In this episode of The Pediatric Breathing Project, Dr. Piya Gandhi sits down with Leah Whitley, IBCLC, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with SOS Lactation, to talk about the powerful connection between infant feeding, tongue function, airway development, & long-term health.

Leah shares her personal story of how painful early breastfeeding challenges with her first child led her into the world of lactation support and ultimately into a career helping families navigate feeding difficulties with more clarity and confidence. They discuss what an IBCLC actually does, why feeding issues are often more complex than they appear, and how oral restrictions, tongue ties, and poor tongue mechanics can impact both breastfeeding and airway development.

They also cover the signs that a baby may be struggling with feeding, including maternal nipple pain, atypical feeding patterns, poor milk transfer, recurrent plugged ducts, mastitis, and milk supply decline. This episode highlights why things can “look fine” from the outside while significant dysfunction is still happening inside the mouth.

This episode is for parents, lactation professionals, pediatric providers, dentists, and anyone passionate about helping babies feed, breathe, and develop well from the very beginning.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Leah Whitley’s journey into lactation after her own breastfeeding struggles
• What makes an IBCLC different from other breastfeeding support providers
• Why tongue function matters for breastfeeding and airway growth
• Common signs of feeding dysfunction that families may miss
• Why diaper counts alone do not always tell the full story
• Nipple pain, blanching, creasing, plugged ducts, and mastitis as red flags
• How early milk supply hormones can mask poor transfer before supply drops
• Bottle feeding techniques and how flow rate affects sucking mechanics
• Thoughts on pacifier use and which shapes better support tongue function
• How Leah prepares families for tongue tie release and post-release care
• What baby readiness looks like before a release procedure
• Why collaboration between IBCLCs, bodyworkers, dentists, and SLPs matters
• When to refer to a speech language pathologist
• Common myths about breastfeeding pain and milk supply
• Why parents should advocate for a thorough oral assessment
• The gaps that still exist in hospitals and traditional medical settings

About Leah Whitley

Leah Whitley, IBCLC is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant with SOS Lactation in Houston. She works closely with families navigating infant feeding challenges, tongue ties, oral restrictions, and early oral function concerns, with a strong emphasis on comprehensive assessment and collaborative care.

Connect with Leah: https://soslactation.com/

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The Pediatric Breathing Project with Dr. Piya Gandhi explores how airway health, jaw development, and sleep impact childhood wellness. Parents and practitioners will learn to spot early signs of sleep-disordered breathing and discover practical solutions for healthier futures.

If you’re a parent, dentist, pediatrician, or healthcare professional passionate about giving children the best start in life, this podcast is your guide to better breathing, better sleep, and better development.

Piya Trehan Gandhi, DDS

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST, AIRWAY AND TONGUE TIE RELEASE SPECIALIST

Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | YouTube | Website

Pediatric Chiropractic, Tongue Ties & Airway: Dr. Caroline Long on Craniosacral Care, Fascia, and Infant Red Flags

Dr. Piya Gandhi interviews Dr. Caroline Long, a chiropractor and owner of West U Wellness with 25 years of experience, about pediatric and pregnancy-focused chiropractic care and its role in airway and tongue-tie care. Dr. Long shares her path into pediatric chiropractic, her additional pediatric certification training, and how she built trust with doulas, midwives, and parents. They discuss how pediatric chiropractic differs from adult-style adjustments, the gentle approach used with infants, and craniosacral concepts including skull plate motion, intracranial pressure, and indicators for early cranial work before bones fuse. Dr. Long explains preparation goals for tongue-tie revisions by addressing compensatory body patterns, jaw/neck/shoulder/pelvic mobility, and breathing mechanics, and describes fascia as a body-wide connective membrane that can contribute to tension patterns. They cover signs infants may benefit from chiropractic care (limited head turning, head tilt, mouth breathing, poor seal/dribbling milk, colic, reflux, prolonged feeding, chronic ear infections, constipation) and how chiropractic and PT can work together for issues like torticollis and plagiocephaly to potentially reduce or avoid helmet time. They also touch on buccal ties as often more flexible, typically managed with stretches and observation unless clearly restrictive, and share examples of children seeking care for symptoms like a choking sensation related to neck tightness and athletes optimizing performance. The conversation emphasizes increased awareness driven by social media, the need for scientifically valid education, and multidisciplinary collaboration among pediatricians, dentists, chiropractors, PTs, and other providers. The episode ends with guidance on finding a qualified pediatric chiropractor, mentioning ICPA coursework and craniosacral training leaders, suggested screening questions for parents, and West U Wellness’s location in Bel Air at Bel Air and South Rice.


00:00 Welcome + Meet Dr. Caroline Long (25 Years in Pediatric Chiropractic)
01:16 Her Origin Story: Scoliosis, First Chiro Experience, and Finding Pediatrics
03:28 What Pediatric Chiropractic Really Looks Like (Gentle Touch, Birth Patterns, Colic/Reflux)
05:05 Building a Pregnancy & Pediatric-Focused Team (Including Newborn Success Stories)
06:10 Craniosacral Therapy Explained: Skull Motion, Pressure, and Baby Head Shape Clues
07:36 Tongue-Tie Prep: Changing Body Patterns for Better Breathing, Jaw Function, and Posture
08:42 Fascia 101: The Body-Wide Connection from Tongue Tension to Movement Issues
10:18 When Ties Keep Pulling Things Back: Compensation Patterns + Her Daughter’s Posterior Tie
11:25 Airway, Palate Expansion, and Whole-Body Alignment (Jaw–Pelvis Link, Growth & Hormones)
13:31 Chiropractic vs

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The Pediatric Breathing Project with Dr. Piya Gandhi explores how airway health, jaw development, and sleep impact childhood wellness. Parents and practitioners will learn to spot early signs of sleep-disordered breathing and discover practical solutions for healthier futures.

If you’re a parent, dentist, pediatrician, or healthcare professional passionate about giving children the best start in life, this podcast is your guide to better breathing, better sleep, and better development.

Piya Trehan Gandhi, DDS

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST, AIRWAY AND TONGUE TIE RELEASE SPECIALIST

Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | YouTube | Website

Episode 4: From Motherhood to Myofunctional Therapy - The Pediatric Breathing Project with Dr. Piya Gandhi

In this episode of The Pediatric Breathing Project, Dr. Piya Gandhi is joined by Catherine Kangas, orofacial myofunctional therapist, educator, and author of Your Tongue Has a Home. Catherine shares her powerful journey into myofunctional therapy—one that began as a mother searching for answers for her own children struggling with tongue ties, feeding challenges, and sleep-disordered breathing.

Together, Dr. Gandhi and Catherine explore how oral rest posture, tongue function, and airway health impact sleep, development, and overall wellness in both children and adults. This conversation highlights the importance of a holistic, team-based approach to airway care and why myofunctional therapy plays a critical role in long-term success.

Catherine also introduces her newly developed Oral Recovery Kit, designed to support healing and function after procedures such as expansion or frenectomy, and offers guidance on how parents and practitioners can find the right myofunctional therapist.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, dentists, pediatricians, therapists, and healthcare professionals who want a deeper understanding of airway health and collaborative care.

• 00:00 Introduction & Guest Welcome
• 00:41 Catherine’s Personal Journey into Myofunctional Therapy
• 01:32 Challenges & Early Discoveries
• 02:16 Transitioning into a Professional Role
• 03:04 What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
• 04:38 Treating Children vs. Adults
• 07:44 Goals & Importance of Therapy
• 10:06 Your Tongue Has a Home — The Story Behind the Book
• 11:45 Personal Experiences with Expansion Therapy
• 13:33 Advice for Practitioners & Parents
• 15:23 Introducing the Oral Recovery Kit
• 16:45 Kit Components & Use
• 17:51 Instructions & Recommendations
• 20:18 Finding the Right Myofunctional Therapist
• 23:13 The Importance of a Collaborative Team
• 24:47 Final Thoughts & Encouragement

Resources & Links

• Your Tongue Has a Home by Catherine Kangas
  • https://www.amazon.com/dp/1965341101
• Oral Recovery Kit
  • https://www.thewholisticfam.com/
• Follow Catherine Kangas:
  • https://www.instagram.com/integrative_myo/

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The Pediatric Breathing Project with Dr. Piya Gandhi explores how airway health, jaw development, and sleep impact childhood wellness. Parents and practitioners will learn to spot early signs of sleep-disordered breathing and discover practical solutions for healthier futures.

If you’re a parent, dentist, pediatrician, or healthcare professional passionate about giving children the best start in life, this podcast is your guide to better breathing, better sleep, and better development.

Piya Trehan Gandhi, DDS

BOARD CERTIFIED PEDIATRIC DENTIST, AIRWAY AND TONGUE TIE RELEASE SPECIALIST

Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn | YouTube | Website