CUPBOARD OF ANGRY TUPPERWARE

We have a cupboard in the kitchen which is full of plastic containers, baking tins and trays, cake containers...and Tupperware. I love my Tupperware. I could possibly have an entire house of it, if left to my credit card devices. But, the problem is, the cupboard doth overflow, and small hands that pull everything out makes the Tupperware angry. And then when big hands come to open the cupboard, the Tupperware rises in anger and all falls out all over the floor with a big noise. And then there is much swearing of the male big hands in the house who declare the cupboard to be The Cupboard Of Angry Tupperware. Best to keep the Tupperware on side is my advice, and not make it angry.

Which has nothing whatsoever to do with my post. And in case you want to know about the knitted piece above, that has nothing to do with the post either. I am, as you can see, a little disjointed at the moment. I'm just spread all over the place right now, and trying to focus on too many things, all of which are enjoyable, just needing some attention.

One of which, is my little girl.
I have for many years seen Osteopaths, and have been very fortunate to have had an excellent one in London, and now an excellent one in Sydney. I carry a lot of stress and tension in my back and shoulders, and at times I have been really incapacitated with back pain, and osteopathy really helps. My pregnancy with Pia was hard physically, and I wrote about my trouble with SPD at the time. My back, and in particular my pelvis area have never been the same since, but osteopathy soothes all that.

I am a firm believer in osteopathy for children as well. Particularly if you've had a traumatic, or difficult labour, long, drawn out, or any sort of intervention. I took Max to see my osteopath a month after he was born, we went through his birth in detail, and turns out the difficult birth he had was recurring through the head and neck area which was constricted. A couple of short, non invasive cranial sacral sessions later, and Max was back on track. I always meant to take Pia immediately after birth....but it was a great birth...and I didn't see anything amiss.....so we waited, and I got lazy and caught up in Life, and we never made it.

Pia's been walking now for 3 months, and over the weeks we've really noticed her holding her body in an unnatural way. She holds her left arm up like a teapot, and she drags her left leg. During one of my osteopathic sessions a few months ago, one of the other ladies took her while she was unsettled, and said her left side was very tight and she'd given her a little treatment. Last week we took her back for a full treatment. Poor little Pia! Her left side is so constricted and tight - you just have to touch her shoulders and she cringes. And man can she scream when she wants to. Gentle cranial work and gentle manipulation slowly paid off through the session, and by the time we left she was calmer and less agitated about being touched. It's now been 4 days, and her left arm has started coming down and being used normally more frequently. Another few sessions should really manipulate the skull and shoulder area, and then maybe we can see what the leg is doing. We can see such a huge difference in her body movement, and children react so quickly to the gentle manipulations that it is so worth our while to pursue this.

Luckily, the teapot look is in this year.

Comments

[Ali]

I am a huge advocate too. Like you, all my stress sits in my neck and shoulders and the osteopath is a godsend for when it all gets a bit much.

Cranial osteopathy sorted out my son, who was such a light sleeper that we didn't flush the toilet at night for the first 2 years of his life. Yuk, I know, but when the choice is between sleep and a fresh bowl, I know what I'd opt for!

You could actually feel the difference in the shape of his skull after treatment, so distorted were the bones.

[kim at allconsuming]

Hey there - would you mind emailing me your osteo's name and details? It's something I've always wanted to do for myself but can never find someone. I also need someone for Oscar. Mum's chiro is doing some cranio work on him and I'm not that happy about it - I'd prefer someone like an osteo to be doing that stuff.

[Kate]

I was just thinking about tupperware yesterday as my cupboard exploded as I opened the door. I'd obviously tried to fit one too many thing in there and then immediately there was two little people in there playing away. I eventually shoved it all back in and will open it again when I feel braver.

[Nicole]

Poor little pumpkin, teapots are particularly cute. :)

[shula]

When I get all teed up,
Then I shout,
TIP me over, and pour me out.

Is that how it goes?

[Bertha]

Wow, I've never even heard of Osteopathy before (I remember you mentioning it when you were pregnant, but I didn't really connect with what it was...) but it seems amazing that it could do something for Pia like that!

[Fiona D]

I laughed out loud at your story of the cupboard of angry tupperware and I had to email it to my longsuffering husband - it sounds so familiar. My little people are grown up now so I can only blame it on the resident saucepans and their unruly lids...

[Amy]

Well, now I need to know: What is an Osteopath? Is it the same thing as a Chiropractor?

I'm off to Google it!

[ali]

oh, poor little teapot! it sounds like the osteopathy treatment will help her though. this is such an interesting post - i don't know anything about osteopathy or chiropractic care {or the differences between them} and since i was just referred to a chiropractor for pregnancy-related back pain, this is something that's been on my mind a lot and i feel a lot less nervous now, knowing that even gentle manipulation can help tremendously {i carry a lot of tension in my shoulders and even the slightest touch can elicit such pain, i was envisaging an excruciating session with a chiropractor involving lots of bones crunching together...} and knowing that such treatments can be of such benefit to babies - i'll definitely keep this in mind :)

[Jo]

this is so touching - and pia is so lucky that she has such a switched on Mum! I have been thinking that Dais should see an osteo also - every time I pick her up her back crunches! Thank-you for writing this post, it's just the kick I need to trust my instincts and get going ;)

[Sue]

How interesting to read about that. My son's birth was 12 hours and forceps (I know too much information), and I wonder if that ever effected him. My daughter's birth was 1 hour and she is a really light sleeper. I wonder if osteopathy can help in any way. I always get a knot in the back of my neck from tension, and then it spreads if I dont try and manipulate it out. Sounds as though I need to visit too. Thanks for sharing.

[kirsten]

what a blessing! i don't think we can ever fully understand what babies can go through during intense and difficult labours - good for you to take both of them. i'm sure it will assist them in the long term as well as the short term.

[kate]

I love the Cupboard of angry tupperware!! I have a drawer of angry tupperware!! When we did our reno recetnly I asked for a special drawer and when it came it had to go back to get highter side to try to contain all that plastic!! it drives my husband crazy - but you never lnow when you might need all those spare lids!!

[elissa]

We call our cupboard of angry Tupperware 'chuck and duck', it is both a method and a philosophy.

[michelle]

Yay for osteopaths. I've been seeing one for a tension-related incident, which has now spilled over into some treatment for carpal tunnel. Can't say enough good things about osteopaths!!

All the best with this little journey for Pia. How lucky she is to have you.

"Angry" tupperware. how perfectly apt. Love it:)

[anna]

Ah yes, we have a cupboard of containers too!

I have never been to an osteopath, but I know they are great. I am blessed with a dad who is a body worker so I can always get treatments from him.

[joyce]

i love my tupperware too. i recently hosted a party for my friend's mom. my husband warned me not to get anything because we have no space for it...but of course i did...

osteopathy...i've never heard that before...sounds like it does wonders...i have tons of neck pain...

[jess]

my son eliot had an awful case of croup at about 9 months (he is about the same age as pia) and we went to see the on call dr. who happened to be an osteopath. he took eliot in his arms, manipulated him a bit and the results were immediate! his breathing slowed and he fell fast asleep. it was amazing and changed my feelings about treating illness. thank you for sharing pia's story!

[di]

Glad to hear she's on the mend. (although I have to say that its a bit of a concern that she's putting her body on the line for the sake of fashion at such a young age..)

I haven't tried Osteopathy but I'm in love with my Chiropractor :) She really helped keep my body in line through the latter part of my pregnancy, and is helping me to get my body back on track now. I can't believe how hard motherhood is on your back! And until I can get into regular swimming (which will be soon I hope) it really needs some help.

[Rebecca]

Poor little Pia - such a cute teapot though!

Would be very keen to get a recommendation for an osteopath in London as I still suffer with back and hip pain since my pregnancy.

[Jacqui]

We took our daughter Hazel to our cranial osteopath about a month after she was born and while there wasn't anything particularly wrong with her I thought of it rather like a tune up. He said that while labour can cause problems for babies, so can being born by C-section like Hazel because all the kinks they get in-utero don't get ironed out during delivery. Whatever he did sent her straight to sleep on the table; admittedly I often feel that way too :)

[Charlotte]

Brilliantly written as usual. that angry tupperware has such a personality.

I am finding my sun salutations are helping with the SPD. It was yoga that got me into that mess in the first place. Now it can get me out of it.

[Carson]

That cranial manipulation is so subtle isn't it? You'd swear there was nothing going on (I usually feel like I'm falling asleep) but there is so much going on!

[michele]

the osteopath stuff is so interesting. nice to hear about.

[amisha]

so good to hear that the osteopathy was so successful for pia... it is amazing how responsive children can be to such things, without the years of constriction + habit that we have. these long hours of being hunched up in the library this fall have me thinking that such treatment would probably help me a lot... the neck + shoulder area has been a mess for months. xox