How to Thrive During Pregnancy With Chiropractic Pregnancy Care

Sister to sister, I want to let you know that in addition to medical care from your OBGYN, you have additional support, like midwives, doulas and prenatal chiropractors, who are here to support you through your journey into motherhood. I know this firsthand – 

with both of my children, I added alternative care to my village of support to assist me with my pregnancy and the birth of my babies.

When I went to Dr. Char, I was skeptical of whatever help I could gain from a chiropractor.  I thought it was hippy medicine of the sort that is more psychological than effective. But I was also in distress. My hips felt like knives, my lower back felt broken, and I was exhausted from insomnia. After my first adjustment, I went home and slept the entire night. The next day, I got out of bed without the pep talk and pain that had become my morning coffee. I couldn’t believe it. I continued getting my adjustments, and the results expanded. My hips were more comfortable, my entire body was less achy, and I truly came to look forward to the time I spent with Dr. Char.

Even after my son was born, I continued to use chiropractic care for my entire family, including the newborn. Dr. Char’s adjustments helped his latch improve and reduced the pain and frustration of breastfeeding. 

I’m a skeptic turned believer simply because of how my body responded.

Jennifer Henry
BlackLove.com Parenting Editor 

“Chiropractic and pregnancy, is that actually a thing?”  

I know this is a question that stumbled across your brain as you read the title of this article, right?  It’s ok. As a perinatal and pediatric chiropractor, I continuously get asked similar questions like this all the time.

Chiropractic is a completely natural, drug-free way to keep your body healthy and functioning optimally. It’s safe and amazing for all people of any age whether you are experiencing uncomfortable symptoms, seeking natural solutions for your family’s healthcare, or if you simply want to be at your best.  And this can be especially true during pregnancy.

Did you know that pregnancy symptoms, although common, are not normal?

Through chiropractic, we are directly addressing the system that controls EVERYTHING in your body – your nervous system. In order to keep any machine fully functioning, the central control system must effectively and efficiently communicate with all parts. The human body is no different.

Chiropractors are dedicated to listening to the symptoms and knowing where the body is misaligned. We make sure that there are no interferences within your spine.  This decreases pain and dysfunction and increases the body’s natural ability to thrive.  That’s why chiropractic adjustments are needed for everyone, including pregnant women.

4 Reasons to Receive Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy:

1. The Adjustment of Skeletal System Shifts Due to Relaxin

   Relaxin is a major hormone hero and villain in pregnancy. Relaxin is a normal hormone present in the bodies of men and women, pregnant or not. It’s an important hormone that helps you get pregnant by facilitating implantation. It allows the pregnant body to relax enough to accommodate the increased volume of blood flowing through the vessels. Most importantly and uncomfortably, relaxin relaxes muscles and ligaments to allow the pregnant body to share quarters with a growing baby. This hormone is so important and essential and also very responsible for the common back and pelvic pains many moms experience. What happens when the soft tissues surrounding the skeletal system get relaxed? The skeletal system shifts in necessary but often uncomfortable ways. That’s where I come in, ready to support my sisters.  I realign the bones that have shifted and need adjusting.

2. Back and Hip Pain Relief
   

   The weight of a pregnant woman’s expanding belly alters their postures, and their spine curves in an uncomfortable way.  This is especially true if they previously had spinal imbalances due to car accidents, other physical traumas, or bad posture.  This can increase symptoms that can sometimes be unbearable. Regular chiropractic adjustments from an ICPA trained chiropractor can help a mama’s body to adapt to this added weight with ease, by helping her body to maintain balance and structure.

3. Better Fetal Positioning of Baby
   

   

   Did you know that your uterus is attached directly to your pelvis? This relationship is like a hot air balloon, where the uterus is the balloon and the pelvis is the basket. So, this means that if you have misalignments of your lower spine and hips, then the uterus has no choice but to follow suit and become misaligned as well. If the uterus is not in the correct position, then your baby is not able to get into the correct position, which is head down, facing the back of you.Chiropractic care helps to decrease intrauterine constraints and allows baby to assume the position easily without pressure being forced onto his or her little body. When this occurs, women can now have more efficient labors, which could mean shorter labor times, decreased labor pain, or a combination of both, thus allowing mama to have the ability to manage through the birthing process without suffering.

4. A Better Labor and Birth Experience
   

   Let’s face it, labor is not called labor for nothing. It’s called labor because women work really hard to get our little beings here as safely as possible. Of course women are already strong, but when we have increased pressure on our spines and nervous systems, we can cause our labor experiences to be harder, thus requiring us to be even stronger than we already have to be.

If mama’s spine and pelvis have proper alignment and all of the nerves to the muscles, ligaments, and organs of her body are free and healthy, then her labor, birth, and postpartum experience can be more comfortable and healthy too.

Since babies are doing 50% of the work, babies can move throughout the pelvis with ease. This helps labor to be a smoother process.

Giving birth can be one of the most beautiful events that a woman will ever experience. Through chiropractic education and care, women can become more informed and empowered to have the perinatal experiences that they deserve.

Women are strong, competent, and capable of birthing without fear and without insurmountable pain.

With knowledge and preparation women can be in the driver’s seat for their bodies, their babies and their births.  

Together, you and a prenatal chiropractor can give pregnancy changes a run for their money. When paired with the care of a midwife or OB/GYN, a prenatal chiropractor can help you be at your whole best so you can focus on the joy of meeting your little one.

For more informations, please visit www.icpa4kids.com to find a prenatal/pediatric chiropractor in your area.