Happy Baby Game Plan

Dec 16

Obviously, there is a lot that goes into having a healthy, happy child. There are also a million ideas and ways to elevate and improve the whole concept of caring for an infant. I would like to talk about the Top 6 that helped us out most:

WELL-ADJUSTED BABIES THROUGH CHIROPRACTIC

The baby is a brand new soul in a brand new world. Their nervous system is in the most rapid state of development. The job of the nervous system is to soak in everything happening around and forming connections.

Infants are learning about the outside world in massive quantities every day. They are seeing the colors for the first time, they are making connections of your voice and your face, they are learning your language.

During this critical time, a healthy spine is the key. Unfortunately, birth does not always go as planned. Increasingly more aggressive measures are often applied to deliver the baby. During these situations, twisting or torquing of the neck is common. When the baby sleeps or feeds in a certain position for extended periods of time, this can also cause misalignment in the spine.

Any sort of misalignment will cause stress on the delicate nerves. This will not only cause discomfort for the baby, but also affect the function of where the nerve roots head out to. Stress on the nervous system is the first and foremost cause of colicky behavior - irritability, crying, difficulty with feeding, and poor sleep. Uncorrected spinal issues can lead into bigger problems down the road such as scoliosis.

On top of this, stress on the nervous system will also affect the autonomic nervous system. With misalignments in the spine, the baby will be stuck in a sympathetic dominant state - always in a state of “fight or flight.” During this response, your baby’s adrenaline levels elevate, as well as cortisol “the stress hormone.” Although it is healthy for the baby to be in both states, being stuck in a sympathetic dominant state will prevent baby from accessing the parasympathetic state.

The parasympathetic state is also known as the “rest and digest” state. It stimulates bloodflow for digestion, enzyme and saliva secretion, releases “maintenance” hormones, slows the heart rate, and helps with building new tissue in the body. This is why chiropractic has helped many babies with digestion, sleep, and other function.

It is like a gas pedal and a brake pedal. We need both to drive. If baby is stuck in the sympathetic dominant mode - it is like never taking your foot off of the gas pedal. The chiropractic adjustment helps by “pumping the brakes” and allows baby to access the parasympathetic state so that the baby has a chance to relax.

At the end of the day, it is all about being well-adjusted. When our adaptation to the outside world is working at it's optimal level, that allows us to function at an optimal level. This is the main thing that chiropractic provides for your little one.

BREASTFEEDING

Not only does breast milk provide tons of nutrients critical for neurological development, the closeness (preferably skin on skin) that mother and baby experience is a huge piece in the happy baby equation. However, not all breastmilk is creating equal. This leads us into the next point.

NUTRITION

Obviously, babies are much smaller than any of us. Their little bodies are a lot more sensitive to any big fluctuations in the composition of the breast milk. Anytime the mother “rocks” her body with large doses of anything it affects her baby several times stronger. Things to watch out for includes: caffeine, herbal supplements, medications, spicy food, and acidic food. It is even small changes like fluctuations in the pH levels in the body that will cause an unhappy baby.

SWADDLING

This method has been used for centuries and it helps with more restful sleep for both the baby and the parents. Here is a guide on how to do it - https://www.thebump.com/a/how-to-swaddle-baby

PRAYER

A game changer is having a conversation with the Almighty God about your child. It's mind-blowing how we can talk about our biggest hopes, dreams, and desires with Someone who can actually do something about it.

This blog was written several months after our baby was born and was originally posted on The Digestive Doc.

Dr. Thaddeus Sharikov

Dr. Thaddeus Sharikov, DC is a board-certified chiropractic physician specializing in neurological care. He graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences University and has treated over a thousand patients over the past 5 years.

Dr. Sharikov’s personal passion is spinal neurology. It often reveals the root cause of a wide variety of symptoms and pain. Finding and correcting areas where the nervous system is not functioning well is the most rewarding part of the job!

He deeply cares about our Greater Twin Cities Area in which all people achieve their full potential for health and well-being across their lifespan. Dr. Sharikov works extremely hard to be trusted by patients, to be a creator of positive change and to save our community - one person at a time.

In an ever-changing world, Dr. Sharikov is constantly researching tools and applications to bring the most cutting-edge and effective healthcare to his patients. He makes it a priority to include education into the patient’s journey to a pain free life with no limitations.

In his free time, Dr. Sharikov enjoys spending time with his smoking hot wife Julie, toddler Josephine and future Baby L. He loves exploring the Carver County Trails, traveling, and ministry work worldwide through his family’s non-profit organization.

http://www.chirohouseclinic.com