I specialize in working with infants, and offer sessions for moms and babies. Babies seem to love this work and often sleep soundly through sessions. I often treat babies in their first weeks of life, as their bodies are very fluid and receptive to this extremely gentle work.
Reasons you might bring your baby for craniosacral work
- Torticollis: Baby has difficulty turning their head in either direction or their neck seems stuck in one position
- Plagiocephaly: flat areas of the head
- Difficult birth
- Trouble breastfeeding or painful breastfeeding
- Digestive trouble (acid reflux, colic, gas, constipation, pain)
- Ear or sinus problems
- Sleep problems
- Tongue tie
- Baby seems uncomfortable in their body
What are the benefits to your baby?
I often hold the baby’s head and sacrum, and feel the movement of the cranial bones, membranes, and cerebrospinal fluid, helping the baby unwind tension and allowing for any corrections to happen.
- As babies’ bodies are malleable and very fluid, they can correct easily and quickly
- Easier breastfeeding; less spitting up or reflux
- More aligned neck and spine
- Greater ease of movement
- Increased relaxation and comfort
- Balanced nervous system
- Prevent problems later in life
“In the fall of 2014, our infant son Henry was having difficulty with nursing – his jaw was very tight, I felt pain when he latched, and he would not remain latched for more than a few seconds. Because of these issues, Henry was mostly eating from a bottle. When Samara came to our home, we were very impressed with her knowledge and ability to work with a small, and sometimes uncooperative, baby. We appreciated her calm and patient manner, and her explanations of what she was doing to help Henry’s jaw and cranium. After the first session with Samara, Henry nursed for over fifteen minutes without unlatching, and he has continued to become a very successful breastfeeder who rarely eats from a bottle. We are very grateful for Samara and her work to help our son thrive. In the fall of 2015, I began struggling with mastitis and plugged ducts while nursing my twin sons. Samara’s acupuncture and craniosacral work were pivotal in overcoming the issue so that I could continue to nurse my twins until they self-weaned. Samara always explains what she is doing as well as what she is reading from my body. I have seen several different acupuncturists in the past, but I have never felt so comfortable and understood the thought process behind Chinese medicine as well as when working with Samara. I cannot recommend her enough!”
Emilie P.
“Our baby Camden was born with torticollis. He had been squished in the same position so long in utero that his left ear was completely flat and his head leaned far to the right. Our lactation consultant recommended Samara to help lengthen him out. Since I had never had a cranial sacral session, I didn’t know what to expect but I thought we should give it a try. Samara came to our house, which was wonderful because we just weren’t up to going anywhere when he was only a week old. The work that Samara did on Camden was so gentle that he slept right through the session. After the session, I couldn’t believe what an improvement there was in his posture! There was a very noticeable difference in how much his head was cocked to the side and he was able to look in both directions. It was so wonderful to see him stretched out and comfortable. He has shown improvement with each subsequent session. We have truly enjoyed working with Samara and feel lucky that we started working with her when Camden was so young. She has a wonderful calming presence and is excellent with babies. I have recommended her to all of my friends with little ones!”
Bridget T.
“Samara is an amazing practitioner. I am a massage therapist and know how hard it can be to find perceptive skilled hands. She was able to help me achieve a superior level of relaxation and ease through my pregnancy. 3 weeks after giving birth to my daughter I started to have some trouble nursing. I was told she was restricted in the neck and shoulders making it difficult to latch. I was referred to Samara again by my lactation consultant who also said she did great work. I had seen results with just the first session, my daughters neck was much more free and her latch came much easier. I would highly recommend her, she is skilled and has a light and delicate touch for those who are more sensitive. “
T.C.
“After 45 hours of labor, I went in for a C-section. My little one had been wrapped in my cord and unable to descend. She seemed a little crooked and fairly unresponsive, which is normal for a newborn, but I wanted her to have the best beginning! I’ve known Samara for a long time and as someone who is also in the healthcare community, I knew she was the one I wanted working on my brand new daughter. The kiddo responded very well, and her neck and hips were much more relaxed after her first treatment. She also became much more aware of her surroundings! We had a few more meetings with Samara where the baby’s mobility was assessed and treated, and her latch improved tremendously. We haven’t had any problems since, now 7 months out, but I wouldn’t hesitate to return to Samara for almost any issue with the babe and will certainly book an appointment for right after any new baby’s birth!”
Ashley Y.
“At 41 weeks, the midwives sent me to get an ultrasound where we were all surprised to learn my baby was breach. There was no way to tell how long she had been breach, as the midwives had not detected this at any point. As a result, the first few weeks of having her home we struggled with a tongue-tie issue and her poor little arms and shoulders were so tightly held against her body, which all affected breast-feeding. In addition there were worries about her hips because of her breach position. Our pediatrician recommended Samara for craniosacral and we were pleased to learn she could do sessions in our home. I think our baby girl was just around 4 weeks old or so for her first session. Samara was gentle and precise. She exuded calm, healing, centered energy. Our pets and baby took an instant shine to her and over a couple of months she helped our baby loosen the tension in her neck and shoulder muscles and her hip ultrasounds went from inconclusive to perfect. I was actually sad when our daughter stopped needing regular appointments with Samara because I had begun to look forward to her attentive, warm presence, which was very reassuring for a first time mother in the murky postpartum world of change and worry. I would recommend Samara to anyone looking for perceptive, gentle and effective body work for themselves or a newborn. Samara made us all feel safe, hopeful and confident that our baby was getting the best possible start in life. Our little girl is now a busy, noisy 9 month old with perfect development and I think her early sessions with Samara most definitely helped her and gave us peace of mind that we had done all we could to mitigate any possible harm from being in a breach position for an extended period of time.”
G.D.