What to expect during a visit for you and your baby, how prenatal and postpartum care differ, and the questions to ask before choosing a chiropractor for your family.
If you're a mom with a new baby, you probably have a lot on your mind. You're learning your baby's cues, figuring out feeding and sleep, recovering from pregnancy and delivery, and trying to take care of yourself along the way.
You may also have questions about chiropractic care. What happens during a visit for a newborn? Is a prenatal chiropractor different from other chiropractors? What should you look for when choosing someone to care for your family?
Those are good questions. You shouldn't have to guess what happens during an appointment or feel pressured into care you don't understand.
At New Directions Chiropractic in Allen, Texas, we work with moms, babies, children, and growing families. My approach starts with listening, evaluating function, explaining what I find, and helping you understand your options.
"The first step isn't deciding what treatment you need. It's understanding what's going on and whether chiropractic care is appropriate."
Mommy-and-me chiropractic care generally refers to appointments arranged for a mother and her baby at the same office, often back to back.
The idea is simple: Moms and babies have different needs, but making time for your own health while caring for a new baby isn't always easy.
A combined visit can make scheduling more convenient. However, mom and baby should each receive an individual evaluation and recommendations based on their own needs.
For mom, the conversation might focus on physical discomfort, movement, or recovery after delivery. For baby, it may involve questions about movement, development, and any concerns you've noticed.
Your first appointment should give you a clear understanding of the evaluation, the findings, and your options. You should have time to ask questions and make an informed decision.
Before discussing care, I want to understand what's happening.
For mom, that might include pregnancy, delivery, previous injuries, physical discomfort, or postpartum recovery.
For your baby, we may discuss feeding, movement, sleep, and any concerns you've already brought to your pediatrician. The goal is to understand your concerns and identify whether they call for a chiropractic evaluation, medical assessment, or another appropriate next step.
The examination depends on the person being evaluated. For mom, an examination may include posture, range of motion, and movement patterns, depending on your health and circumstances.
For a baby, any assessment should be appropriate for their age and development. The provider should explain what they're assessing and why.
Looking at function can help us understand movement and identify findings that may deserve attention. It does not, by itself, establish the cause of a medical condition or mean that chiropractic treatment is necessary.
You shouldn't leave an appointment wondering what happened or why a treatment was recommended. I'll explain the relevant findings in everyday language, answer your questions, and discuss whether chiropractic care may be appropriate.
If your concern needs medical evaluation, I'll explain that, too. Chiropractic care should work alongside appropriate medical care, not replace it.
If care is appropriate, you should understand the proposed approach, its potential benefits and risks, the evidence supporting it, and any reasonable alternatives.
You should also know how progress will be assessed and what would lead us to change or stop care.
You don't need to commit to a long-term plan before you understand what is being recommended and why.
Pregnancy changes how your body moves. As your baby grows, your posture, balance, and physical demands change, too.
Some pregnant women seek chiropractic care to address musculoskeletal discomfort or movement-related concerns. If you're considering care, ask how the chiropractor adapts the examination, positioning, and techniques to your stage of pregnancy and medical history.
Depending on your circumstances, side-lying or seated positions and pregnancy-specific positioning supports may be used for comfort.
It's also important to keep your obstetric provider informed about additional care you're considering, particularly if you have pregnancy complications or specific medical restrictions.
Important: Bleeding, severe abdominal pain, or other concerning pregnancy symptoms require prompt medical evaluation rather than a chiropractic appointment.
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic approach involving assessment and care related to sacral and pelvic function during pregnancy.
Dr. Jonathon Harrison has held Webster Technique certification through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) since 2012.
If you're considering this approach, ask what the assessment involves and what the technique is intended to address.
"The Webster Technique should not be presented as a guaranteed way to turn a breech baby, change a baby's position, or influence the outcome of a pregnancy. If your baby is breech, discuss your options with your obstetric provider."
Having a baby puts new physical demands on your body. Feeding, carrying your baby, bending over a crib, and sleeping in short stretches can all affect how you feel and move.
Your postpartum recovery also depends on your delivery and individual health.
If you're considering chiropractic care after delivery, tell your provider about your recovery, including whether you had a cesarean birth, complications, or restrictions from your medical team. Your evaluation and any proposed care should account for your healing and comfort.
You don't have to wait until you're struggling to ask questions about your physical health. But you should receive recommendations that fit your recovery, rather than a routine that treats every postpartum mom the same way.
When your baby isn't sleeping well, has difficulty feeding, or seems uncomfortable, it's natural to look for answers.
As a parent, you want to understand what's happening and what options are available. The important thing is to start with an appropriate evaluation rather than assume that every concern has the same cause.
A newborn's examination should be different from an adult's. The provider should explain what they plan to assess, why it matters, and whether any further evaluation is needed.
If chiropractic treatment is proposed, ask about the specific technique, supporting evidence, potential risks, and alternatives. Gentle pressure does not automatically make a treatment risk-free.
Research on pediatric chiropractic care is limited for many common infant concerns. There is not strong evidence that spinal manipulation effectively treats conditions such as colic or reflux. Chiropractic care should not replace pediatric evaluation or established treatment for an infant's medical condition.
Parents often notice patterns before they know what those patterns mean. Perhaps your baby consistently turns their head to one side. Maybe feeding is difficult, or you're concerned about how your baby moves.
These observations are worth discussing with your pediatrician.
A provider may evaluate age-appropriate movement and function, but an evaluation alone cannot establish that a nervous-system problem is causing feeding difficulties, sleep problems, or other symptoms.
For example, persistent head-turning preference or restricted neck movement deserves assessment by an appropriate healthcare professional. Feeding difficulties may require help from your pediatrician and a qualified feeding specialist.
The goal is to understand the concern, identify appropriate next steps, and avoid overlooking a medical issue.
Some symptoms need medical attention before you consider any additional care. Contact your pediatrician promptly about feeding difficulties, poor weight gain, persistent vomiting, or a significant change in your baby's behavior.
A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby younger than three months requires immediate medical assessment. Breathing difficulty, unusual unresponsiveness, or other signs of an emergency require immediate help.
If you're unsure whether a symptom needs attention, start with your pediatrician.
Children grow, move, and develop at different rates. Their evaluations should reflect their age, health, and individual circumstances.
Depending on the reason for the visit, an assessment may include movement, range of motion, coordination, or other age-appropriate measures.
It's important to understand the difference between evaluating how a child moves and diagnosing the cause of a symptom.
For example, if your child has difficulty with movement, persistent discomfort, or a change in function, we want to understand your concern and determine what kind of evaluation is appropriate.
Chiropractic care should not be presented as a proven treatment for developmental delays, ADHD, autism, ear infections, or other medical conditions without adequate supporting evidence. Parents should feel comfortable asking questions, discussing findings with their pediatrician, and declining any treatment they don't understand.
Choosing a chiropractor involves more than finding someone close to home. You want a provider who listens, explains recommendations, respects your decisions, and understands when a concern falls outside their role.
Here are questions worth asking before you book.
Pay attention to how the provider responds. You should receive clear answers without pressure to purchase a package or commit to ongoing care before you understand the recommendations.
A state chiropractic license establishes that a provider meets the applicable licensing requirements. Additional certifications may demonstrate training in a particular area, but they do not automatically prove that a treatment is effective.
Dr. Jonathon Harrison has held Webster Technique certification through the ICPA since 2012 and holds Pediatric Experience certification from 2022. New Directions Chiropractic was also voted Mom Approved 2026 by DFW Child.
These are useful details when learning about our practice. You should still ask questions and decide whether the provider's approach fits your family's needs.
At New Directions Chiropractic, we look at each person as an individual. We want to understand your concerns, evaluate what is appropriate, and explain what we find.
My approach is centered on function and the relationship between the nervous system and the body. The nervous system helps coordinate movement and many other functions, which is why understanding how a person moves and functions can be an important part of an appropriate evaluation.
But we also need to be clear about what an examination can tell us. Finding a movement restriction or another functional finding does not prove that it is causing a child's symptoms, and it does not mean that an adjustment will resolve a medical condition.
Our job is to help you understand what we're seeing, what it may mean, and what options make sense. Sometimes that may include chiropractic care. Sometimes it means coordinating with your medical team or recommending another healthcare professional.
We want parents to feel comfortable asking questions, understanding the reasoning behind recommendations, and making decisions without pressure.
We work with families from Allen, McKinney, and across North Dallas. When scheduling allows, we can arrange appointments for mom and baby back to back to make visits easier for busy families.
If you're considering care for yourself or your baby, we're happy to talk with you about our approach and help you decide what questions to ask.