Chiropractic Helps New Mothers Produce Milk

An article in the March 2007 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics, presents three documented case studies of chiropractic care helping new mothers who were unable to produce adequate mother's milk. A reduction in mothers milk, known as "Hypolactation" can be a serious problem that can create health issues for both the mother and child.

The first case was a women who went to the chiropractor on the referral of her midwife. She had given birth 10 days earlier to her second child and unlike her first, she was unable to establish a milk supply for her second baby. The patient had no other medical issues other than difficulty in swallowing a glass of water.

An examination determined that she had a subluxation, and specific chiropractic care was initiated to correct that issue. After her second visit the patient commented that she found it much easier to swallow. By the third visit she noticed visible changes in her breast and the production of milk. This improvement resulted in a positive weight gain for the infant who was forced to depend of formula until the mothers milk issues were resolved.

The second patient went to the chiropractor for upper back pain but was also unable to produce sufficient milk to feed her one month old infant. Her examination showed no medical history for her problems, however, the chiropractic portion of her exam showed subluxations. She began a series of specific chiropractic adjustments for subluxation correction. By the forth visit the patient was noticing breast enlargement and the production of milk. She also became pain free from the upper back pain she was experiencing.

The third case was a women who came into the chiropractor's office with her daughter six days after birth. She was sent there on the recommendation of the hospital lactation consultant. As in the previous cases, subluxations were found and care was initiated to correct them. In this case it took only 24 hours for the positive results to show, and for this mother to be able to feed her infant naturally.

Based on their case studies and the volumes of previous research, these researchers concluded that subluxations and the neurological interference they cause play a major role in Hypolactation. The researchers suggest, "Chiropractic evaluation for subluxations would be a key element in the holistic assessment of the failure to establish milk supply in the post partum patient."