I love getting to serve families in the OKC area and one of my desires is to provide helpful resources for new moms. I know it can be quite overwhelming especially in those early days. One issue both of my daughters struggled with was tongue ties and breastfeeding. It can be such a brutal combination! So I want to share resources that helped me in my journey so other moms can get the help they need!

Today I’m so excited to share this interview with Hayley B of Bravo Therapy Solutions – Hayley has a doctorate in physical therapy and has now begun helping families with craniosacral fascial therapy services. Hayley is one of the sweetest humans you will meet. She is energetic and relaxed and has a gift for her work!

I highly recommend working with Hayley! We have used her services for help with sensory issues and some other needs for one of our children and I have been so grateful to find her. (and if we ever have another baby you can bet she will be on speed dial for after baby arrives!)

I am a physical therapist, practicing fascial care using Craniosacral Fascial therapy developed by Dr. Barry Gillespie. Therapists who are trained in this particular method can identify fascial strain in the body and release the affected areas. I provide fascial care for all ages, birth through adulthood.

All three of my children had some level of oral restriction in infancy. With my third child specifically, her tongue tie release recovery was not straightforward and required more therapy and bodywork, which initially peaked my interest in this area because she responded so well! She was initially very unhappy and uncomfortable at the breast, lots of clicking, unsettled, and discomfort following nursing. After just a few sessions of this therapy, she had a deeper latch and much less discomfort at the breast. I quickly realized that the same treatments that were helping her could also help children, adolescents, and adults. 

In a perfect world every baby would receive Craniosacral Fascial therapy minutes after being born! Dr. Gillespie and his team are working to making this more of a reality in the US as they have done in their area in Pennsylvania. Every baby, and really every person, experiences some level of birth trauma as we exit the womb. Releasing fascial strain that develops in utero from being in a very confined space, can be released very quickly, following birth, but also can be released at any age!

Newborns benefit from early fascial care to alleviate oral tension, diaphragm restriction, and cranial tension from exiting the birth canal. New mothers benefit especially from releasing fascial strain around the jaw and pelvis following birth. These areas are under a tremendous amount of pressure during labor and during baby’s delivery, and by releasing them, mothers recovery can be expedited in a way. Cranial work is also important for new moms experiencing baby blues, postpartum, anxiety or depression, or other mood changes that come in the postpartum time.

Everyone’s least favorite answer – it depends! No therapist is able to predict how quickly fascial strain will respond. Newborns are typically the quickest to respond but I have seen huge changes in adolescents and adults within 1 to 2 sessions. Some people, however, have many layers of fascial strain that come from not only birth trauma, but a combination of life events and emotional responses throughout their lives, which contribute to the depth of that person’s fascial strain, which sometimes requires several sessions to clear all of the strain.

I am always very clear with people during our initial session that it is impossible for me to predict how many visits they might need. A good guesstimate is to plan for 4-5 treatments to determine if this is the right therapy for you.

Children with ADHD, bed-wetting, anxiety, learning difficulties, sleeping difficulties, asthma, headaches, digestive issues

Adults with migraines, anxiety/depression, TMJ pain, chronic pain, hormone imbalances, unexplained fatigue or brain fog, concussion, sleeping difficulties/airway concerns, scars

Hey! Charis here – your OKC newborn photographer and family photographer and I just want to say thank you so reading this! I’m a lifestyle storytelling photographer based in Edmond and serving the OKC metro area. I would love to connect about photographing your family!