I have the great pleasure of calling Felicity, aka 'Magic Hands' a friend, and I was very happy when I managed to sufficiently twist her arm enough to take part in this series. Despite having a new baby and an active toddler, she has recently expanded her business, Banchory Chiropractic Clinic, in to new premises and is working hard to create a one stop wellbeing hub with massage practitioners, chiropractors and yoga classes all on site. I'll let Felicity tell you more!
Congratulations on the opening of your new clinic! What services are available at Banchory Chiropractic Clinic?
Thank you! We now offer a much wider range of services now we have our brand spanking new clinic. We still offer first class chiropractic treatment from our 3 superstar chiropractors, but in addition we now have 2 massage therapists and a kinetic chain release therapist. We also have a studio room where we host yoga, Pilates and a pelvic floor class, and these are classes that are available to anyone. We also have our very own Lower Back Repair class; a new concept which is exclusively available for our patients.
You do a lot of work with infants - how can chiropractic benefit them?
I do! Most of my patients these days are babies! I see babies for lots of different reasons, but the most common reasons are that parents might notice that their baby favours holding their head or body in a particular way, or they have a flattened or misshapen head, or they might be exhibiting some strange behaviours like excessive crying and showing general discomfort. I am also a breastfeeding counsellor so I see many mothers and babies who have problems feeding as well. Chiropractic care for infants can help to ease tension patterns that may have been created whilst baby was on the inside, during birth or from everyday habits in the babies early weeks. This release of tension generally results in a more contented baby!
And chiropractic treatment can be useful in pregnancy too?
Very much so. I often wonder how pregnant mummies get though it without chiropractic care. Pregnancy can cause some pretty significant postural and structural changes and some mothers find this painful and difficult to deal with. These changes may also affect the baby's positioning inside the mother as the walls of the uterus become strained and suffer torsion. We are trained to correct the mother's posture and pelvic positioning in the hope that will allow baby to organise itself into an optimal position. There are some small studies showing that chiropractic care during pregnancy can lead to a quicker and more "straightforward" labour. This is definitely the case in my clinic on an anecdotal basis - my associate Laura holds the record - one of her patients had a baby in 15 mins start to finish!
Tell me a bit more about your new infant drop in clinic?
The infant drop in clinic was a bit of a leap of faith for me. It has never been done before to my knowledge, and I had no idea whether it would be successful or not. As a mother myself I knew the feelings of dread at the thought of getting yourself and your baby out of the house on time so I thought I would try a format that was much more laid back. It has also allowed my clinic to participate in some important chiropractic research and helped me to teach my associate in a safe, structured way where I can oversee everything. Plus there's nothing worse than feeling as though you are alone when you are having difficulty with your baby. The drop in clinic is sort of like a baby group so there is a social aspect too! We have been going just over a month now and although it is somewhat shambolic it seems to be working!
How do you manage juggling 2 young children and a successful business?
I will never say it's easy; there have been extremely difficult times. Being a working mother is definitely the most difficult thing I have ever done, but I find it manageable because I am very committed to my work. My clinic was my first baby! Having actual babies has also really given me extra focus to my work, I have learned so much from being a mother myself, which helps me to support other mums and babies. It is hard, but I am also very lucky to be my own boss, and the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. The short answer is I drink a lot of coffee and have a lot of help. There are also those days that I don't manage at all!
What do you do to relax? (If you find a spare moment!)
That is something that I struggle with nowadays. I enjoy a quiet coffee when I can and also love to keep fit, so like to go walking if possible. I recently completed a 5k obstacle course with friends which although not relaxing at all, really boosted my mood. I also love a bath in the evening if kiddies allow it!
Who is your greatest source of support?
It has to be my husband Neill. I would not have achieved anything without his practical and emotional support. We were friends long before we were a couple so we have a very strong foundation. He also makes me laugh out loud every day. I have a lot of practical help from my family; my son prefers being at my sisters house than at home! My tribe of mummy friends are also very special to me and I would not have made it this far through parenthood without them.
What would your top tip be for new mums or mums to be?
Find your mummy friends! The loneliness of having a baby is real; things dramatically improve once you realise everyone else is struggling as much as you!
You can find out more about Banchory Chiropractic Clinic over on their Facebook page