Chiropractic and your newborn
Please join us in congratulating chiropractor Chloe Powell (again…!). After years of postgraduate study and a challenging final exam, Chloe is now proud to be officially certified in Chiropractic Paediatrics.
The CACCP (certification from the academy council of chiropractic paediatrics) is a qualification held by only a handful of practitioners across Europe. It is an incredible achievement, and shows just how committed Chloe is to the quality of the care she provides to women, babies and children. Topics covered everything from perinatal health, epigenetics, neurology, immunology, spinal assessment, cranial evaluation, research and postpartum care, and was rounded off with a 45,000-word final essay exam. Phew! Cup of tea, anyone?!
Following this exciting news, Chloe felt it was the perfect time to share her thoughts on a topic very close to her heart - adjusting newborn babies.
People often ask the question:
“How long do I have to wait before I bring my baby to the chiropractor?”
Chloe’s reply is usually:
“Why would you wait?”
Newborn babies are undoubtedly very conscious beings, who experience their birth into the world in a very profound way. Although their bodies may be tiny, their abilities are astounding, and within just a few minutes of being in the world, they are already feeding and digesting, bonding and connecting. Of course, all births are different, with some joyous and empowering experiences, and others more traumatic and distressing. No matter the course that birth takes, babies have to navigate a number of challenges, and their sensitive bodies can often hold on to stress or tension from the process. With a surgical or instrumental delivery this can be more obvious, but even the powerful contractions of a natural birth can leave a lasting impression on baby’s body.
In order to successfully navigate the birth canal and be born into the world, babies need to experience compression and pressure on their bodies. When they finally emerge into the world, their bodies need to unwind to release all the accumulated tension and allow them to rest, digest and bond. For many babies this ‘unwinding’ process doesn’t occur, and they are left with residual stress and tension in their bodies. This may be obviously apparent in a baby who has a tense body or injuries from birth, but it may also show in difficulties with latching, feeding, digesting or resting. It can also be totally invisible and is therefore often missed.
This is where chiropractic is so important.
A paediatric chiropractor has the ability to locate any areas of tension in a newborn’s body and to gently unwind this using their hands, facilitating the full expression of that little one’s health and vitality. Parents are often deeply moved as they watch their baby relax during an adjustment – often closing their eyes, opening their hands and relaxing their body. By unwinding any residual strain from the birth process, a baby’s spine is gently balanced, allowing the nervous system that weaves its way through the body to be freed of any tension. This allows all the body’s basic processes to function without interference, which is why parents often comment on how much easier their baby was able to feed, digest and sleep following an adjustment.
Once you realise how gentle chiropractic adjustments for babies are, and the incredible impact they have on a baby’s comfort and wellbeing, the question of “how long do I have to wait?” becomes a more obvious one. Paediatric chiropractors are specifically trained in the subtlety of technique, allowing them to adjust even the tiniest of babies. Chloe’s little boy Luca was adjusted within an hour of being born, and she has helped tiny premature babies and many newborns to unwind their bodies and make sense of the world around them. There is no need to wait until they are older. A check-up in those early weeks can make a huge difference to your baby’s life, making the new journey into parenthood that much more incredible.
If you would like to find out more about chiropractic for newborn babies, please contact Chloe by phone or email, and she will be happy to help you with any questions you may have.
