Family Wellbeing

Family Wellbeing Therapies at About Balance Brighton

At About Balance we offer a range of treatments with specialised practitioners focusing on fertility, pregnancy, prenatal and postnatal care and children’s wellbeing.

Fertility, Prenatal and Postnatal Acupuncture

with Eloise Minton

I’ve helped many clients to start the family that they have so longed for. While I never make any promises, as this a unique journey for everyone, I do offer continuity of care, guidance when making difficult decisions about next steps if things haven’t gone as planned and absolute support for you every step of the way.

Acupuncture offers a safe and effective support at all stages of pregnancy, for labour preparation, labour induction and for recovery afterwards. It is an excellent alternative for those who are unable to take their usual prescription medication during pregnancy. Treatments during pregnancy are carefully implemented to ensure highest quality of care and least invasion. 

Fertility and Pregnancy Acupuncture

with Stephanie Downey

I treat clients throughout pregnancy for all conditions including morning sickness, fatigue, back pain, pelvic pain, constipation, swollen ankles, carpal tunnel syndrome, anxiety and insomnia. Between 34-36 weeks ‘moxa’ a no needles technique that I teach to pregnant clients and their partners has been shown to help turn breech babies. I also offer ‘pre-birth’ acupuncture – a course of weekly treatment  from 36- 40 weeks to prepare for birth and help promote a natural and efficient labour. During this time I teach clients and their partners a set of acupressure points to use for pain relief during labour. Post term – acupuncture induction treatment can be helpful to promote labour and avoid a medical induction. I also provide post natal support for clients to help restore energy levels, encourage milk production, lift mood, aid sleep and help scars and tears heal quickly. 
 

I am a long standing member of ACT Acupuncture for Childbirth Team Brighton & Hove. This is part of a national organisation made up of experienced practitioners who have done extensive further training in obstetric acupuncture. We work closely with local midwives and have been invited to hold regular workshops at the RSCH teaching midwives about acupressure for labour and moxa treatment to help turn breech babies. 

 

Pediatric Acupuncture and Acupressure

with Stephanie Downey

I’ve specialised in paediatric acupuncture and acupressure since 1990 treating babies, children and teenagers. I worked at the Dolphin House children’s charity for over 25 years until it closed in 2020. 
 
The kind of things I treat are many and varied including all the usual childhood illnesses, from colic to asthma, eczema, allergies, sleep problems and all kinds of digestive disorders.  Surprisingly babies and young children take to acupuncture quite well. The needles are very tiny and not left in, so the treatment is extremely gentle and takes just a few seconds. I can also offer acupressure if preferred. I often treat older children and teenagers for more emotional problems, stress and anxiety. 

Prenatal, Postnatal and Pediatric Chiropractic Care

with Helen Taylor

Chiropractic care can play an important role in your pregnancy and your bodies preparation and recovery from birth. New hormones (relaxin) make your body more stretchy during pregnancy to make space for your baby, but this can mean you are more sensitive to small injuries. The balance of joints, muscles and ligaments are important for your comfort and for creating space and balance to help your baby optimise their position. I have over 7 years of experience and additional pregnancy training, including the Webster technique, to use gentle adjustments to address these structures.

Post-natally, your body continues to experience a symphony of changes as it adapts to your baby being in the outside world. The new parent positions of holding, cuddling, changing and feeding your growing baby are all new to you and can create strain/tension/small injuries once more. It took 9 months to grow and bring your baby into the world, it will take your body time to recover from this. Once more, the gentle Chiropractic approach can assist your joints, muscles, ligaments and nervous system to adapt in the most optimal way for you.

I work with babies, toddlers and children of all ages – the youngest client I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing was 4 days old!

I use a very gentle, adapted version of Chiropractic care which involves cranial therapy and subtle adjustments to the spine and fascia (connective tissue). The pressure of touch used is only as much as you would use to test the ripeness of an avocado. This delicate approach aims to alleviate any areas of tension or stress on the spine or body that can be disruptive to the optimal function of their nervous system. Babies and children grow and develop at an incredible rate and the brain relies entirely on the feedback of information coming through the nervous system to do so.

 

Pregnancy and Postnatal Massage 

with Anna Bihari, Itka Andrlova, Sukhi Tsang and Zoe Boarer-Pitman

Massage is a perfectly safe way of unwiding during pregnancy. It not only relaxes the parent, but also the baby. Receiving massages from the beginning of the second and the end of the third trimester has been doing a lot of good for many clients during their pregancy. During a pregnancy massage, the therapist is using careful pressure and no scented oils, for maximum safety and comfort. Pregnancy Massage may help many conditions, including sciatica, backache, insomnia, stress, oedema.

 

Prenatal and Postnatal Reflexology

with Anna Bihari and Zoe Boarer-Pitman

Reflexology can be  helpful and is completely safe before, during and after pregnancy. In reflexology we look to restore the body’s natural rhythm and thereby restore its own ability to relax and heal. This systematic foot therapy stimulates  specific reflex points on the feet that can create a direct response in a related body area. The body is always working to balance itself and reflexology works to create this balance (homeostasis). 

 
Other than offering wellbeing treatments for the whole family, we also run regular Pregnancy Yoga courses and toddler friendly classes. For more information, please click here.