Baby Chiropractor

By Dr. Kailey Fargo

I had my very first adjustment when I was an hour old. This was the first of many throughout my youth and into young adulthood and I feel so very grateful for this piece of my upbringing. Having a chiropractor for a parent was my “normal,” yet it wasn’t until I was an adult and responsible for my own health and wellbeing that I came to realize how fortunate I actually was. I have vivid memories of my dad adjusting me late into the night when I had a fever, on the sidelines of soccer games, when I had headaches from studying, and so many other occasions. During the flu season, many of my friends got sick, but my brother and I were fortunate enough to stay healthy. I never suffered from seasonal allergies as many do. As I started playing sports, I was less susceptible to injury and healed quickly if something did happen. I attribute much of my health during childhood and beyond to the consistent chiropractic care I received growing up, helping to both develop a properly functioning nervous system from birth and boost my immune system.

The birth process is very stressful for both the mom and baby. Depending on the mechanism, there is either tremendous compressive force placed on the baby’s head and neck as contractions push them down the birth canal, or great distractive force placed on their head, neck, and shoulders if they are pulled from the abdomen during a cesarean birth. Both are very common, yet these secondary forces are almost universally overlooked. It’s no wonder that within the first few weeks of a baby’s life they often show signs of torticollis, difficulty latching on a particular side, difficulty sleeping, colic, digestive distress, and so many other symptoms. These are considered “normal” by the medical community at large. As a chiropractor, I disagree with this sentiment. While these symptoms are indeed common, they are not “normal” by any means. When the body endures excessive stress, such as the stress it experiences during birth, it responds by creating misalignments in the spine called subluxations. When subluxations are present, the nervous system is not able to facilitate proper communication between the brain and body. This results in abnormal nerve firing and, in extreme cases, the presence of symptoms like those mentioned above. In my opinion, every baby should be checked as soon as possible following birth to help clear the nervous system of interference, prevent the formation of symptoms, and set the baby up for long term health from the very beginning of their life. What if your baby doesn’t have any symptoms? That’s excellent news! However, they still need to be checked as a preventative measure. The presence of subluxations does not always correlate with the presence of symptoms, but they always correlate with the potential for better health.

I am currently twenty-three weeks pregnant with my first kiddo and have been receiving weekly chiropractic care whether I feel like I need it or not. I have experienced very few symptoms, minus some general fatigue, and one day of intense nausea. I attribute this largely to the excellent chiropractic care I receive (in addition to eating well and taking proper supplementation). I had a meeting with my doula last week and I was so very proud to tell her that my one request is to have a chiropractor present during my labor to help me keep my body working as optimally as it possibly can. Proper pelvic alignment is critical for optimizing the birth canal and allowing the baby to arrive as smoothly as possible. This is the most important thing I can do for both myself and for my baby during labor and delivery. Oh, and you better believe I will be adjusting that baby as soon as I have a moment to catch my breath. After all, I have to beat my dad’s one-hour record!

 

If you have questions about what chiropractic can do for expectant mothers, new mothers, and babies, please call our office at 952-835-6750, or email me at drkfargo@chwmn.com. I would love to help!

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