The lights are bright.  The room is calm. A mom is lying on her back during her scheduled visit and gets the peaceful release of all feelings in the lower half of her body.  Her husband is holding her hand while she just has to lay there.  A skilled team of nurses and surgeons is with her.  They collectively have more years of education and experience than a Titanic survivor.  They are quietly and quickly removing her baby for her.  She doesn’t have to do a thing.  Once the baby is born, they announce, “It’s a girl!” and the baby gets taken away to be swaddled and cleaned by the nurses. 

Now a different story.  A mom in labor is walking around and has been pacing back and forth for hours.  She stops every few minutes to pant and breath through waves of tightening and pressure.  She is experiencing just about every emotion a person is capable of.  She is tired, hungry, excited, scared, proud, nervous, anxious, and probably a few more things.  She feels the urge to bear down as the waves get stronger and closer together.  Using primal noises she has never heard herself make, she roars the baby down and out the tight squeeze of her birth canal.  How did that thing even fit through there?! Her husband announces, “It’s a girl!” and he puts the baby on mom’s chest to rest.

Which baby went through more stress?  The answer might surprise you.  Let’s talk about it.

Many people think the first baby went through less stress.  The environment was controlled.  There were skilled doctors and nurses everywhere.  The mom didn’t have to feel a contraction, or hardly anything for that matter.  Everything was sterile.  The mom didn’t have to do anything but lay there. The baby was cleaned immediately.  That sounds like the baby had it pretty easy, right?  Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple.

1.     They didn’t get the squeeze.

During vaginal delivery, the baby is squeezed.  A lot.  This seems like something that could stress a baby out, but it is a normal and healthy part of being born.  As the baby comes down the birth canal, most of the fluid that was bathing their lungs for nine months gets squeezed out.  This helps them start breathing on their own more easily.  Their head also gets squeezed.  So much so that they may be born with a cone head like the one in the photo below. This may not be very comforting to see at first, but it’s also normal. Your baby’s head has relief joints in it called sutures.  This shrinks the circumference of your baby’s head, making it easier to come out.  It also stimulates their brain and tells them to “wake up” and prepare for life outside the womb.  When a baby doesn’t get the squeeze from mom’s birth canal, there can sometimes be challenges at birth, often unnoticed ones.  When the head isn’t appropriately squeezed, it can cause the joints to become “sticky” and leave them more prone to flat spots later in life as it grows. A trained pediatric chiropractor can simulate this squeeze by gently adjusting the bones in your baby’s head.  The adjustments are very simple and easy, but they can help your baby get a better start in life.  There have even been babies we adjusted shortly after being born via c-section that cough up a bunch of mucous that was stuck in their lungs.  This is yet another reason to get your baby adjusted after birth.

2.     They don’t just gently fall out during a c-section.

This is a huge one for me. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to pull a baby out of a womb without grabbing and pulling.  Usually, it’s the head that gets pulled.  This pulling puts a lot of force on your baby’s neck.  Looking at this example, the baby’s neck is the weak link and will take the most stress.  This moment is why every c-section baby I have ever seen has some strain on their neck.  Yes, every one.  This is not to say that what the surgeon did when removing your baby was inappropriate. They need to get your baby out safely.  This is just another reason why we recommend you take your baby to a skilled pediatric chiropractor right away after birth.     

3.     Breastfeeding is hard enough already.

C-section babies tend to have a more difficult time breastfeeding right away.  They tend to be more lethargic and haven’t had the time to “wake up” enough yet to feed.  The first few days are vital to an easy and healthy breastfeeding relationship.  If you struggle during these days, it can be even more of a struggle in the future.  Since breastfeeding is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your baby, it is essential to have this evaluated.  Our pediatric chiropractors are trained in oral assessment and function, which plays a significant role in breastfeeding success.  We also have Certified Lactation Counselors to help your breastfeeding relationship get off to a great start.

Whether your baby is one day or 18 years old, it’s never too late to benefit from pediatric chiropractic.  If you’re interested in learning more or want to schedule a time to have your baby evaluated, please get in touch with us.  If you are not in Bismarck, ND, or the surrounding area, please visit icpa4kids.org to find a trained pediatric chiropractor near you. 

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Disclaimer: These are very simple stories that do not represent all the complexities of birth.  This article is not speaking to the appropriateness of any medical procedure.  We are not recommending one form of medical treatment over another.  We understand that there can sometimes be a medical need for these procedures that incur more risk.  The risks of these procedures must be thoroughly discussed between you and your doctor.  We encourage you to make an educated decision for yourself.