How do we know when the vagus nerve isn’t sending a good signal to the tongue? Babies may look asymmetrical, with one side twisting or pulling. Babies will likely dislike tummy time. While asleep, baby may prefer an open mouth posture, indicating a related airway issue that can cause sleep apnea, snoring, or sinus and adenoid problems. Their suck will also likely be inefficient or they may prefer bottle feeding. When looking at the infant’s face, you may notice that their jaw is not very prominent, or that their jaw opens more to one side than the other.

The frequent nursing and near-constant holding of baby makes your muscles work so hard - it’s  like you’ve become a weight-lifter when your body is at its most vulnerable time! After your core and pelvic floor have been so stretched out, your body may feel less stable.  These  rapid changes can feel like a lot... whether your pelvis feels wonky or you have a case of “mom back” - sore shoulders and neck from staring at your little sweet one's face. Fill up your own cup, and care for yourself.

Chiropractic works with several “almost” senses that increase the awareness of our body and how it’s working. The three “near senses” I discuss most often with patients include the following: vestibular, proprioception, and interoception. Our vestibular system keeps us upright and balanced while sitting or standing. Proprioception is a sense that lets us know where all of our body parts are in space. Interoception tells us about what’s happening within the abdominal cavity so we can feel our organs… is our bladder full? Or is our stomach empty and growling? 

So many parents envision a very different experience than the one they get with their newborns. Instead of the relaxed, cuddly baby who just eats, sleeps, and poops, did you get a baby who arches, scream, and struggle to feed? Does your baby's head look asymmetrical - long, or tall, or with a flat spot? Is it difficult to emotionally connect, to get enough rest, or do you feel like all your energy is going to just getting another ounce or two on your baby?

While it would seem that this would affect only matters of feeding and eventual speech, the ties also create pulling in the soft tissues to which they attach. This tugging can affect almost every aspect of a small infant’s life: tightness in their jaw and cheek muscles means baby sucks in extra air which can look like reflux, digestive issues, and excessive crying or colic.  The tethering of the tissues affect the shape of the inner part of her head and can cause restrictions in the airway (this can look like mouth breathing, sinus/adenoid issues, and baby snoring). Your baby may prefer to turn their head only one way (torticollis) which can create imbalances in the head (plagiocephaly) if he or she is constantly lying in the same position. 

I haven’t met a mama unwilling to sacrifice everything for her family, and often even for her job or community. Also, the things we do as moms - hold it together and pour out everything to do/be/have it all - takes a huge toll on our bodies

When a child has a problem with behavior, learning, or socialization, I ask myself two basic questions… 1. Which tools is the child using to explore and engage and process their world? 2. Is there anything interfering with that child’s ability to send, receive, or process information in the brain (sensory processing, which largely occurs within the spine)?

Your tummy hurts. Your head aches. It is impossible to sleep and you’re irritable. One more thing: you can’t ask for help because you’re only four weeks old! So you cry. And cry. And cry.

And your parents feel exhausted, frustrated, helpless.

Webster's Technique is a gentle, safe technique that is used to realign the pelvis and remove nerve interference from the sacrum, which has nerves feeding the uterus, colon, and legs. The chiropractic adjustment restores proper structure to the pelvis, allowing for proper positioning of the baby. It also restores function of the associated muscles, ligaments, and organs, creating labor and delivery that is smoother and more coordinated.

For example, when asked after the first week of treatments whether or not the participants observed a drop in their level of pain, over half said yes. That amount increased to 70% one month into treatment, then to 85 percent being satisfied with the results after just three months of chiropractic care. At the six month mark, 90 percent said that they noticed less pain in their back region, and the results carried on, with 88 percent noting positive effects one year after the preliminary session.