Chiropractic & Pregnancy
The Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor During Pregnancy
DID YOU KNOW? As a woman’s body changes during pregnancy, many factors can lead to spinal misalignment.
During pregnancy:
Ligaments and joints relax and loosen
A typical weight gain of 25 to 30+ pounds occurs
Abdominal muscles weaken
The curve in the lower back is accentuated
Thankfully, many pregnancy pains can be alleviated or altogether prevented with a visit to your chiropractor. Here’s the 411 on how your chiropractor can help ease discomfort during pregnancy.
Is chiropractic care safe for pregnant women?
We understand that you might be hesitant to visit a chiropractor during pregnancy, but visits to the chiropractor while pregnant are just like regular visits! They focus on spinal and pelvic adjustments to relieve back and body tension.
However, you should ensure that your doctor knows how to modify their technique to make treatment safe, effective, and comfortable during all stages of pregnancy.
Dr. Sikora is certified in the Webster technique, where a pregnant mother is assessed for pelvic distortion, which affects the uterine position and round ligament tension. This technique is known to help many mothers with breech presentations by allowing the body to reposition to allow proper baby position.
While we recommend regular chiropractic visits throughout your pregnancy, you can get started with treatment at any time. So even if you’re into your second or third trimester, don’t feel like you’re late to the game. It’s better to bring natural relief to your body than suffer needlessly.
What to expect during prenatal chiropractic treatments
One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from moms-to-be is, “How do I get adjusted while pregnant?”
Some chiropractors utilize adjustable tables that accommodate a growing baby bump and allow the mom to stay comfortable during the session. Many offices, including HFC, have special pregnancy pillows that enable moms to lie safely on their bellies while supporting their body and baby.
Your chiropractor will also employ special techniques that avoid the abdomen, keeping everyone safe.
Chiropractic care can help alleviate pregnancy back and hip pain
Regular chiropractic care corrects the spine misalignment that causes more than 60% of lower back and hip pain that women experience as their body changes.
Posture changes put pressure on the spine, back joints, and muscles. Gentle spinal adjustments from your chiropractor can improve posture and ease pain without the need for pain-relieving medication.
Chiropractic care can help reduce pregnancy nausea
Not only can regular spinal adjustments help ease back and hip pain, but they can also help new moms with morning sickness.
Chiropractic care can improve the overall functioning of the nervous system, which has shown to lessen the frequency and severity of morning sickness, as well as heartburn and swelling in the hands and feet.
Chiropractic care can help optimize the fetal position
If the baby doesn’t have enough room or is presenting in the breech position, your chiropractor can help ensure proper pelvic alignment. This allows the baby to have optimal room in-utero, making it easier to get into a head-down position and helping to reduce the risk of back labor and/or the need for a cesarean.
Chiropractic care can help shorten labor and ease birth
It’s been shown that women who receive regular chiropractic care during pregnancy have approximately 30% shorter labor times*. When a mother’s spine and hips are in proper alignment, the pelvic floor, and uterine muscles are free to labor and deliver more efficiently.
Chiropractic care after birth
Months of ongoing, dramatic bodily changes and the labor and delivery process create a new set of stressors within a woman’s body. Add that to multiple daily feedings (whether breastfeeding or bottle feeding) and holding the infant in numerous positions, and the mother’s neck, shoulders, back, and spine will quickly begin to feel (and show) the stress and tension of daily care.
Postnatal chiropractic care will support the realignment of the pelvis ligaments, muscles, tendons, and bones to a more proper and natural position as the body heals from pregnancy. Without chiropractic care and frequent checks, this position may not come back naturally or will be stuck in patterns of dysfunction that happened during pregnancy.
Chiropractic care for babies
The benefits of chiropractic care extend past the mother.
Proper alignment provides a safer and easier delivery and less stress on the baby during pregnancy. The delivery process itself can be stressful on the baby and, in turn, cause the first misalignment of their life. This misalignment, called a subluxation, can have far-reaching effects on the baby's ability to nurse, digest, eliminate, and thrive.
One of the benefits patients at Holistic Family Chiropractic receive is that newborn babies are assessed for these misalignments after birth.
Wondering if seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy is right for you? The doctors at Holistic Family Chiropractic would love to talk about potential treatment options for all your pregnancy aches and pains.
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