Osteopathy, Acupuncture & Baby Sleep Consultations
for Pregnancy, Infants & Children
Osteopathy and Acupuncture can all help mum and bubs, both inside and outside the womb.
Please note, only some of our Osteopath's treat infants, but all our therapists are skilled at treating expecting mothers.
Osteopathy for Babies and Infants
Osteopathy is a gentle treatment suitable for infants and babies. Osteopaths use a range of gentle techniques including cranial therapy. Cranial techniques are safe and non-manipulative. They are often used when treating young children and infants. We work under the principle that there may be a number of contributing factors to the symptoms and will therefore evaluate not only the area which is producing the symptoms, but also associated areas that may be contributing to the issue.
Infants & Babies
Reflux, colic, plagiocephaly (flat head) & torticollis (tight neck), latching difficulties, irritability, breech babies, sleeping difficulty, postural control, overlapped cranial bones, scoliosis, shoulder dystocia, hip dysplasia,
There is no age limit to treating newborns, if necessary we are able to treat them even when they are only a few days old.
Treatment of Newborns / Infants & Babies often consists of also educating the parents around holding, feeding, and stimulation to aid their child’s recovery and future development.
Fiona, Belinda, Brita and Raoul can treat infants and babies under the age of 5.
Osteopathy for Pregnancy
During Pregnancy
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Restore and maintain balance, particularly around the pelvis and chest as the body adjusts to grow the baby.
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Create space, particularly around positioning of the baby, to help it move into better positions where possible.
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Improve thoracic mobility and ribcage space and mobility to improve comfort and make breathing easier.
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Diagnosis and treatment of symptoms of thoracic outlet, carpal tunnel, swelling in legs, sciatica, low back pain, reflux, neck pain and headaches.
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Being an additional support person and being able to work alongside midwifery, doula, acupuncture, naturopathy and pilates.
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Education on types of exercises to be doing through each stage of pregnancy.
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Monitoring blood pressure.
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Working with breathing and creating awareness around the nervous systems as well as addressing them through treatment.
Post-natal Treatment
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Dealing with the musculoskeletal component of feeding, holding baby for long periods of time, lifting capsule etc and giving advice on how best to approach these repetitive activities.
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Advice on exercise post birth – when to begin and what to do.
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Addressing the pelvic floor through assessment, treatment and exercises.
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Consideration of the hormones that still circulate in the months following and what effect this has on recovery, especially around the pelvis, but also on the other joints that can become ‘lax’.
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Often treating people for longer than after the standard 6 week midwife discharge and so monitoring mental health, and referral if necessary.
Note: for the appointments sometimes it will be just the mum, sometimes they bring a support person to help look after the baby, sometimes they just bring the baby – it is not always possible to come alone and regardless of the situation we make it work.
Treatment Pre-Pregnancy
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Hormonal balance (PMS, period pain, fertility)
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Reducing tensions around abdomen and pelvis
Treatment During Pregnancy
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Morning sickness
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Emotional and hormonal balance
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Low back pain, other muscle pain
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Digestive issues
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Fatigue
Moxibustion for safe and easy delivery (around 15w-)
Induction of smooth labour (37w-)
Treatment for breech baby (28w-34w)
Treatment Post Pregnancy
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Fatigue
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Supporting breast feeding (prevention of mastitis)
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Stiffness and pain of the body and tendons
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Emotional balance, supporting hormonal adjustments
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Pelvic Alignment
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Gentle manipulation to the muscles around the pelvic area
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Approaches to adjust and improve the function of the muscles affected by the pregnancy.
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Reduce pelvic/back/hip pain.
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Support good posture and prevent unnecessary tiredness
Pregnancy Treatment by Trimester
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1st Trimester Acupuncture treatment can offer support for pregnancy symptoms from the 1st Trimester.
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Morning sickness (nausea), digestive symptoms, hypersensitive smells, autonomic nervous system disorder, mood-swings.
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There is no problem with acupuncture and moxibustion treatment from the 1st trimester. But generally we recommend starting Acupuncture treatments from the 2nd trimester.
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2nd Trimester Pregnant women start to feel various physical symptoms from 2nd Trimester to end of 3rd trimester. Our Acupuncturists can help with these symptoms:
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Headache, migraine. neck and shoulder pain, shoulder blade pain, middle back pain, hip joints and knee pain, tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Arthritis. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Sciatica (peripheral neuropathy), various digestive symptoms, gestational diabetes, anxiety and other mental health support.
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3rd Trimester Breech baby treatment (ideally treatment from 30w to 34w). We recommend conditioning of the whole body for childbirth from 37 weeks to 40 weeks. Especially to help you relax and release around the pelvic muscles and joints.
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Birth We can help prepare for childbirth (relax and release around the pelvic muscles and joints). If you request to “induce labor,” we can support this with acupuncture treatment. We can also help with active labor contractions and help relieve labour pain.
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4th Trimester Support healthy milk production/help increase lactation.Postnatal depression / anxiety (4th Trimester). Support healing processes physical stress and damage from birth, and can help C-section scar condition or prevention of infection/Suppurations.
Pre and Post Pregnancy Acupuncture
Sleep Difficulties for Infants, Babies and Toddlers
Your little one and your family may benefit from working with a Sleep Consultant if they are:
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Struggling with short day naps
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Difficulty settling for sleep
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Late bedtimes
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Not settling until midnight
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Frequently waking overnight
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Earlier morning wake ups
Understanding when and how to implement sleep training is crucial for a good night's rest.
0-3 Months Old
For infants aged 0-3 months, sleep training is about offering valuable sleep advice as they're not yet developmentally ready for formal sleep training methods.
3 Months - 5 Years Old
Ages 3 months to 5 years old, we're here to help you establish healthy sleep habits and can do this through a different range of sleep training methods. Our sleep training solutions are tailored to suit the unique needs of children in this age range, ensuring they develop the skills necessary for a lifetime of restful nights.
Please note: All online bookings for Sleep Consultation are done through the Frankton Clinic in the online bookings section.
1 Week Support Package
A full evaluation of your child’s current sleep situation
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A customised sleep plans personalised to your child
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One private introduction consultant - 40-60 minute - via phone call or in person at our Frankton clinic
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3x15min follow up phone calls during the week
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Evaluation and feed back on daily logs over the one week
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$198
2 Week Support Package
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A full evaluation of your child’s current sleep situation
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One private introduction phone consultant - 40-60 minute - via phone call or in person at clinic
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A customised sleep plans personalised to your child
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6x15min follow up phone calls during two week
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Evaluation and feed back on daily logs over the two weeks.
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$268
One Off Phone Calls
For new and existing clients:
30 Minute Phone Call
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Ask me anything
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No take home support given out
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$52
45 Minute Phone Call
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Ask me anything
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Includes emailed out sleep advice.
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$98
About Belinda - Baby Sleep Consultant
As an Osteopath with over 5 years of experience in treating children, I've had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the joys and challenges that come with parenthood. A frequent topic of discussion was the challenging issue of sleep. Driven by a genuine passion for the wellbeing of both babies and their parents, I pursued studies to become a qualified sleep consultant for infants, babies and children.
I firmly believe that sleep is a fundamental component of overall well-being for babies, parents, and the entire family unit. A good night's sleep not only rejuvenates the body but also promotes mental and emotional balance.
As Osteopaths we pride ourselves on treating each patient as an individual and finding the cause of a problem and a solution that is personalised to them. Every family is different, every child is different so having a personalised approach to sleep is important.
I am here to empower you with simple, effective strategies that will help your child sleep better, so that you, too, can get the rest you deserve. Together, we'll create a nurturing environment where everyone can thrive, and I'm thrilled to join you on this journey toward peaceful, restorative sleep for your family.
5.5 month old girl
We couldn’t recommend Belinda enough!
Our wee girl was a great sleeper until the 4 month sleep regression, where she then refused to sleep unless she was being held, day naps were no longer than 45 mins & we had multiple wake ups during the night. Belinda successfully helped us get our wee one back to sleeping in her bed, going down without any fuss, two hour day naps & the night wakes to only 1 or 2 during the night all within a couple of weeks!
She was always so helpful & quick to reply to any of my questions & never short of new advice to help me at any of our check ins.
Thank you so much Belinda!
2 year old girl
We're incredibly grateful for the life-changing support provided by Belinda. We were very hesitant about getting help with Bella's sleep and I would always say "Maybe she'll sleep when she's 1 year old.." then "Maybe she'll sleep when she's 18 months old"... but then we finally got the guidance we should've looked for a long time ago. Thanks to Belinda, Bella has just started sleeping through the night (just in time for her 2nd birthday!) So if you're on the fence about whether you should get help (regardless of your child's age); then I would recommend talking to Belinda (you'll only wish you did sooner).
Belinda's expertise, tailored sleep plan, and unwavering support led to remarkable improvements in Bella's sleep in just a few weeks. What truly stood out was her empathy and professionalism. There were a few key changes we needed to make that Belinda identified through our logs which really helped Bella's overall routine (not just sleep, but her energy levels, wind down, eating etc!). Belinda was amazing at working with our parenting style whilst still helping us with boundaries and consistency. We wholeheartedly recommend Belinda!
Thanks again for all your help!
6 month old boy
Thanks for the email and for your support throughout the whole training. Like i've said before, it was not what i thought i'll be able to do ever. It was so difficult at the start and I almost gave up. Mentally I was not able to let him cry it out even with me sitting next to him as a support. But you have assisted me in adapting to my way of settling which I was more comfortable with. The fact that I am able to leave for work without having to worry if Steve is able to settle Isaac is a big win!