Newborn & Infant Care · Gilbert, Arizona

My baby won't latch —
and I don't know
what else to try.

You've met with your lactation consultant. You've watched every video. You've tried every position. If breastfeeding still isn't working, there may be something your baby's nervous system needs — that no amount of positioning or technique can solve on its own.

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You are not alone

When feeding feels like
failure — it isn't.

Latching difficulties are one of the most common reasons families come to see us — and one of the most misunderstood. The challenge often isn't your body or your baby's desire to feed. It's tension. It's restriction. It's a nervous system that came through birth carrying more stress than it should be holding.

You haven't failed. Your baby hasn't failed. There may simply be something else going on.

Talk to Our Team
Dr. Jessica Burckhard, Whole Health Chiropractic

"Most of the moms who come in for latch support have already done everything right. What we find is that their baby needs one more piece — and it's something we can help with."

— Dr. Jess & Dr. Josh Burckhard

What we look for

Latch issues often start
in the nervous system.

Birth — even a straightforward one — places significant physical demands on a newborn's head, neck, and jaw. The forces involved in delivery can create tension or restriction that makes the coordination required for feeding genuinely difficult. This isn't about anatomy or desire. It's about how the nervous system is functioning.

01

Tension in the neck and upper spine

When there's restriction in the upper cervical spine, a baby may struggle to turn their head comfortably to one side — making a deep, effective latch difficult. You may notice your baby feeds better on one breast than the other. This is often why.

02

Jaw and oral tension

Restriction in the jaw and temporal bones can limit how wide a baby opens their mouth and how effectively they create suction. Even with a structurally normal oral cavity, tension here can make a strong, sustained latch exhausting for a newborn.

03

A dysregulated nervous system

When a newborn's nervous system is in a heightened state — common after a long labor, a fast delivery, or instrument-assisted birth — they may struggle to achieve the calm, coordinated state that effective feeding requires. Feeding and nervous system regulation are inseparable.

04

Compensations that compound

Babies are remarkably adaptive. But the ways they compensate for tension — pulling off frequently, clicking while feeding, preferring one side — can create secondary challenges that grow the longer the underlying issue goes unaddressed.

Our approach

Gentle. Specific.
Calibrated for newborns.

Chiropractic care for newborns looks almost nothing like what most people imagine. The pressure we use — often no more than the weight of a fingertip — is enough to make a meaningful difference in how a newborn's nervous system functions.

Every assessment begins with listening. To you, to your birth story, and to what your baby is showing us. We work slowly, gently, and with your full involvement at every step.

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1

A thorough birth history

We start by understanding how your baby came into the world — the length of labor, their position, whether any instruments were used, how quickly things progressed. The birth story almost always tells us where to look first.

2

A gentle full-body assessment

We assess your baby's entire spine, skull, jaw, and neck — not just where it hurts, because babies can't tell us that. We look at how they move, which directions feel restricted, and where tension is being held.

3

Specific, light-touch care

If we find areas of restriction, we address them with gentle, targeted input — often while your baby is in your arms. The goal is to give the nervous system the information it needs to release tension and restore easier movement.

4

Coordination with your care team

We work alongside your lactation consultant, not instead of them. In many cases the combination of chiropractic care and lactation support produces results that neither alone could achieve. We're happy to help coordinate referrals.

5

An honest conversation about next steps

You'll leave every visit knowing exactly what we assessed, what we found, what we did, and what to expect. No clinical jargon. No pressure. Just clear information you can actually use.

Your doctors

Two doctors.
Both trained for this.

Dr. Josh and Dr. Jess Burckhard are both CACCP-certified pediatric and perinatal chiropractors with 20 years of clinical experience. Either doctor is fully equipped to assess and care for your newborn — and in our practice, we actively encourage families to build a relationship with both.

Dr. Jessica Burckhard
Dr. Jessica Burckhard
DC · CACCP · Webster Certified · Perinatal Certified · ICPA

A chiropractor and a mother, Dr. Jess has focused her entire career on newborns, infants, and the families who love them. Her care is gentle, unhurried, and deeply attentive — built on 20 years of listening first.

CACCP — Pediatric Certified by the Academy Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics
Webster Certified · Perinatal Certified Member
20 years pediatric & perinatal focus
Dr. Joshua Burckhard
Dr. Joshua Burckhard
DC · CACCP · Webster Certified · Perinatal Certified · ICPA

A chiropractor and a father, Dr. Josh brings clinical precision and genuine warmth to every newborn assessment. He knows that the nervous system work done in these early days can shape a child's health for years to come.

CACCP — Pediatric Certified by the Academy Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics
Webster Certified · Perinatal Certified Member
20 years pediatric & perinatal focus

In our practice, we encourage families to see both doctors over time. Dr. Josh and Dr. Jess each bring something different to a case — and the families who work with both consistently tell us they feel more supported for it.

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Your first visit

What to expect when
you come see us.

Your baby doesn't need to be adjusted before you even know if we can help. Here's exactly what your first appointment looks like.

Before you arrive

We want to hear your story

When you schedule, we'll ask you to share a little about your baby's birth and your feeding experience so far — not to pre-judge, but so we're not starting from zero when you walk in the door.

In the room

A conversation before anything else

Your first appointment begins with a thorough, unhurried conversation. We want to understand your birth story, your baby's patterns, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping for. Then we assess.

What we find

A clear explanation — in plain language

We'll tell you exactly what we found and what we think is contributing to the feeding difficulty. If chiropractic care is appropriate, we'll explain what that looks like and what to expect. If it isn't, we'll tell you that too — and help point you toward who can.

Common questions

What families ask us
before they come in.

Yes — when performed by a chiropractor with specific training in newborn care. The techniques we use for newborns bear no resemblance to adult chiropractic. The pressure is often lighter than the weight of a fingertip resting on skin. Both Dr. Josh and Dr. Jess hold the CACCP certification, representing advanced clinical training in infant and pediatric assessment and care. We work slowly, gently, and with your full involvement throughout every visit.
We see newborns as young as a few days old. The sooner we can assess, the better — not because we want to rush anything, but because addressing tension early means your baby spends less time working around it. If you're still in the hospital, call us before you're even discharged and we'll have an appointment ready for when you get home.
Absolutely. Lactation consultants are experts in feeding mechanics, positioning, milk supply, and oral anatomy. What they're not trained to assess is how the nervous system and musculoskeletal system may be contributing to your baby's difficulty. These approaches are complementary — many of our strongest referral relationships are with lactation consultants who recognize this gap precisely. Keep working with yours. We'll coordinate.
Tongue tie is real, and for some babies it is a significant factor. It can also be overdiagnosed. What we consistently find is that many babies with a tongue tie evaluation also have significant tension in the neck and jaw — and that addressing that tension before or after a frenectomy can dramatically improve outcomes. We work closely with the providers in our area who evaluate and treat tongue tie, and we're happy to help coordinate that conversation.
It depends on what we find and how your baby responds. Some families see meaningful change within one or two visits. Others benefit from a short series of care over a few weeks. We will never recommend more care than we believe is necessary, and we reassess at every visit to make sure we're still on the right track. Our goal is always to get your baby where they need to be as efficiently as possible.
Both Dr. Josh and Dr. Jess are equally trained and experienced in newborn and infant care. Either doctor is fully equipped to assess and care for your baby. That said, we actively encourage families to build a relationship with both doctors over time — each brings a different perspective, and the families who see both consistently tell us they feel more supported. We'll never make you feel locked in with one provider.

When you're ready

You've done everything right.
Let us look at what's left.

Dr. Josh and Dr. Jess are both accepting new patients. A first visit is a conversation — not a commitment. Come in, let us assess your baby, and leave with a clear picture of whether and how we can help.

Call (480) 507-2788 Book Online