Connected Chiropractic

11/20/2021

✨ Swaddling ✨

Most new parents think that they need to swaddle their baby. But the truth is that swaddling can hinder a baby’s development.

Babys are born with many primitive reflexes. These reflexes are how a baby learns to nurse, close their hand around your finger, and eventually roll over and crawl.

One of these reflexes is the Moro or startle reflex. This reflex is why a baby may wake up when they are put down. They feel the change of position and “startle” awake. This reflex is present at birth and should go away by 3 months. It integrates into the brain as the brain grows and becomes more developed. Simply put, a baby had to use this reflex over and over until the brain is developed enough to not respond to it.

Parents swaddle babies to reduce their startle reflex so that they both get better sleep. The issue is, by reducing the reflex, the brain development is affected.

Babies who are swaddled don’t get to “practice” their startle reflex and therefore their brain won’t make the connections needed to turn the reflex off by 2-4 months when it should naturally disappear.

In our office, we often see babies around 4-6 months who struggle to sleep. Mom is exhausted and considering sleep training but knows there’s something else going on. Swaddling for too long and the 4 month sleep regression is a bad combination and can cause the whole family to become stressed and exhausted.

Typically, these parents swaddle their baby so that baby can sleep longer periods. Then when they stop swaddling because baby can roll, their baby still startles and wakes up easily. They turn to the weighted sleep sacks which just prolong and worsen this issue. Now the startle reflex gets stronger and persistent. Brain development has been altered and the milestones of integration of all primitive reflexes are affected which in turn affect when a baby learns to roll, sit, crawl, and walk.

This is why we DO NOT recommend swaddling. It has neurological consequences for a baby’s development.

Swaddling does mimic how a baby felt in the womb. So IF you decide you need to swaddle your newborn baby, only do so for two weeks maximum!

03/06/2020

Scary!

A Boxed Warning or “Black Box Warning,” the most prominent and serious of FDA warnings about prescription drugs, will adorn packages of asthma and allergy medicine montelukast (brand name: Singulair), the agency announced Wednesday.

01/29/2020

YES❤️

YAAASS! This! 👊🏼

08/21/2019

Did you know blueberries...

08/15/2019

“Tummy Time” is for EVERYONE.

Kids mimic and imitate before they will follow what you say. As I get a picture from The Beast From The East with his son setting a great example of how to healthfully explore tech use at home for limited amounts of time, and I post it utilizing the same healthy position, keep setting a good example for your kids who most certainly are struggling with Tech Neck and all the health ramifications that encompasses.
Obviously we want to limit screen time in youth to less than 2 hours a day, but when they “have” to use it have them use Tummy Time. It will keep their spines extended and strong, their heads will maintain over they shoulders, they will start to feel the coordination of being upright more often. It’s relaxing but it’s also very difficult to stay in for extended periods of time as it is still training. You will get tired and sore...bueno. 10-20 minutes at the most at one time. Plus you’ll get so uncomfortable you won’t be able to abuse technology where we lose 8 hours of our lives in the blink of an eye...except when they are running all episodes of Saved By The Bell in a row. Boom.

Kids mimic and imitate before they will follow what you say. As I get a picture from The Beast From The East with his son setting a great example of how to healthfully explore tech use at home for limited amounts of time, and I post it utilizing the same healthy position, keep setting a good example for your kids who most certainly are struggling with Tech Neck and all the health ramifications that encompasses.
Obviously we want to limit screen time in youth to less than 2 hours a day, but when they “have” to use it have them use Tummy Time. It will keep their spines extended and strong, their heads will maintain over they shoulders, they will start to feel the coordination of being upright more often. It’s relaxing but it’s also very difficult to stay in for extended periods of time as it is still training. You will get tired and sore...bueno. 10-20 minutes at the most at one time. Plus you’ll get so uncomfortable you won’t be able to abuse technology where we lose 8 hours of our lives in the blink of an eye...except when they are running all episodes of Saved By The Bell in a row. Boom.

08/14/2019

“Garden Gifts” are some of my favorites. Planted and picked with love. Thank you George!!

08/12/2019

Did you know..now you do 😊

Just in case you didn’t know...

08/09/2019

Are you expecting🤰or know someone who is? Dr. Amy is Webster certified and has helped many mommy’s experience a greater quality of life throughout their pregnancy’s with specific and gentle chiropractic care.
Call 612-791-1144 to schedule your complimentary consultation and to start living your Best Life!

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The Webster Technique is designed to create the best possible spinal and pelvic positioning for pregnancy and birth. By applying gentle adjustments to the sacrum and soft pressure to the round ligaments, tight muscles that affect the uterus can relax. This provides the optimum environment for your baby, allowing for an increased opportunity to have a more ideal labor and delivery.

08/06/2019

From a new mom, new to chiropractic:

"For most of my pregnancy I suffered from extreme lower back and pelvic pain. I went to physical therapy and tried to make it through the best I could. Everyone told me it would get better after I had my baby. At 6 months postpartum, however, I found myself with the same amount of pain and knew something was wrong.

I could not sit comfortably and walking wasn’t any better. I was confined to my house, unable to do everyday tasks like food shopping. There were no trips to the park or play dates like I had been looking forward to because I could not physically get my kids in and out of their car seats.

As a mother it was heartbreaking. I could not care for my own children and they were losing out on having the happy, healthy mom that they deserved. I felt like I was missing out on simply enjoying them being little and it was crushing me.

I saw my OB and through tears told him I needed to get better but didn’t know how. I wasn’t even sure what was really wrong with me. My pelvic floor therapist was wonderful, but I was at a standstill. After hearing me out, he carefully contemplated before suggesting I speak with the doctors at Shtulman Family Chiropractic. It wasn’t the first idea that came to mind but he felt strongly this is what I needed, and I was willing to try anything.

Fast forward 6 visits and I came in crying to Dr. Miller, not because of pain, but for the first time after 11 months I was able to get down on the floor and play with my boys. So simple, but so monumental. In such a short amount of time I was already seeing positive results. Progress marked by the ability to do simple everyday tasks such as being able to get dressed without sitting down, walking from the parking lot to the doctor’s office without pain, being able to sit in a car longer than five minutes comfortably, improved posture and more. The pain continues to fade with each visit and more importantly I’m starting to get my life back.

Drs. Miller and Shtulman are amazing. Both have taken the time to explain everything and provide additional tips and resources to help me heal. I’m so thankful for the compassionate care I received from them.” - AM