Chiropractic: Pregnancy and Kids

There are people who have mixed feelings about chiropractic, and others who may even scoff at the idea, but the truth is I’ve seen a lot of people benefit from it, including myself. And in my experience, the trick has been finding a chiropractor whom you mesh well with and who really knows their stuff. 

I’ve been familiar with chiropractic for quite some time. I started going occasionally as a teenager, my mother went to chiropractic college, and the older I got the more mainstream it became. I didn’t, however, really start to lean into chiropractic until I had no where else to turn during my second pregnancy. 

The constant, every day headaches (on the verge of migraines) brought me to a point I would’ve stripped naked and sang Kumbaya in a forest for three days if someone told me it’d take my headaches away. The funny thing is I’ve always known chiropractic is helpful for an endless list of things: sleep difficulties, immune system, aches and pains, injuries, migraines, pregnancy, the list goes on. And not just with adults, kids too, in areas like sleeping problems, latch difficulties, reflux, ADHD, behavioral issues, sickness and more. So why did I fight going to a chiropractor to solve my issues for so long?

I think it was a combination of things, including not wanting extra appointments to go to and additional costs. But when something gets bad enough, as I’ve learned, we often find a way to make it happen. Along with something my mom – the world’s biggest health advocate – used to say, “You pay for it now or you pay for it later,” it became obvious to me if something was going to help my health, I should find a way to utilize it. And I did. 

Within a couple weeks my headaches and migraines finally stopped, and I felt better all around. After trying any and every cure or suggestion under the sun, the fix was right in front of me. And that’s just one of the many amazing experiences I’ve had with both myself and my kids.

So, if you’re on the fence about chiropractic or unsure if it can help with your health or your children’s, it can. Seeking out chiropractors who specialize in areas that benefit you is the best way to go, in my experience. For example, during my pregnancy, I saw a prenatal and pediatric. Afterward, so did my kids. 

Upon reaching out to others in the Kansas City area, I found there was a lot of great feedback and uplifting stories moms had to share about their chiropractic experiences for themselves or their kids. 

Kansas City Moms Share Their Experiences with Chiropractic:

Dr. Racheal McCrackin, from Hands On Health Family Chiropractic, does a prenatal adjustment on a patient.

“I wish I would have been more educated on chiropractic care with my first baby. And more open minded as well. I definitely had a stereotypical view of chiropractic care as only “popping” for adjustments, which is definitely not the case! With baby number 2, I was determined to make our nursing journey more enjoyable and longer than with my first. After having my little guy’s tongue and lip ties revised we were advised to go see a chiropractor. One single adjustment, and my son’s latch was SO MUCH better! Breast feeding was finally comfortable!” –Kara

“Both of my kids are chiro kids. My oldest (2.5) has gotten them since he was an infant. He absolutely loves getting adjusted.” –Sianna

“My daughter has seen a chiro since 4 weeks of age. She had such bad reflux as a newborn that she was throwing up breastmilk by the cup, and she was not gaining weight properly. By week four of chiro visits, my daughter quit throwing up. She slept better and was just smiles all day. We still love the chiro and all my kids get excited for our visits!” –Shawna

 “I basically lived at my chiropractor’s office by the end of my pregnancy. And that baby practically flew out for delivery … He was lip and tongue tied, and it was one of the chiros at that same office who diagnosed it and then did our bodywork after laser revision.” –Monica

“During my second pregnancy, I was getting headaches every day, which also made me physically sick. I tried everything. My OB-GYN suggested Tylenol (which didn’t help) and nausea medicine (didn’t work), I tried food restrictions, caffeine, no caffeine, changing pillows, and on and on. I finally found a local pregnancy and pediatric chiropractor. Within days, my headaches finally subsided. Additionally, when my son stopped sleeping at night, I took him to my chiropractor, and he immediately went back to sleeping well.” –Tessa

“I started going to the chiropractor every 2 weeks starting at 28 weeks [during pregnancy]. Best decision ever. And I had a very short labor. I swear that’s what helped me. Also, my son suffers from reflux and we took him for his first adjustment at 3 weeks old. It helped tremendously!” –Korbin

“I had a pretty phenomenal experience with my second child. My body was so out of alignment my baby couldn’t drop. After my first adjustment my belly button literally dropped 3 inches … We also had a lot of struggles with breastfeeding and Racheal [chiropractor] found the baby’s jaw to be out of alignment. We were able to go on nursing for 14 months without any issues.” –Beth

Tessa Shull
Tessa Shull is a lactation station, personal assistant to a threenager and lackluster wife who grew up and resides in the Royal heart of America. A working mom of two, she enjoys exploring the city, keeping up on social media trends, reading, trying new restaurants and drinking coffee–especially when it’s still hot. When she isn’t working or fumbling after her toddlers, you may find her writing, catching a Buzz event or visiting First Fridays. Check out her ramblings about life, Kansas City and motherhood on her blog, Homemade Experience.