How the Birthing Process Can Lead to Colic
You’ve done everything you can think of. You’ve tried swaddling, rocking, car rides, and white noise machines. Yet, your newborn remains inconsolable, crying for hours on end. When a baby is diagnosed with colic, parents are often left feeling helpless, exhausted, and desperate for a solution. While many well-intentioned suggestions focus on soothing techniques, they often miss a critical question: Why is the baby so uncomfortable in the first place?
The answer can sometimes be traced back to their journey into the world. The birthing process, no matter how it unfolds, is a significant physical event for an infant. The immense pressure and forces involved can create physical stress and tension in their tiny bodies, leading to a cascade of issues, including the difficult symptoms of colic. This physical stress is often referred to as "birth trauma".
At Maximized Chiropractic, we find that understanding the connection between a baby's birth and their current state of health can help us get to the root cause of these problems.
The Nervous System: The Master Controller of Comfort and Digestion
Before we explore specific birth scenarios, I want you to understand the role of the nervous system. This intricate network controls every function in the body, from breathing and sleeping to digestion and elimination. If the birthing process causes misalignments or tension in the spine—particularly the upper neck and lower back—it can interfere with these nerve signals.
This interference can put a baby's nervous system into a constant state of "fight-or-flight," making it difficult for them to relax, sleep, or digest properly. The result is often a baby who is fussy, gassy, and uncomfortable—the classic signs of colic.
How Different Birth Experiences Can Lead to Colic
Every birth is unique, and each type can introduce different physical stressors to a baby's system.
Cesarean Section (C-Section): A C-section is often a medically necessary intervention. However, it means the baby misses the natural squeezing and molding process of a vaginal birth, which helps stimulate their nervous system. Additionally, the baby is pulled from the mother's uterus, which can place significant strain on their head and neck. Anesthetics and pain medications given to the mother can also pass to the baby, making them extra sleepy and potentially leading to initial difficulties with feeding and digestion.
Assisted Delivery (Forceps & Vacuum): When labor stalls, forceps or a vacuum extractor may be used to help guide the baby out safely. These instruments apply direct pulling force to the baby's delicate head and neck. This can easily lead to misalignments in the upper cervical spine and tension in the jaw (TMJ). This tension can directly impact the nerves that control the suck-swallow-breathe reflex, leading not only to feeding issues but also to the intake of excess air, gas, and reflux-like symptoms that contribute to colic.
Long or Difficult Labor: A labor that is very long or where the baby is in a less-than-ideal position (such as breech or occiput posterior) puts prolonged and intense pressure on the baby's body. To cope with this sustained stress, a baby's neuro-muscular system can enter a protective state of "armoring," tensing up to brace against the force of contractions. This can create the same patterns of stored tension in the neck, spine, and skull that we see in assisted deliveries, leading to nervous system irritation and digestive distress.
The Gentle Chiropractic Solution for Colic
The wonderful news for parents is that this stored physical tension is not something your baby has to live with. As neurologically-focused pediatric chiropractors, our purpose is to find and gently release this stress, allowing the nervous system to function optimally.
When we evaluate an infant, we are looking for these specific areas of tension and misalignment. The adjustments for a baby are incredibly gentle, often using no more pressure than you would use to test the ripeness of a tomato. There is no twisting, popping, or cracking.
By applying a light, specific touch, we can restore proper motion to the joints of the spine, taking pressure off the delicate nerves. This allows the nervous system to shift out of "fight-or-flight" and into a "rest-and-digest" state. When the brain can communicate clearly with the gut, digestion improves, gas is reduced, and the baby can finally relax. The results can be huge, with research showing that up to 94% of colicky infants resolve with chiropractic care.
If your baby is suffering from colic, it is not a reflection of your parenting. It is often a sign that their little body is holding onto stress from their birth. By addressing this root cause, we can help your baby find comfort and allow your entire family to enjoy the peaceful, joyful newborn experience you deserve.
If you are tired of doing this alone, we would love to be there to support you. Reach out to us and we will start the process of finding your happy baby!
