Newborn & Baby Osteopathy

Gentle osteopathic care for your baby, with reassurance and support for you.

Birth is a big physical event — for babies as well as mothers. Even a straightforward delivery involves significant compression and movement through the birth canal, and a longer, assisted, or very fast labour can leave a baby holding tension in their head, neck, and body. Osteopathy offers a gentle, non-invasive way to help babies settle into life outside the womb.

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When might you bring your baby to see us?

You don’t need to know exactly what’s wrong before you come to see us — if you’re unsure whether an appointment is right for your baby, just get in touch and we can talk it through.

  • Unsettled, colicky, or hard-to-soothe babies

  • Feeding or latch difficulties

  • Reflux-type symptoms

  • A preferred head turn, or difficulty turning the head
    one way (torticollis)

  • Flattening on one side of the head (plagiocephaly)

  • Disrupted or difficult sleep

  • Recovery after a difficult, assisted (forceps or ventouse), or very fast birth

  • General “settling in” checks, even for babies without a
    specific concern

What happens during an appointment?

Sessions are calm and unrushed. I’ll take a full history of the pregnancy and birth, then carry out a gentle hands-on assessment and treatment while your baby is held by you, feeding, or lying comfortably. Treatment is adapted entirely to what your baby needs on the day.

Supporting mothers and fathers too

A big part of this work is you. Caring for a new baby is physically and emotionally demanding, and I want you to leave each appointment with a clearer sense of what’s going on for your baby and what you can do to help between sessions. This is osteopathy — not a substitute for medical care — but it sits alongside it, supporting your baby’s own capacity to settle and thrive.

Baby-led osteopathy

I treat newborns and babies using very light, precise techniques. It’s calm, unhurried work, and most babies relax or fall asleep during a session.

Why Jacqui loves treating babies

Over the years, I have developed a particular passion for treating newborns and babies. I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity and subtlety of working with them. Babies communicate through their movement, posture and behaviour, and I love taking the time to observe and understand what they are telling us.

What I love most is the difference early treatment can make. A young tree bent by the wind will grow on in that shape unless something helps it find its way straight again — and babies are much the same. If a difficulty is addressed early, we can help a baby settle into a more comfortable, natural pattern of movement, giving them the best possible start. My focus isn’t on “fixing” a problem — it’s on helping each baby grow into their full potential.

It makes a difference for the whole family, too. When a baby is uncomfortable, everyone feels it — and when things ease for baby, life gets easier for everyone. I also really value the relationship with parents. When you bring your baby to see me, I know that you are trusting me with someone incredibly precious to you. I want you to feel comfortable, listened to and never rushed.

My aim is that you leave knowing that your baby has been carefully assessed, gently treated where appropriate, and that you understand what we have found.

 FAQs

  • Babies can be seen from the newborn period onwards

    — I’ve treated babies just a few hours after birth. If you are unsure whether an appointment is appropriate for your baby, please contact us and we can discuss your concerns.

  • Osteopathic assessment and treatment can be adapted for newborns and young babies. Any treatment provided is gentle and tailored to the individual baby.

  • That’s completely normal. Your baby may be hungry, tired, overwhelmed or simply not want to be examined at that particular moment. We will stop whenever your baby needs a break.

  • Absolutely. Please feed, cuddle and comfort your baby whenever they need it.

  • You don’t need a referral simply to discuss your concerns with us. However, if your baby has a health concern that requires medical assessment, we may recommend that you speak with your GP, public health nurse or another appropriate healthcare professional.

  • There is no standard number. Every baby is different. After assessing your baby, we’ll discuss whether further osteopathic treatment is appropriate and what we recommend.

  • Yes. We are very happy for both parents to be involved in their baby’s appointment.