Maternal Osteopathic Care

Gentle Osteopathic Care for Mothers and Babies

Pregnancy, birth and early motherhood place huge demands on the body. Changes can happen gradually, without you noticing and while you’re busy thinking about everyone but yourself.

Maternal Osteopathic Care is a specialist Osteopathic service, rooted in Classical Osteopathy offering calm and attentive treatment, as much as clinical skill.

The clinic is held in a safe and compassionate environment, where mothers, partners and families feel listened to and supported based on their own unique requirements.

Pregnancy Osteopathy in Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths

Maternal Osteopathic Care is designed to support you through:

The body is going through monumental changes to accommodate pregnancy and birth, and an Osteopath who understands all the nuances of the different stages of pregnancy can help the mother, and her body, to prepare for birth and beyond.

The gentle, holistic, hands-on approach of Osteopathy can truly benefit both mother and baby during pregnancy. Maternal Osteopathic Care offers treatment that is thoughtful, unhurried, always respectful and tailored to where you are right now, based upon years of experience in treating mothers and mother-to-be.

Our lead Osteopath, Quentin Shaw, is one of the foremost practitioners of Osteopathy for pregnancy and treatment of Pelvic Girdle Pain in the country. He, along with his colleagues at Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths, represent decades of experience caring for women at every stage of their pregnancy, plus Cranial Osteopathy for your baby.

We cannot overlook a partner’s role in the pregnancy journey and therefore also acknowledge their involvement and offer support to them. This might take the form of helping with fertility issues, or easing aches and pains brought on by lifting equipment, prolonged soothing of the baby or the stress or anxiety that having a newborn can bring.

Maternal Osteopathic Care

Supporting you – from Preparation to Parenthood

Fertility & Pre-Pregnancy Support

Preparing for pregnancy is about more than timing. Osteopathy can support fertility by optimising the body’s structure, circulation, nervous system balance, and hormonal communication, creating the best possible environment for conception.

It doesn’t “force” pregnancy, but it removes physical barriers and stress patterns that can interfere with reproductive function.

Prenatal Preparation

Preparing for pregnancy and birth is about adaptability, comfort and confidence. Osteopathic care during this stage focuses on:

  • Pelvic and spinal balance
  • Breathing and posture awareness
  • Supporting comfort as the body begins to change
  • Encouraging calm nervous system regulation

We recommend to any woman wanting to become pregnant to have a thorough musculoskeletal check-up. Read more to learn how to build a strong foundation for the physical demands of pregnancy and labour.

Pregnancy Support

During pregnancy, your body changes constantly. Maternal Osteopathic Care offers gentle, hands-on support to help you adapt more comfortably. We commonly support mums with:

  • Back, pelvic, hip, rib, or neck pain 
  • Pelvic discomfort or feelings of heaviness 
  • Sciatic or sacroiliac discomfort 
  • Breathing or postural changes General tension, fatigue, or overwhelm

Osteopathy is beneficial for all pregnant women, as it is a safe, gentle and effective treatment that relieves strains across your body. Our aim is to help you have a comfortable pregnancy and positive birth experience with minimum intervention.

Maternal Osteopathic Care

Supporting you – from Preparation to Parenthood

Pelvic Health Support

Pelvic health matters and is very important. Many women don’t realise support is available. Maternal Osteopathic Care can help with:

  • Bladder or bowel control concerns 
  • Pelvic floor weakness, tightness, or co-ordination difficulties 
  • Pelvic discomfort or heaviness 
  • Post-natal confidence to move and exercise

Assessments and care are external, consent-led, clearly explained, and never pressured.

Maternal Pelvic Balance and Baby's Position

Maternal Osteopathic Care offers gentle care for comfort, balance, and confidence in pregnancy. Osteopathic treatment is external, gentle, and pregnancy-safe. Your Osteopath may support:

  • Pelvic and lower back mobility
  • Muscle and ligament balance
  • Breathing and posture
  • Nervous system calm and relaxation

This approach may also be complemented by simple movements and positions you can safely practise at home.

PGP (Pelvic Girdle Pain) / SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction)

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) or Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) can be a painful and debilitating condition, experienced by approximately 1 in 5 women. It presents during pregnancy and can continue months or even years after giving birth. There is no formal treatment offered on the NHS, however, Maternal Osteopathic Care can help with non-invasive and gentle treatment.

Explore how to ease pregnancy-related pain, understand PGP/SPD and its causes, and see how treatment supports both pregnancy and post-partum recovery. Learn what to expect, how healing progresses, and hear real experiences from patients.

Post Natal Care

Birth, whether vaginal or caesarean, places real strain on the body. Post-natal Osteopathic care can support:

  • Recovery after birth or C-section
  • Pelvic and abdominal comfort
  • Scar sensitivity or restriction
  • Back, neck, and shoulder tension
  • Fatigue, feeling overwhelmed or “not quite right”

This approach may also be complemented by simple movements and positions you can safely practise at home.

Paternal Osteopathic Care

Pregnancy, birth and early parenthood are profound physical and emotional transitions not only for mothers, but for fathers too. Osteopathic care can play an important role in supporting men as they adapt to the demands of pregnancy, birth and family life.

Physical Demands of Fatherhood: Fathers commonly experience new or worsening musculoskeletal strain due to:

  • Lifting and carrying infants and equipment
  • Disrupted sleep and fatigue
  • Prolonged feeding or soothing postures
  • Increased work and stress demands

By supporting the father’s/partner’s physical wellbeing, as well as the mother’s at Maternal Osteopathic Care, we can help maintain their resilience and presence within the family unit.

Maternal Osteopathic Care

Supporting you – from Preparation to Parenthood

What Makes Maternal Osteopathic Care Different?

We commonly support mums with:

  • Calm, unrushed appointments 
  • Gentle, hands-on care 
  • Whole-body approach (not just symptoms) 
  • Clear explanations and reassurance 
  • Support that respects both physical and emotional wellbeing

What Our Patients Say About Us

Chloe

I experienced SPD symptoms two years after giving birth and was informed there was no specific treatment available. It was not until we came across Quentin at Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths that we finally found relief.  We embarked on a journey between 2.5-3.5 hours to visit this purported miracle worker, who undeniably lived up to his reputation. Although I still have a few more sessions to go, my condition has already improved significantly.

Sacha

I was becoming more physically disabled and after giving birth was unable to lift my son without assistance. Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths has given me my independence back. My body feels free and it is really exciting to think I can now lift my son without so much strain and anguish.

Poppy

I never needed to use crutches, or a wheelchair during my fourth pregnancy, despite being disabled in my third pregnancy. I would urge any SPD sufferer or indeed, anyone suffering back pain to visit Quentin at Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths. His skills as an osteopath are quite extraordinary. I would go so far as to say he has x-ray vision.

Helen

All advice went against everything I’d read or been told by other health professionals, but I was prepared to listen to the expert, bearing in mind nobody else seemed to have anything positive to say about SPD. I continued to see Quentin throughout the remainder of my pregnancy and remained crutch free and in little or no pain.

Carolina

A GP who had herself suffered from SPD gave us the details of an Osteopath in Tunbridge Wells who came highly recommended as an expert. SPD is not something you need to put up with: The proper treatment can change your life.

C Wright

I expected SPD to go away after pregnancy, but continued to get pelvic, hip, and sacroiliac joint pain. I really felt old before my time. I went to see Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths and Quentin told me more in five minutes than anyone had been able to tell me in five years!

Katherine

I lived on a concoction of prescription painkillers that rendered me senseless. Despite being two counties away from Tunbridge Wells, I thought it was worth a shot. Quentin instantly saw the appalling state my posture was in and set about fixing me. [Many] years on, I cannot thank Quentin enough for giving me my life back

Anna

I was in pain nearly all the time after a horrific pregnancy with SPD. Prior to meeting Quentin, I never thought I’d risk having a second child. And yet during my second pregnancy Quentin kept me on my feet with barely a twinge. I am so grateful.

Liz

My life was a mess. I knew I couldn’t spend another year moving between relapses and doctors visits. I had originally dismissed Tunbridge Wells due to the distance between us (I live in Staffordshire) but I knew I had to give it a go. 

[Visiting Tunbridge Wells Osteopaths] was the catalyst to my change in fortune. I hobbled into the reception area on my crutches and left with no crutches, and no need for them either.

Natalie

It was only after visiting Quentin, I realised it didn’t need to be this way. From my first visit it was transformational. I hadn’t realised how much my life had been impacted.  I had been managing my back for years and was not physically free. Over the course of 3 or 4 sessions, it was like a cloud of head fog cleared. I was able to get back to normal life.  I was able to exercise and travel again without worrying or carrying ice packs everywhere with me.”

About Us

Maternal Osteopathic Care is part of Tunbridge Wells Osteopathic Practice, offering experienced and evidence-informed, compassionate care in a safe and welcoming environment.

Get in touch

5 Upper Grosvenor Road
Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 2DU
United Kingdom

+ 44 (0)1892 535858