Home Focus For Babies - A Parent’s Guide to Healthy Breathing, Tongue & Jaw Development

PART 1 FOR BABIES

(Early Oral Development & Foundations)

Many of the patterns that influence how your child breathes, feeds, sleeps, and develops begin in the very early months of life.

As a parent, you may notice:

Feeding challenges
Difficulty settling
Mouth breathing
Tension in the body
Or simply a sense that something isn’t quite right

These early signs are important — but they are also an opportunity.

Why This Stage Matters

In babies, the tongue, lips, jaw, and nervous system are still developing and learning how to work together.

This means:

Small, gentle inputs can have a powerful influence on development

By supporting your baby early, you are helping to shape:

How they feed and swallow
How they breathe
How their face and jaw develop
How their nervous system regulates

A Connected System

Feeding, breathing, posture, and movement are not separate.

They are all part of the same system.

If one area is under strain — such as:

A tight tongue
Tension through the neck or spine
Poor coordination of sucking or swallowing

The body will begin to compensate

This is why we take a whole-body, proactive approach.

Your Role as a Parent

A skilled practitioner can assess and guide — but what you do at home is just as important.

These simple, gentle practices help your baby:

Develop strong oral muscles
Build coordination and awareness
Establish healthy breathing patterns
Reduce unnecessary tension and compensation

What We Are Aiming For

Over time, we want your baby to develop:

A tongue that moves freely and lifts well
Lips that can gently close and seal
Coordinated sucking, swallowing, and breathing
Calm, nasal breathing patterns
Balanced movement and posture

This is about:

Awareness
Consistency

By supporting these foundations early:

Many common challenges can be reduced or prevented altogether

You are not just helping your baby in the moment —

You are shaping how they grow, breathe, and function long-term.

GUIDED DEVELOPMENTAL PRACTICES FOR ORAL DEVELOPMENT & BREATHING

1.TUMMY TIME (FROM ~3 WEEKS ONWARD)

• Begin gentle tummy time from around 3 weeks of age (or earlier if appropriate)

• Start with short periods and gradually increase

• Always supervise

• Place baby on a firm, safe surface

Tummy time helps to activate and stimulate the brainstem, which plays a key role in:

• Breathing regulation

• Postural control

• Feeding and swallowing coordination

• It also supports:

• Neck and upper body strength

• Head control and posture

• Development of the jaw, tongue, and airway

I dive into the importance Tummy Time more in my book Ticklish https://shop.welladjusted.co/product/ticklish-new-ways-to-help-your-child-learn-love-play/

If your baby strongly dislikes tummy time or becomes very distressed:

This may indicate underlying tension in the body, particularly through the neck and spinal cord

If something doesn’t feel right — such as difficulty with tummy time, feeding, or settling — it’s worth exploring further.

Early support can make a meaningful difference to how your baby:

• Moves

• Feeds

• Breathes

• Develops over time

2.SPINAL, CRANIAL AND NERVOUS SYSTEM SUPPORT

Birth — even when straightforward — can place stress on a baby’s body.

Having your baby checked by a chiropractor skilled in paediatrics can help assess and support:

• Spinal alignment• Cranial alignment• Areas of tension or restriction

Gentle, specific care may help to:

• Reduce tension through the spine and nervous system• Improve comfort and settling• Support feeding and sucking patterns• Encourage more balanced movement and development

3. SUPPORTING EARLY REFLEXES (FOR BABIES)

(Laying the Foundations for Feeding, Breathing & Development)

Babies are born with natural reflexes that help them:

Feed effectively
Use their tongue correctly
Coordinate breathing and swallowing

Supporting these reflexes gently can help build strong oral function and development.

*Rooting Reflex (Finding the Breast or Bottle)

• Gently stroke the side of your baby’s cheek• Allow them to turn their head and open their mouth

• Avoid placing the nipple or spoon straight into the mouth• Let baby initiate the movement

Supports:• Natural feeding patterns• Tongue activation• Better latch and coordination

*Suck Reflex (Rhythm & Coordination)

• Allow your baby to suck rhythmically and calmly• Avoid rushing feeds• Allow natural pauses rather than encouraging continuous sucking

• Watch for:

• Smooth, coordinated sucking

• Regular pauses for breathing

• A calm, settled feeding pattern

Supports:

• Coordination between sucking, swallowing, and breathing

• Nervous system regulation

Additional Support:A skilled practitioner can assist if sucking is uncoordinated or weak by working gently with the palate and surrounding cranial structures, which can help improve:

• Tongue movement and strength

• Latch and suction

• Overall feeding coordination

4. TONGUE AWARENESS THROUGH TASTE

When your baby is ready for solids place small amounts of food on:

The lips
The sides of the mouth

Encourage baby to explore and lick

• Use a variety of textures (smooth → thicker as they progress)

Encourages:

• Tongue movement in different directions

• Sensory awareness

• Coordination for feeding

My latest Which Foods When Guide gives you a clear guide on how to intriduce solids to minimise food sensitivities and allergies.

https://shop.welladjusted.co/product/which-foods-when-getting-the-basics-right-ebook/?_gl=1*128zc0b*_ga*MTAzMTI0Mjc4LjE3NzQ5NDk4NzU.*_ga_BZDLC72VVG*czE3NzY4ODk5ODYkbzE5JGcwJHQxNzc2ODg5OTg2JGo2MCRsMCRoMA..

5. SPOON REACHING & LICKING

• Place a small amount of puree on a spoon

• Hold it slightly out in front of your baby (not straight into the mouth)

• Allow your baby to reach forward and lick it off

• Do not scrape the spoon on the top lip• Let the tongue do the work

Encourages:

• Proper tongue extension

• Correct oral patterning

• Early muscle development

6. LIP CLOSURE AWARENESS

When feeding (breast, bottle, spoon, or straw), watch that your baby’s lips come together around the object.

If the mouth stays open:

Gently pause feeding
Allow baby a moment to close their lips themselves
You can lightly guide the lips together with your finger if needed (very gently, no force)

Avoid placing food or liquid into an open mouth without engagement

Look for:

Lips sealed around the spoon or nipple
Minimal dribbling
Calm, coordinated swallowing

Supports:

• Development of a natural lip seal

• Better feeding coordination

• Reduced reliance on mouth-open patterns

7. EARLY CHEWING OPPORTUNITIES

(When developmentally ready)

• Offer soft, safe foods that require gentle chewing

• Allow baby to explore food in their mouth

• Avoid only smooth purees long-term

• Encourage gradual texture progression

Supports:

• Jaw development

• Muscle strength

• Coordination for swallowing

8. Feeding Position Matters

• Keep baby upright during feeding

• Avoid feeding while lying flat

• Ensure head is in a neutral position (not tipped back)

Supports:

• Safer swallowing

• Better tongue positioning

• Airway protection

9. NASAL BREATHING & SLEEP AWARENESS

During the day, observe your baby at rest:

Lips gently closed or closeable
Breathing through the nose

During sleep:

It is ideal for babies to have lips gently closed and breathe through the nose
If the mouth is consistently open, this may indicate: Low tongue posture Oral muscle weakness
Airway or nasal congestion

You can gently support good patterns by:

Ensuring baby is in a comfortable, neutral position
Supporting good feeding and oral development during the day
Keeping the nasal passages clear (if needed)

Important:Do not tape or force a baby’s mouth closed during sleep.Unlike older children or adults, babies should not have any airway restriction applied.

Instead, we focus on:

• Building the structures and habits that naturally support nasal breathing over time

10. STRAW INTRODUCTION (WHEN READY)

• You can begin introducing a straw from around 6–9 months

• Start by placing a small amount of liquid in the straw

• Gently release it into baby’s mouth to teach the pattern

• Progress to baby drawing liquid through the straw themselves

• Keep lips sealed around the straw (no biting)

Supports:

• Lip strength and seal

• Tongue coordination

• Early swallowing patterns