The Moment It Clicked: Why One Mother's Breastfeeding Experience Changed Dr. Shannon's Career

Sometimes a single experience changes the way we see an entire profession.

For Dr. Shannon, that moment came shortly after the birth of her daughter.

Her daughter was having difficulty breastfeeding and strongly favored one side. She did not want to turn her head in the opposite direction, which was making breastfeeding more difficult. Dr. Shannon decided to take her daughter to a chiropractor.

After the visit, her daughter was able to turn her head and latch on that side.

“That was really the moment everything clicked for me,” Dr. Shannon says.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

As a new mother, Dr. Shannon was naturally focused on helping her own daughter. But the experience immediately brought another group of people to mind: the mothers she had worked with through WIC.

Through that work, she had seen how many women wanted to breastfeed but struggled when something was not going as expected. Some simply did not know who else might be able to help when their baby was having difficulties with positioning or latch.

Her daughter's experience made her wonder what might happen if more parents knew about the different professionals and resources that could potentially be part of their support system.

“What if more moms knew this kind of support existed?” she remembers thinking.

That question became impossible to ignore.

From One Family to Many Families

Chiropractic continued to be part of Dr. Shannon's own family life. Over time, she watched her daughter grow and reach her developmental milestones, while their family continued to value chiropractic care.

But the experience had also changed her perspective.

She realized that she wanted to become the person who could help another mother navigate those early questions and concerns.

That meant a major career change.

“I couldn't stop thinking about other mothers who were struggling with the same things and had no idea that there might be another professional who could be part of their support system,” she says.

That realization eventually led Dr. Shannon to chiropractic school and to additional education in pediatric and perinatal care.

A Different Kind of Chiropractic Practice

Today, Dr. Shannon's approach is deeply connected to that original experience as a mother. She understands that parents often arrive with questions, uncertainty, and a desire to understand what is happening with their child.

Her goal is not simply to provide care and send a family on its way. She wants parents to feel heard, informed, and supported—and to understand when another healthcare professional should be part of their child's care team.

That philosophy grew directly from the experience that changed her own life.

One baby struggling to breastfeed became one mother asking a bigger question. That question eventually became a career, a practice, and a commitment to helping other families find the support they need.