Midwife Ashley is certified in a blend of hands-on techniques including myofascial release (MFR) and craniosacral therapy (CST), with biofield therapies to help the body release tightness and restrictions in the nervous system and soft tissues called fascia.
Myofascial Release (MFR) is a manual therapy technique that focuses on the fascia—the web-like connective tissue that surrounds muscles, bones, and organs. When fascia becomes tight or restricted due to physical or emotional stress, it can contribute to pain, mobility limitations, and discomfort.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, hands-on therapy that helps release tension in the craniosacral system, which includes the skull (cranium), spine, sacrum (tailbone), and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This system plays a vital role in the body’s ability to function properly, impacting the nervous system, muscles, and overall well-being.
Common support for lip, tongue tie release, breastfeeding difficulties & baby head shape.
Releasing restrictions in the fascia brings the body to a state of homeostasis by restoring function to your nervous system, the organs, by reducing or relieving symptoms of acute or chronic disease and reducing pain. For most people, treating the restrictions in their body increases flexibility and mobility. This therapy can also release stored emotions, grief and trauma.
What to expect during a session
Sessions involve gentle, hands-on techniques applied to areas of restriction, such as the head, spine, sacrum, or muscles. CST uses light touch (as little as the weight of a nickel) to encourage fluid movement in the craniosacral system. MFR involves gentle stretching, holding, or sustained pressure to release fascial restrictions. Wear clothing that allows you to move. Treatments can be relaxing as tension leaves the body or bring up and release stored emotion as you let stress go, and clients of all ages often feel more balanced afterward.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
In pregnancy, bodywork can help reduce nausea, decrease pubic bone, back, hip, and round ligament pain, improve circulation, reduces stress, improves sleep, and facilitate better fetal positioning. Body work helps with strains and tightness. It can help release prior emotional trauma including birth trauma, among other things. You will be given exercises that you can take home with you to help your body stay in alignment for a more comfortable pregnancy and birth.
Infants
Bodywork can produce drastic results in infants. Some of the areas we can help correct are
- Torticollis
- Breastfeeding latch/suck reflex and reduction of pain for the mother
- Help correcting latch due to tongue tie AND after tongue tie revision
- Wider jaw opening
- Colic reduction
- Less strain with gas, bowel movements, etc.
- Hyper-irritability
- Visual tracking deficits
- Poor head shape
- Less pain leading to a calmer baby
- Reduce tightness/stiffness in the body
- Gain access to postural reflexes
- So much more!
We do not focus only on the mouth when treating a baby with breastfeeding difficulties, the whole body is connected thus treatment in other parts can improve conditions elsewhere. Treating the breastfed infant also treats the mother as it can decreasing pain during feeding.
Whole Family Treatment
The whole family and can be beneficial to children and adults with
- atypical motor milestone development
- sensory processing difficulties (ADD, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder and learning delays)
- asthma and other respiratory issues
- seizures
- toileting issues including constipation and bladder control
- sleep disturbances including apnea and snoring
- speech delays
- injury recovery
- frequent ear and sinus infections
- chronic pain
- neck and back tension
- emotional trauma
- and so much more!
How to schedule
Ashley Stanton Vann, CPM, LM is a Dynamic Body Balancing Practitioner located in Willow Park, Texas right between Fort Worth and Weatherford. If you are a Midwifery client of ours, myofascial release and craniosacral therapy is included in your normal prenatal appointment time frame as time allows. After birth, DBB is included in your postpartum appointments for both you and baby for the first 6 weeks of their life as time allows. You may schedule a body work specific appointment outside of midwifery care.
Cost: $65 for a 30-minute appointment or $100 per hour.
If you are interested in scheduling a body work session, please contact us here.