Even before I got pregnant with my son, I was already a fan of osteopathy and physiotherapy. As a freelance photographer, who both travels a lot for outdoor and studio photoshoots, I experience a lot of body pains. Who says only models suffer from a stiff back? 

My shoulders and back a lot because I had to lie down on my stomach, crouch, stoop, and even roll over to capture the perfect angle and shot. And that happens for hours, even an entire day. 

Osteopathy and physiotherapy have been my saviour whenever I ache everywhere. In fact, I am a big fan of cranial osteopathy. 

I knew I would need osteopathy and physiotherapy for my post natal care in Singapore and my child's developmental milestones when I got pregnant with my son. Learn more about our journey here. 

Developmental Milestones

During my pregnancy, I attended some physiotherapy and yoga classes to make giving birth easier. According to my instructor, these exercises and stretches help prepare my body for the incoming changes brought to you by the growing fetus in my womb. It also gave me relief from pregnancy-related body aches, lower back pain and headache. 

During my prenatal yoga class, I discovered that osteopathy and physiotherapy help achieve a baby's developmental milestones. 

So, what exactly are developmental milestones?

Developmental milestones are physical skills infants and children acquire as they grow old. It includes grasping objects, walking, running, jumping, and so on. 

Months after giving birth to my son, I search for paediatrics near me to know if osteopathy and physiotherapy are safe for my baby. 

The First Three Months

In the first three months (I was still under my post natal care in Singapore), I checked out a pediatric clinic in Singapore that offers osteopathy and physiotherapy for infants. 

From living inside the cramped womb for nine months and passing through the narrow birth canal during the delivery, babies also experience body stresses. Pediatric physiotherapy is the best way to relieve the baby's discomfort. 

Pediatric physiotherapists use gentle and infant-friendly massages to relieve my son's body stresses. I quickly noticed the difference. My son became less agitated and cried less at night. 

In the first three months, infants learn how to make tight fists, move their heads from side to side, and make jerky movements with their hands, like bringing them to their faces. 

Generally, this is the first milestone of a three-month-old baby, and witnessing this while I had my post natal care in Singapore was very precious. I got teary-eyed when my son started to recognise my voice. 

Third Month to Sixth Month

When my son was four months old, he started to learn how to grip our fingers and his soft toys. Unlike in the previous months, his grips were more steady. He is born a charmer, too, with his very adorable laugh and smile. He was also able to transfer an object from one hand to another. According to our doctor in our pediatric clinic in Singapore, it was a good sign that my child was achieving his milestones according to his age, meaning no delays. 

In his sixth month, he learned to move his feet by kicking and bringing them to his face and mouth. He also started rolling his body on both sides. My husband and I had to place bolster pillows on his sides to prevent him from rolling over and hitting his crib.

In the pediatric physiotherapy session in the paediatrics clinic near me, my therapists taught me some simple exercises like tummy time. 

During tummy time, I turn my son on his stomach for five minutes to help develop his shoulder, neck, arms, and back muscles. 

Seventh Month to Twelfth Month

Within the seventh to the twelfth month, my son learned how to sit independently and crawl. He could stand from a kneeling position without assistance and squat when picking up objects on the floor. He also began walking with support. 

To achieve this period, my husband and I tried at home the pediatric exercises we learned from our doctor in the pediatric clinic in Singapore. 

The exercises include sit-ups and cycling. In sit-ups, we pulled our son's arms gently to put him into a sitting position. It strengthens the baby's arms, shoulders, and core muscles. Later on, our son could sit steadily by himself. 

With the cycling exercise, I just imitated the leg movement when you are pedalling. I put my son on his back before doing the exercise gently. It helped him relieve his gas as well. According to our therapists, the activity strengthens the legs, knees, hips, and core. 

My son's developmental milestone journey went on until he was a toddler. By then, he learned how to walk, run, and jump without assistance. Thanks to Edge Healthcare, where I got cranial osteopathy and my child's pediatric physiotherapy, my son grew up strong and coordinated. 

If your baby is experiencing developmental delays, I highly recommend Edge Healthcare. Book your appointment with Edge Healthcare today.