Newborn & breastfeeding support

Meeting you and your child

When your precious child arrives in the world, she calls on you for love, breastfeeding and tending her well-being. When breastfeeding is difficult to establish initially or if your baby has experienced a very difficult birth, I offer home visits for newborns. Babies with profound challenges also benefit from early intervention from the first days.

Baby whisperer

My training and experience centralizes around babies, especially newborns. As a certified lactation counselor, craniosacral therapist and infant developmental movement therapist, I am able to make a difference for your baby and you. I have a track record of excellent outcomes for breastfeeding moms and babies.

Newborn assessment & support

Birth was an intense journey for your little one. Bring your baby in for a well-child check if you have any concerns. I provide a limited number of home visits for newborns who have a very difficult birth or profound challenges, with the same terms as below for breastfeeding home visits.

Pacing with your baby

The overall pace and priorities of the session are set by your child and you. Newborns respond best to quiet, gentle touch that follows his rhythms and cues. When a newborn feels that he is met, both in his wholeness and in his places of restriction, your baby puts me to work on unwinding or on opening cranial bones that are jammed. Your baby leads the session.

Newborns work very hard to get their bones and fascia in good alignment and ease. Without session work, they may cry inconsolably in either discomfort or to create internal pressure to move their bones. A newborn may want to suckle ineffectively non-stop. When this is very painful for mom, help is needed. Craniosacral therapy with fascia unwinding provides effective resolution of most breastfeeding and birth trauma problems. Your baby may revisit his birth journey and unwind through movement and emotions. I explain anatomical and physiological processes in lay terms to parents to provide a context for your baby’s experience. I provide materials specific to newborn and the craniosacral system.

Comfort and challenge

Your baby tells us everything about what is going on for her inside through her cries and gestures. During session I give you an ongoing commentary on what I observe for your baby. Above all I encourage you to trust your baby and yourself as you tune into your baby. If you have had a difficult birth, your baby did too. She may have had a difficult passage, even though your experience was not overwhelming. Your baby may process her birth emotionally, telling her story through crying and movement.

Course of sessions

I provide home visits for newborns (a few hours old to 10 days old) in the Twin Cities area. I strongly encourage you to call for breastfeeding support as early as possible, by 24-36 hours after birth if you have not been able to establish effective latch and suck. Most breastfeeding problems can be resolved in 1-5 sessions. Some conditions may require team care with an experienced pediatric chiropractor.

Breastfeeding sessions are designed to encompass at least one full cycle of breastfeeding. Newborns normally feed every 2 hours. In the first session we go over intake & what craniosacral therapy is about, including basic anatomy and physiology of this system that you will be referencing. I provide gentle, hands-on therapy for your baby.

Length of session work for newborns depends entirely on the course of breastfeeding and presenting issues. A full intake for breastfeeding support include evaluation, observation of a nursing session, counseling, craniosacral therapy and home program over a period of 2:30 to 3:30 hours. When needed, ongoing sessions for breastfeeding support typically last 1:30-3:00 hours.

Home program

I also show you how you can help your baby, and create an individualized home program for you to do follow-up care. I demonstrate how to carry out your baby’s home program and address any questions. Your day-to-day support of your baby provides her best care, and increases affordability for your family.

Community of support

Many doulas and midwives provide referrals to me for families whom they support at birth. In appreciation of our community of support for new families, I extend a 10% discount to families who hire doula members of the Childbirth Collective and to families who birth at home. Provide me with the name of your midwife or doula to request a discount.

Arrange a session

Contact Catherine to schedule a session. Fill out intake forms to provide me in your first session.

Gift certificates & therapy packages

Family and friends can give you a beautiful practical gift to help you prepare for natural birth, to recuperate and to begin breastfeeding. Three gift certificate packages available. You can put together your own prepaid, discounted therapy package also.

Questions