Discomfort & pain in pregnancy tells you where your body is out of alignment
Aches and pains anywhere around the belly, lower back, hips, bottom, groin and legs are clues that something is off.
Perineum: the childbearing diaphragm
A woman’s perineum is especially designed to hold a baby (and all your abdominal organs) in. When it’s time to bring baby out, the perineum does an extraordinary job of opening. The perineal diaphragm is required to be both strong and flexible.
Because everything is connected to everything, the tone of the perineum is affected by all the muscles of the pelvis. There are a lot of them, and the biggest muscles in the body are harnessed to the hips. Prime movers including the psoas, gluts, hamstrings, quads and more all affect the tone of the perineum and tone of the pelvic ligaments.
Catherine provides somatic myofascial therapy as a Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner.
Baby’s position at birth
When restricted or in very low tone and when out of balance, the pelvic home is misaligned. Baby does his best to find a place to land in the pelvis and wind his way out. But if bones, muscles and fascia are misaligned, baby may not be able overcome the maternal chamber to find a good position or passage. Several modalities are very helpful. Chiropractic can help with skeletal alignment. But anyone who has to go to the chiropractor weekly may getting a message from her body: The soft tissues (muscles and fascia) are pulling the skeletal structure out of alignment. Yoga and other alignment activities are invaluable to help you find and maintain alignment. However, persistent discomfort is a signal calling for myofascial therapy. Balancing and releasing the pelvic muscles and fascia can allow baby to find a good position for birth. For a baby who is in a difficult position, myofascial therapy for breech balancing is highly effective in helping a baby rotate to head down.
Babies, birth & breastfeeding
During birth baby is in deep flexion while undergoing compression forces. In the best of births, baby is navigating a complex journey that requires she rotate and bend herself several times in changing directions and shape. These deep movements in her body while under compression, can twist the soft tissue fascia. Twisted fascia then affects muscles and bones, and ultimately breastfeeding and, sometimes, create colic. Following the intensity of birth babies may benefit enormously with myofascial release and craniosacral therapy.
Suspension systems & connective tissue
Hammocks & swings
Internal wrappers and slings create suspension systems that support dynamic stability and mobility.
Throughout the whole body, muscles (myo) and fascia (wrappers) function together to provide a mobile suspension system. Muscles give us mobility, while fascia slings provide flexible support for every muscle and organ and between bones. For example, your heart is suspended in a fascia hammock with ligaments (more fascia) in the chamber of the ribs by ligaments. Your heart pulses, but it stays in place. Your organs don’t move around inside your body since they are suspended in their own places by the fascia system.
The myofascial system includes all the diaphragms, such as the respiratory diaphragm, which form strong trampoline-like structures and malleable surfaces. In a trampoline, the bouncy, firm surface moves up and down as you jump, while your diaphragm moves up and down as you breath. The firm central fascia platform of your diaphragm is infused with muscles that connect to your ribs. These muscles actively move the pliable myofascial diaphragm up and down. The muscles are like the coils of springs that attach to the trampoline frame. On both the trampoline and in breathing, the platform responds and moves but provide firm support and resilient bounce back.
Muscle and fascia provide dynamic stability and mobility. Fascia is connective tissue – and everything is connected to everything in the body through the fascia suspension system.
Tone for the full range
Just like vocal range, we want our muscles and fascia to have their full range. We need both strength and flexibility. We want to be able to sing those high notes – and slide down to the bottom for full effect. Muscle tone is not a static, gripping state. Relaxed muscles are soft, while working muscles are firm yet still pliable.
I provide light touch to balance tone in the myofascial system. By contacting the sensory apparatus of the muscles and fascia, restricted tissues can relax, and lax tissues are activated.
What to expect in a session for:
Arrange sessions for yourself and your baby
Somatic myofascial therapy for women and gentle craniosacral therapy for babies.