Pregnancy and Chiropractic
Whether you are a first time mother or a mother of five each pregnancy carries with it certain concerns and challenges. Most pregnant women are mainly concerned with two things: Avoiding discomfort as they carry a growing child and safety during the birth process.
Pregnancy is a time of rapid change for women and their babies. During a period of 38-42 weeks the average woman will:
- Gain an average of 25-35 lbs.
- Experience a significant increase in blood volume
- Go through tremendous changes in hormone production including increased relaxin; a hormone that causes loosening in the ligaments and joints
- Have an ever changing center of gravity due to the growth of the child in her abdomen
As a result of these changes many women also experience:
- Fatigue
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Lower back and/or pelvic pain
- Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)
- Round Ligament Tenderness
- Tight and painful muscles
- Sciatica
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
These complaints are common but what if some could be helped or even avoided?
As parents ourselves, we know from personal experience what a difference specific, gentle chiropractic care can make throughout pregnancy, delivery, and beyond. Chiropractic adjustments help to keep the pelvis and spine in the correct position. This keeps joints, muscles, and nerves happy, healthy, and functioning properly and helps keep the child in an optimal position for birth as well. If a mother’s pelvis and sacrum are misaligned, it can be more difficult for baby to enter and pass through the birth canal. Chiropractic can help.
Why post-partem care? It can take at least 10 weeks or more for relaxin to leave the body. This means that as you recover from delivery and care for your newborn (many times on little sleep) your bones continue to shift easily. This, paired with increased time looking down, carrying your child, and resting can cause increased muscle tension, joint pain, and poor nerve function which can take away from precious quality time with your newborn. Regular chiropractic adjustments help your body heal with correct alignment and optimal nervous system function to help you feel great now and stay healthier in the years to come.
In our office, we make it our goal to empower and aid women in seeking a pregnancy, delivery, and post-partem period that is enjoyable, functional, and healthy. Each of our chiropractors are trained and experienced in delivering safe and effective pre and post-natal chiropractic care. A specific technique used in the office is the Webster technique, which is designed for pregnancy. Drs. Cathleen and Tiffany are certified in the Webster technique. We care about YOU! We want you and your child to have the very best experience possible through chiropractic.