Dear Friends:
  Any healthcare professional (MD, DO, CNM, PT, OT, LMT etc.etc.) can take
cranio-sacral training. Lay people can take the training as well, and there is
a specific "ShareCare" day long workshop that is for the lay person to learn a
basic technique, which would NOT give anyone enough to work on a baby. Call
800-233-5880 to get information directly from the Upledger Institute.
    I have been using cranio-sacral therapy along with remedial co-bathing,
skin-to-skin care, co-sleeping, daily telephone contact, and very gentle,
loving bottle feeding at breast to help babies breastfeed that never have.
Seems to be working for the most part. Last failure was a set of twins that
came to me at 8 1/2 weeks, as a last ditch effort. Mom said her hospital was
"breastmilk friendly, but not breastfeeding friendly." Twins never did get all
that interested in the breast; first time mom, at home alone with twins, not
pumping enough because she was so overwhelmed, refused to hire a doula. Still,
the parents were delighted with the joys of co-sleeping and skin-to-skin
contact and so were the babies. That was the best they could have. If babies
(and moms) get help in the first 3-4 weeks, things seem to go better. Warmly,
Nikki Lee