The Baby Whisperer...I mean Chiropractor
- Kathryn Porter
- Nov 22, 2016
- 3 min read
I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Annie has Acid Reflux. BAD. We started noticing it just days after coming home from the hospital when she spit up so much that it came out of her nose. She wasn't able to breathe for a few horrifying seconds. We rushed to hit her back and suction the gunk out of her nose and throat.SCARY! It happened again and again--so much spit up, multiple times between feedings, the choking and suctioning, and SO MUCH LAUNDRY.
When I asked the doctor about it (right after Annie had puked all over me at the Doctor's office, she's got great timing), he mentioned a couple things:
1. All spitting up is acid reflux and all babies experience it to some degree due to their developing digestive systems.
2. Some infants experience heavy acid reflux for up to 6 months due to an underdeveloped esophageal sphincter.
3. Sometimes mommy's diet can effect baby's spit up. They have sensitive tummies, so test out some of these foods, you may need to modify your diet,
4. While there is medication for infant acid reflux, they will only put baby on it if absolutely necessary. i.e. if baby is losing weight.
Fortunately, Annie was gaining weight just fine; unfortunately, her acid reflux was getting worse and I was getting gore and more worried. I worried she would choke in the middle of her sleep or while I wasn't looking and just stop breathing all together.
That's when I had a few friends and acquaintances mention seeing a baby chiropractor to treat acid reflux. Apparently taking your baby to the chiropractor is more an more common, and really it makes a lot of sense. I mean, Annie spent over two hours going through some pretty intense pressure. That sort of thing has got to do a number on a baby's back. I called around to a few chiropractors to find one that treated babies, made my appointment, and here's what I discovered:
1.Check to see if your insurance covers Chiropractic care. If you are desperate enough, like myself, it might not matter. But go ahead and check.
2. It's very common for babies to have a vertebrae or two out of alignment. Misaligned vertebrae can occur from either baby's trip through birth canal or even from a car seat that puts too much pressure on the wrong part of their back. Our chiropractor checked my car seat for a little "ledge" that hits baby's back at just the wrong spot. It's uncommon in newer car seats but is still present in some.
3. Misaligned vertebrae can cause acid reflux or colic. Depending on which vertebrae are out of whack, either your baby's esophageal sphincter or stomach might be effected. This is because the nerves that should be sending signals to those areas aren't able to get the message across, thus causing acid reflux or colic, respectively.
4. Pressure guns don't hurt babies. Each visit basically consisted of me holding Annie while the Chiropractor felt her spine and adjusted it with a little pressure gun. It sounds like it would be painful, but Annie never made a peep about it.
5. It will take a couple of weeks. My chiropractor had us come in every couple of days for about three weeks. It takes time and consistent nudging for that vertebrae to stay in its new position.
Here's the big discovery: I think it actually works! It took a few visits but I started seeing results. She had more and more good days of normal-level spit up. She still has her moments, and spit-up is still a part of our lives (again, check out the foods to avoid list), but all in all we've definitely seen improvement.
If your baby...and you...are suffering with acid reflux or colic issues, do yourself a favor and call the baby whisperer. I mean chiropractor.
Last day at the Chiropractor!
**The jury is still out on whether or not chiropractic adjustment really makes a difference with acid reflux and colic. There have been some studies done that show improvement, but nothing conclusive. While seeing the chiropractor has worked for Annie, it's worth researching if you have any questions.**
コメント