Breastfeeding in Wall Township NJ
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and beneficial things a mother can do for her baby, yet for many families, it can become an overwhelming challenge. Issues like poor latch, painful nursing, reflux, gagging, and excessive fussiness can make breastfeeding feel stressful rather than enjoyable. Many breastfeeding difficulties stem from underlying neurological and cranial imbalances that require specialized care.
At our chiropractic clinic in Wall Township NJ , we provide a unique, comprehensive approach to breastfeeding challenges using neurologically-based chiropractic care and craniopathy. Dr. Anthony Pellegrino is the only pediatric chiropractic Diplomate in Monmouth and Ocean County, as well as one of the few chiropractors in New Jersey certified in pediatric craniopathy. Our expertise has led pediatricians and IBCLCs to refer countless families to us for gentle, precise care that helps both mom and baby experience smoother, more comfortable breastfeeding.
The Root Cause of Breastfeeding Challenges: Neurological & Cranial Imbalances
Breastfeeding challenges are often mistakenly blamed on low milk supply, tongue ties, or digestive issues, but the nervous system and cranial function play a far greater role in a baby's ability to nurse effectively.
The vagus nerve is responsible for coordinating suck, swallow, and breathe reflexes, while the cranial bones and soft tissues support proper latching, tongue mobility, and jaw function. Misalignments or restrictions in these areas can lead to:
- Shallow or painful latch
- Gagging, clicking, or leaking milk while feeding
- Reflux, excessive spit-up, and gassiness
- Preference for one breast or difficulty turning the head
- Frequent nursing but not transferring enough milk
- Poor weight gain despite constant feeding
- Tension in the jaw, face, or neck leading to discomfort
Many of these issues stem from cranial misalignments and nervous system stress, often caused by birth trauma such as C-sections, forceps, vacuum extractions, or prolonged labor.
How Craniopathy & Chiropractic Help Improve Breastfeeding in Wall Township NJ
Unlike traditional chiropractic care that focuses solely on the spine, craniopathy is an advanced technique that restores proper function to the 22 interlinked bones of the cranium, which directly impact feeding, digestion, and neurological development.
At Absolute Chiropractic, we use a combination of:
- Neurologically-Focused Pediatric Chiropractic Care: Gently corrects subluxations in the spine and nervous system, improving vagus nerve function and coordination of feeding reflexes.
- Craniopathy (Cranial Adjusting): Targets cranial asymmetries and restrictions that contribute to poor latch, tongue tension, and discomfort. We are one of the only pediatric chiropractic offices in New Jersey certified in craniopathy.
We are also trained in craniosacral therapy, which informs our approach to care, ensuring we use the most gentle and effective techniques for infants.
By addressing both cranial and spinal alignment, our specialized care helps babies latch deeper, feed more effectively, and experience less discomfort, leading to better weight gain, improved digestion, and reduced reflux and fussiness.
Why Do So Many Pediatricians and Lactation Consultants Refer to Us?
Dr. Anthony Pellegrino is the only pediatric chiropractic Diplomate in Monmouth and Ocean County, giving him a level of expertise that few providers can match. We are also one of the only offices in New Jersey offering certified craniopathy and neurologically-focused chiropractic under one roof.
Many pediatricians and IBCLCs refer families to us because they’ve seen firsthand the incredible results of gentle, targeted adjustments and cranial work in improving breastfeeding outcomes. If you’ve tried everything—from tongue tie revisions to formula changes—and are still struggling, we offer a holistic, evidence-based approach that gets to the root cause of feeding challenges.
Get the Support You Need for a Smooth Breastfeeding Journey
You don’t have to navigate breastfeeding challenges alone. If your baby is struggling with latching, reflux, excessive fussiness, or feeding difficulties, we’re here to help.
Schedule a consultation today by calling (732)-945-5033 or booking online.
Your baby deserves the best start in life, and we’re honored to be part of your breastfeeding journey!
- Breastfeeding Challenges (especially gagging and latching issues)
- Cranial Asymmetries
- Plagiocephaly
- Ear Infections
- ADHD
- Epilepsy and Seizure Activities
- TMJ/TMJD
- Migraines
- Learning Disabilities
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Dr. Anthony Pellegrino is certified in pediatric Sacro Occipital Technique and well-versed in craniopathy and the management of the above conditions and more.
What is Craniopathy?
Craniopathy is the science and art of restoring proper function to the cranium. Chiropractic craniopathy, which is different from Craniosacral Therapy, is an advanced aspect of the Sacro Occipital Technique (S.O.T.). The focus of craniopathy is the movement and position of the 22 interlinked cranial bones and their impact on the function and adaptability of the central nervous system. Cranial misalignments, or subluxations, can distort the function of the nervous system as well as create cranial and facial asymmetries such as plagiocephaly, eyes being unlevel or uneven, ears appearing rotated, and more.
Cranial adjustments involve assessing the moveable sutures of the cranium and the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between the cranium and the rest of the central nervous system. After the exact pattern of misalignment is analyzed, the doctor will apply gentle pressure to the cranial bones with the patient’s breath that will allow their “release” and reposition.
Craniopathy is especially helpful for babies and young children for many reasons. Because their cranial sutures have not fully fused, the impact of the adjustments can be massive and alter the trajectory of development for the better. Also, because 80% of the central nervous system lies in the cranium, allowing for proper function can impact growth and development.
The most common reason for cranial subluxation in a baby is difficulty in the birth process. Even a “natural” birth can cause cranial subluxations. However, the more medical intervention during the birth process, such as Pitocin, epidural, vacuum extraction, and especially C-section, the more likely a more severe cranial subluxation can be present.
In an infant, these subluxation patterns can not only affect growth and development, but can also impact the shape of the skull, the development of a child’s palate, and affect breastfeeding, latching, and more.
Craniopathy for Tongue Tie
Tongue and lip ties can drastically limit the comfort, growth, and development of infants. On the surface, a tie restricts the movement and function of the tongue and palate which can impact breastfeeding. However, underneath the surface, that tissue connects throughout the body all the way down to the toes and can impact the function of different systems including digestion.
In many cases of tongue and lip tie, chiropractic and craniopathy together can help create “slack” in the tissue and significantly improve function without the need for surgery. In more severe cases, revision by a pediatric dentist may be necessary.
If a revision is performed, chiropractic and craniopathy are always recommended for recovery. While babies often see symptomatic improvement almost immediately following a surgical revision, because that tissue connects throughout the body, a side-effect of the surgery can be instability throughout the spine and cranium both structurally and functionally.
Think about it like this. You would never want to train for a marathon with a giant rubber band tying your knees together. You would have to take very short steps and would have to work incredibly hard to train. The tongue or lip tie is like that rubber band. Cutting the rubber band really frees the body to be able to function better. However, if your body was used to functioning with the rubber band around it, it would take retraining the muscles, ligaments, and brain to be able to achieve proper running stride. Retraining the muscles, ligaments, and brain – that is what chiropractic and craniopathy do post revision.
Craniopathy for Plagiocephaly
Plagiocephaly, or flat-head syndrome, is when a baby develops a flat spot on one side of the head or on the whole back of the head. This can be for a number of different reasons. Commonly, a child may need more “tummy time” to develop the musculature on the back of the neck and cranium. Also, if a child’s neck range of motion is limited, or they prefer to turn their head one-way vs the other, it can cause a flat spot on the side of the head that is towards the floor when laying still. Both reasons, difficulty during tummy time and restricted/preferred range of motion in the neck, can be caused by spinal subluxations and should be addressed by a pediatric chiropractor before or after plagiocephaly has developed.
If the cranium is involved, chiropractic and craniopathy together can make massive changes in cranial shape. Ensuring proper tension of the internal tissue within the cranium and proper movement of cranial sutures can help redevelop proper symmetrical head shape.
Commonly, we will see a child who has been prescribed a helmet by their pediatrician to help regain head shape. Chiropractic and craniopathy can still help these children! In fact, if your child is already wearing a helmet, when under care at Absolute Chiropractic, we recommend that you tell their pediatrician that your child needs to be “remeasured” for changes to helmet shape twice as frequently (cut the time in half between visits). Because, in our experience, children under chiropractic and craniopathy care respond much more quickly than those who are not, decreasing the time between head measurements ensures that the child’s helmet is always appropriate for their head shape.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday
10:00am - 1:00pm
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Tuesday
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Wednesday
10:00am - 1:00pm
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Thursday
10:00am - 1:00pm
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Friday
Closed
Saturday & Sunday
Closed
Absolute Chiropractic
2100 NJ-35
Sea Girt, NJ 08750