By Krissy Myers, Mike Myers and Dr. Barry Gillespie
Kristen Kercher Myers, Michael D Myers and I are setting the guidelines for CFT after birth. Since every newborn has a totally unique fetal/labor/delivery experience, the CFT frequency will vary with each infant. Thus, we cannot issue a cookbook timing protocol (ABCD) for every infant.
In CFT the body knows best how to heal itself. Our research tells us that the newborn’s craniosacral fascial system holds the emotional and physical birth traumas like layers of an onion. We totally listen to that tiny body and wait for a stretch signifying infant driven movement (IDM). We respect the infant’s innate wisdom to know the exact timing for healing each specific layer.
The Baby Brain Score (BBS) is a great indicator to determine the urgency of continued treatment after the first important CFT session. If the BBS is a low number like 0, 1, 2, or 3, the need for CFT is much greater than an infant with a higher BBS number like 6, 7, or 8.
With a low BBS number, the provider can check/treat the infant every 10-15 minutes until that high-stressed baby is significantly more relaxed. With a high BBS number, mother/baby bonding time may be a greater need, and checking the infant every few hours may suffice.
As an example, female baby “A” has a low BBS of 2. After her initial CFT session, the provider would try again in 10-15 minutes. If “A” needs to release more then, the provider would complete that session. If not, she is saying that I am still processing from the initial session and am not ready for more now. The provider would honor that and try later.
Newborns will not necessarily engage in CFT at every session. The provider needs to respect that wish and not try to fix, force, manipulate, or adjust the baby. It is not about the provider’s ego or rational mind; it is all about the newborn’s need for healing.
Many medical procedures are done to newborns at specific times. There is a much-needed place for those protocols, but newborn structural healing does not work that way. We need to give great respect to a vulnerable traumatized human being just coming into the world. The most important aspect of newborn CFT is that we are ALWAYS LISTENING to facilitate that infant’s healing journey.
To complete the birth package, most babies need more CFT at around 4-6 weeks of age. That first growth spurt can awaken deeper layers of strain, which the infant was not ready to address and release at birth. The ideal goal for every child is to be as strain-free as possible, knowing potential deeper dormant layers may still present in the toddler and youngster stages.
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