!”.  And I cried because I was so ready, and the next day was the day I had chosen in my mind, the day that I wanted to have my baby (and I hadn’t even told Sheila that). Sheila said “I can’t promise that this therapy will work and it will only happen if you and baby are ready”.  After my therapy session, I was amazed that I didn’t waddle out of there. My hips were so relaxed!

That night, I went to bed, and at midnight I woke up to go pee (as usual), and I lost my mucus plug. I went back to bed, and had some discomfort for the rest of the night, but I slept, and got up around 5:30a.m. By 7:00a.m., it was definitely more than discomfort, I was now having contractions! At 10a.m., my water broke, and we rushed to the birth centre.

My baby girl was born at 11:37a.m., unassisted, no interventions, in the water, with no tears. Amazing! Sheila Viel has also taught me about the importance of the Birth and Attachment Theory where certain approaches are used to form a strong relationship with your child which is essential for baby’s healthy development. Sure enough, using Sheila’s approaches, my baby latched on immediately and nursed for about an hour.

It was such a wonderful experience. Completely opposite from my first delivery (1.5 days of labour, epidural, induction, vacuum assisted, hospital birth).

When my baby was just one week old, we both went back to Sheila for another session of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. My daughter was having some painful gas (1 really bad episode, and 1 not as bad, two different evenings) and I was sore. After that session, the muscles in my pubic area were less sore and my baby’s gas issues didn’t return. So far so good, she’s 20 days old now!

Sylvie Lacon

About the Therapy: 

Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is very beneficial and supportive for all ages; and especially beneficial in labour and delivery for both Mom and baby. With the slight touch of my hand the client’s body is able to see where it’s not in health, or where there are restrictions being held and the body will reorganize as necessary.  For Sylvie, her pelvis, hips and pubis symphysis widened and from there, baby, who also benefits from the therapy, is able to do what is biologically innate. 

Sylvie’s baby was right lie and throughout the BCST session made the turn to left lie.  After the session, baby was approximately halfway turned, and as the therapy continues, the baby would continue to left lie, which is the preferred lie.  When we work on our cranium, we open up to the possibilities to release any held restrictions.  In doing so, we in turn may have an effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland that regulates the oxytocin release, that of which is needed to start the birthing process.

Following the birth, BCST is extremely beneficial for babies, especially those that experienced birth trauma, i.e. forceps, vacuum, drugs, C-sections, etc. Babies whom have had trauma typically do not settle or nurse well and this is due to cranial bones and the cranial nerves trauma.

At one week old, when Sylvie’s baby showed signs of some digestive distress, a quick session was done on Baby.  For babies it takes very little time for them to respond, typically 10-15 minutes. For mom, her body was able to recognize the pelvis needed to go back in place. Sylvie said that after therapy, it didn’t even hurt to get off the table as it had before.

Healing a mother and child in this stage of development is very important. If we can re-pattern the trauma and resolve issues at the earliest of age very quickly, we can form a foundation for healthy, secure, resilient children, and parent-child relationships that are based on mutual trust, pleasure and love – essential attributes for a healthy adulthood and a caring society, for generations. This being said, we are able to assist individuals with birth trauma at any age even into adulthood.

As a whole, the therapy really settles the autonomic nervous system, benefiting both mom and babe, a relaxed mom is a relaxed babe!

BCST Is not a therapy with intention to “fix anything”, as Therapists, we assist the body to do what it is resourced to.

Sheila Viel RN, RCST, 

Di Bioregulatory Medicine, DNM.