You pictured feeding your baby as one of the calm, connected moments of new parenthood. Instead, it might look like a shallow latch that makes you wince every time. A clicking sound with every few sucks. A baby who falls asleep five minutes into a feed and wakes up hungry twenty minutes later. Spit-up on every outfit you own, gas that keeps everyone up at night, and a quiet worry that your baby isn't getting enough milk.
And maybe you've been told it's all normal, that it will pass, and that if your baby is gaining weight, there's nothing to worry about.
I'm Dr. Shivani Patel, a Webster and Perinatal-certified chiropractor and the founder of Shakti Chiropractic in Franklin, TN. A big part of my practice is babies, and many of the families I care for started with me during pregnancy. Feeding trouble is one of the most common reasons parents bring their little ones in. In this post, I'll walk you through how a baby's body can affect feeding, what I actually look for, where I think common advice could use a second look, and when it's time to bring in other providers.
Book your baby’s consultation at shaktichirotn.janeapp.com.
Feeding Is a Whole-Body Skill
It's easy to think of breastfeeding as something that happens only in the mouth. But for a baby to latch deeply, create suction, and coordinate sucking, swallowing, and breathing, a lot has to be working together: the jaw, the tongue, the palate, the muscles of the face and neck, the cranial bones, and the nervous system that runs all of it.
If a baby's neck is tight and rotates more easily to one side, they'll often feed well on one breast and fight the other. If there's tension through the jaw or TMJ, opening wide for a deep latch is harder, so you get a shallow, painful one. If the tongue can't move freely, you may hear clicking as the baby loses suction. And a baby working that hard to feed often gets tired and falls asleep before they've taken in a full feed.
Birth plays a role here, too. A long pushing stage, a very fast delivery, vacuum or forceps assistance, a C-section, or a baby's position in the womb can all leave tension in a newborn's head, neck, and spine. Babies are remarkably adaptable, but sometimes that tension shows up first, and most clearly, at feeding time.
What I Look For When a Baby Has Feeding Trouble
From there, I assess:
Full spine tension and motion, especially the neck, which is often where I find restrictions in babies who favor one side
Jaw and TMJ alignment and movement
Cranial tension and misalignments, including the bones of the face and skull
The palate, tongue, and jaw, including how the tongue moves and how the mouth is shaped
Primitive reflexes, like rooting and sucking, that babies rely on to feed
Abdominal tension, which often goes hand in hand with gas and reflux
Mom's and baby's ergonomics, meaning how you're holding, positioning, and supporting your baby during feeds
My adjustments for babies are extremely gentle. I use light, specific pressure, along with cranial work and soft tissue techniques designed for tiny, growing bodies.
A Real Story: The "Happy Spitter" Whose Mom Knew Something Was Off
A mom recently brought in her 4-month-old son. By most measures, he was doing well. He was happy, he wasn't colicky, and he was gaining weight. His pediatrician's checkups were reassuring, which matters: ruling out medical concerns is an important step, and it's exactly what pediatricians do so well.
But he had reflux, and his mom couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on. She'd heard about cranial work and how it can support babies with reflux, and she wanted to learn more and try it.
We started with a full consultation covering both her history and her son's. My exam included spinal and cranial range of motion, muscle and abdominal tension, a visual analysis of his body and face, primitive reflexes, and an evaluation of his palate, tongue, and jaw motion and alignment. I found spinal misalignments in his neck and sacrum, tension through his abdomen, cranial tension in the frontal and temporal regions, facial asymmetry, and signs of stress on the vagus nerve, the nerve that plays a big role in digestion. We also used muscle testing to look at potential food sensitivities for both mom and baby.
After his first adjustment, his mom noticed immediate relaxation, and his spit-up decreased in both how often it happened and how much came up. After the second adjustment, she even noticed less asymmetry in his face and skull.
This family had also worked with a lactation consultant early on, in his first month, who helped improve his latch. That's part of why his story went so well. His care didn't come from one provider; each person addressed a different piece.
Common Advice I'd Gently Push Back On
Parents of babies with feeding struggles hear a lot of advice, and much of it comes from a caring place. Here's my perspective on the advice I hear most.
"Reflux is normal. He'll outgrow it." There's a difference between common and normal. Reflux and colic are common, but they can be miserable for the baby, for the parents, and sometimes for everyone else in the house. To be clear, chiropractic doesn't treat reflux or colic. What it can do is help ease the discomfort underneath while supporting your baby's growth and development. We want babies to be comfortable, and we want families to enjoy these stages instead of just surviving them.
"Just switch to a bottle or formula." In certain circumstances, this is a genuinely helpful change, and fed is always best. But if your goal is to breastfeed directly at the breast, or to avoid formula, I want to help you reach that goal before we go to last resorts. In my experience, we usually get there.
"Cut dairy, and everything else, out of your diet." For some families, cutting dairy truly helps. For others, a different specific food is the issue. And for some, diet isn't the main factor at all. No two moms and babies are the same, so I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all elimination diet. I'd rather assess and build an individual strategy, which I often do with muscle testing (Applied Kinesiology), than have you stressed and undernourished from cutting out everything at once.
"If baby is gaining weight, there's no problem." Weight gain matters a lot. Babies need to grow along their own healthy curve. But it's one measure of how a baby is functioning and thriving, not the whole picture. Comfort, sleep, digestion, how hard feeds are for both of you: those count, too.
Releasing a tongue tie without addressing the tension around it. Tongue tie releases can be very helpful, and the decision belongs to you and the providers who evaluate and perform them. What I'd encourage is pairing that decision with bodywork. Cranial work, oral work, and chiropractic care can help in one of two ways:
Sometimes we reduce enough body and oral tension that a baby can feed and function well without needing a release.
If a release is still the right call, we reduce as much tension as possible beforehand, so the procedure is less stressful on your baby's body and recovery tends to go faster and smoother.
I think of it as "prehab," the same way an athlete might prepare their body before surgery.
What You Can Do at Home Between Visits
Keep using the feeding positions that work for you. There's no single "right" position. Just make sure you're feeding equally on both sides so your baby doesn't develop a preference.
Keep everything balanced, not just feeds. The same rule applies to how you hold your baby, diaper changes, playtime, and naptime. Switch sides, vary the routine, and give your baby's body a chance to move evenly in both directions.
Do the home exercises. I'll show you simple ways to increase motion through the lower half of your baby's body, different ways to hold and play with your baby, and modified tummy time options for babies who don't love traditional tummy time.
Work with an IBCLC. Board-certified lactation consultants are the experts in feeding. They bring a wealth of knowledge that's outside my scope: latch technique, milk supply, pumping, positioning, and so much more. I've only ever seen positive, and often quick, results when families work with both of us. I help the body; they help the feeding itself. It's a powerful combination.
How Long Does It Take?
My general rule of thumb is about six visits to see meaningful change. That said, most of my families notice some kind of change within the first week, and some, like the family above, see a difference after the very first adjustment. No two babies are the same, and no two respond the same way.
If a baby hasn't responded within six visits, either in symptoms or in what I'm finding on exam, that's my signal to take a step back. It may be time for further evaluation by other providers, like a lactation consultant or a tongue tie evaluation, or for a different approach within my own care. In my years of practice, it's rare that I see a baby with no change or improvement at all, but when it happens, I want to know why.
When I Refer Out (and When to Call Your Pediatrician)
I encourage parents to be proactive. If symptoms are strong, or your mom gut tells you that you need more help, bring in other providers early. It helps us reach your goals faster and more efficiently.
I'll recommend other providers when:
Results plateau, such as range of motion or tension that isn't improving all the way
Feeding is still difficult even as the body is improving
You have questions outside my scope of practice, like a tongue tie diagnosis or a lactation evaluation and support
Call your pediatrician right away if your baby:
Isn't gaining weight, or is losing weight
Is unusually lethargic or hard to wake
Shows any unusual behaviors, including anything that looks like a seizure
These are not "wait and see" or "try a chiropractor first" situations. They need medical evaluation promptly.
The Bottom Line
Breastfeeding struggles are common, but you don't have to just push through them. A baby's spine, jaw, skull, and nervous system all play a role in how well they latch, suck, swallow, and digest. Gentle chiropractic and cranial care can help release the tension that makes feeding harder, so your baby can feed more comfortably and you can enjoy this season a little more.
It works best as part of a team: your pediatrician, a lactation consultant, and any other specialists your family needs. You know your baby better than anyone. If something feels off, trust that.
If you're in Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Nolensville, or anywhere in Middle Tennessee and your baby is having trouble feeding, I'd love to help. Call or send me a message at 615-241-0161, or book a free 10-minute discovery call or a new patient visit online.
Lactation consultants, midwives, doulas, and other birth and newborn professionals: I'd love to connect and learn how we can support families together. Reach out to me personally at drshivani@shaktichirotn.com.
Dr. Shivani Patel is the founder of Shakti Chiropractic in Franklin, TN, and a Webster and Perinatal-certified chiropractor specializing in prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric chiropractic care. Shakti Chiropractic serves Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Nolensville, and the greater Middle Tennessee area.
Book your baby’s consultation at shaktichirotn.janeapp.com.