Parents are always excited for their baby to arrive and the big day comes and there is so much swirling around the new parents. After a couple days the family is home alone and the real work begins. You may be surprised at how different your baby is compared to what you thought he or she was going to be like. Maybe she is fussy… won’t sleep… or won’t eat. The pediatrician says this is all normal…. I say that it is common but it is not normal. This is when you should think about chiropractic.
Here are 5 ways a chiropractor can help your baby!
#1 Difficulty Breastfeeding
This is always our first question… how is your baby nursing? Is your baby having a hard time latching, staying latched, or do you feel like you are not producing? When a baby presents with breastfeeding difficulty it may be that your baby cannot rotate his or her head appropriately to create a good latch. You may also notice that your baby prefers one breast over the other. A chiropractic adjustment can ensure better neck rotation and also an efficient latch for baby and mom to have a more comfortable experience.
#2 Difficulty Sleeping
Our second question… how is your baby sleeping? While we know that babies wake often to be fed we also know that they should be getting a lot of rest. If you feel like your baby is not resting well then a chiropractic adjustment could help with a vertebrae that is not moving well that in return will make the nervous system dysfunction. We notice that many of our infant patients sleep much better after their adjustment!
#3 Difficulty Pooping
Our third question… how is your baby pooping. Babies are new to this world and so with that in mind the systems of the body including the digestive system should work great. When they do not then we need to look at the cause. Chiropractors address the nervous system and alleviate any interference your baby may be experiencing. When the interference to the digestive system is removed babies poop!!! We can also show you the best tummy techniques to promote good digestion and how to establish healthy gut flora!!!
#4 Colic
Colic is when a seemingly healthy baby cries or fusses frequently for a prolonged period of time. Colic affects up to ⅓ of newborns. There is no particular pattern or reason and sometimes it is worse at night. Gentle chiropractic adjustments can reduce pain or an uncomfortable feeling that your baby might be experiencing by eliminating spinal tension and calming their nervous system.
#5 Head tilt or misshapen head
There is a reason your baby is only tilting or rotating to one side. Head tilt (commonly called torticollis) can be caused by a restriction in your baby's neck. Most of the time, a gentle neck adjustment can allow freedom of movement. Flat spots or head shape irregularities (commonly called plagiocephaly) are usually caused by your baby’s inability to rotate the opposite way of the flat spot. This will create pressure on one side of the head. An adjustment, along with at home exercises to encourage rotation. This will help strengthen your baby’s neck and create the ideal head shape.