Do You Need To Take Your Baby To See a Chiropractor?
Do You Need To Take Your Baby To See a Chiropractor?
Monday Morning, 9am:
Doctors are NOT supposed to cry in front of their patients…
I had my first cry with a patient this morning after 8 years of practicing as a chiropractor.
My patient picked up her 13 month old daughter this weekend after her nap, who then laid her head on the mama’s shoulder to snuggle.
This was the first time her baby snuggled on her since the day she was born.
The snuggle is real… with a healthy cervical spine.
This mama came to me about a month ago and said,
‘The best I’ve ever felt in my life was when you treated me during my pregnancy. I had difficulty breast feeding after my baby was born even with the help of a wonderful lactation consultant. My baby couldn’t get a good latch and I could barely nurse for 3 months. I pumped for another 3 months but my milk supply wasn’t great. I saw my pediatrician last week and asked her again why after 12 months my baby won’t lay her head on my shoulder. She will only fall asleep or take a bottle lying flat on her back. She said it’s a personality type and some babies don’t like to snuggle. In fact, when I asked my pediatrician about taking her to see a chiropractor she said ‘no!’ I’m back in Miami from Argentina for a few months and something just doesn’t seem right. Do you think you can help?’
Can Chiropractic Help Your Baby?
Absolutely. During the baby’s exam I discovered that she could barely rotate her head and neck in either direction without discomfort. No wonder she couldn’t latch well as an infant! Chiropractors have been delivering safe, gentle and effective care to children for over 100 years. Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system AND the relationship of these disorders on the overall health of the body.
Early challenges to a baby’s developing system can happen as early as:
- malposition in utero,
- a difficult labor, induction
- use of forceps/vacuum
- c-section.
When a baby’s cranial plates and teeny spine are stressed, pressed, and pulled into abnormal positions they may experience malposition of the spinal vertebra and plates that affect their development.
Common Pediatric Complaints Treated by Chiropractors
Common infant health complaints include:
- latching/breastfeeding difficulties like this patient’s daughter
- colic
- reflux
- ear infections
- constipation
- sleep disturbances to name a few (yes, I know many babies including MY OWN don’t sleep that well :) )
After a thorough examination, a chiropractic adjustment is applied with a gentle finger-tip pressure or instrument to the baby’s spine and cranial plates.
The most common response I hear from parents after treating their baby is,
‘Did you do anything?!’ It’s THAT gentle and small a correction. Perfect for tiny spines.
Babies and children heal quickly and respond in literally just a few visits.
As the patient and I both teared up this morning, she gave me a huge hug with one arm and her daughter snuggled post-adjustment on the other shoulder. I thought about the intimate nursing relationship I have with my own daughter, Sage. I thought about how she has grown into a beautiful toddler on immunity-building, nutritious milk and mama’s cuddling, soothing, and security in her first year of life.
While my mama patient can’t get the time back that she had hoped for to nurse her daughter, I felt absolute joy watching mama and baby intimately snuggle in a way that makes every cell in a parent’s body feel alive and connected.
I started my early morning patient schedule feeling grateful for chiropractic care:
not just to decrease pain and dysfunction but to improve the health of every body.
Know a new mom or dad? Want to meet a gentle baby chiropractor in Miami? Please feel free to share!