vni is an Osteopath who specialises in treating pregnant women and babies. She can help with common problems including pre-natal postural issues and discomfort during pregnancy, complaints whilst women are breastfeeding, unsettled or fractious babies and colic. In all her work, she uses a very methodical approach, asking the right kind of questions to discover what the problems involve and which solutions are most likely to help. She works on the understanding that calmness and balance are vitally important for improving and maintaining wellness.
For individual advice you can contact Avni direct at: www.greatvine.com/avni-trivedi
Speak to me on 0905 620 1268. £1.02/min from a BT landline; calls from mobiles and other networks may vary.



Colic is a condition that can cause much discomfort for babies and stress for the parents who can be at a loss for how to remedy it. In reality it encompasses different signs and symptoms but it can be easily treatable.

QUESTION:
How do I know my baby has colic?

ANSWER:
The medical definition of colic is where a baby cries for more than 3 hours per day, more than 3 days per week and for more than 3 weeks. This is a textbook definition, which doesn’t always apply to a real-life case. Signs you might notice in your baby include drawing its knees up to its chest, arching its back and clenching fists. Your baby may be windy, have a distended tummy and seem in pain. It’s not fully understood why it happens and it can be due to a combination of various factors. Most likely are reasons to do with the baby’s digestive system or overloading its nervous system. Colic can be an issue at around 2-3 weeks and is usually finished by 12-14 weeks. To help, it is always worth taking your baby to the GP to rule out other problems such as allergies, other digestive issues or reflux. It’s worth bearing in mind that there isn’t a test as such to diagnose colic, but rather a collection of symptoms and signs. Your GP may prescribe colic relieving medication. There are, however, a number of things you can try such as eliminating aggravating foods in the mother’s diet e.g. dairy or gas-causing vegetables. You could try shorter feeds to allow the baby to digest more easily as well as rocking or swaddling your baby. Make sure you keep the environment calm (it doesn’t have to be silent- white noise such as the sound of the dishwasher can be very calming!) and have lots of fresh air for a change of scene. Baby massage can be great too - there are many classes available.

QUESTION:
I’ve been recommended by my NCT friends to take my colicky baby to a cranial osteopath. Is this a good idea?

ANSWER:
It’s definitely a good idea to take your baby to an osteopath who specialises in treating babies. It’s important to feel comfortable with the practitioner so try to speak with them over the phone before your appointment to get an idea of their approach. I am an osteopath and I can only speak for how I work, as practitioners are all different. However I think it’s important to take a good case history so that all necessary information, such as the baby’s current symptoms, previous treatment and information about their birth and the pregnancy can help build a picture. It’s important to make clear that you are addressing a baby with colic symptoms, rather than trying to treat colic. This is why the history of the baby is important. Examination involves gently examining movement of the skull, ribcage, abdomen etc. which are all areas that can influence colic. Any areas that are considered to be restricted or tight can then be treated to ease symptoms. This involves gentle handholds on the head, abdomen and chest, which allow releases to take place in the body.
I think that if treatment is going to be effective you will usually see a change within two to three sessions. Results can be very good. For parents with limited financial means, it’s worth contacting student clinics for reduced price treatments. Best of luck with finding a solution for your baby.

QUESTION:
My baby suffers from colic. I’m concerned because she only settles if she’s on her front, but I’m scared to keep her in this position because of the risk of cot death.

ANSWER:
The ‘Back to Sleep’ campaign was launched in 1994 and promoted babies being put on their backs to sleep to prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). The campaign has seen a massive 50% decline in the incidence of SIDS. Most of us, however, would have been put to sleep on our fronts as was the trend at that time. The guidelines 
are vital but I do find however that some parents misinterpret the information and are hesitant to have their babies being placed on their fronts at all. This front or prone position is essential for development as it allows the neck to strengthen and is a preparation for crawling. It is also important for the digestive system. The gut is developed within a vast amount of connective tissue and functions better with
space, as occurs when it is allowed
to hang down (with the baby on their front). My rule of thumb is to have your baby on their tummy if it seems to soothe them during their awake times when you are there to supervise them. A lovely position that you might like to use is to have the baby lying prone on your forearm, so that they are well supported but able to nestle into your body (called tiger in the tree). The more comfortable you are in your body the easier it is for your baby to relax.

For more expert information visit: www.greatvine.com/avni-trivedi