Why Every Expecting Mom Needs to See a Chiropractor

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By Dr. Nikki

Being pregnant is an exciting, wonderful time.  You post weekly shots of your baby bump to Instagram.  You pour over articles and download apps.  You secretly (or not so secretly) start buying all the things for your baby’s nursery.

And while you’re planning for your baby’s grand entry, your body continues to go through a huge amount of change.  Your belly grows.  Maybe you start to feel morning sickness.  Fatigue.  Back pain.  These can become all too familiar experiences as you move throughout your pregnancy.

What can you do to help these symptoms?  How can you get relief in a way that’s healthy for both you and your baby?

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP PREGNANCY?

The body goes through countless changes during pregnancy—you’re creating and nurturing new life, after all.  It helps to not go through this journey alone.  “It takes a village to raise a child,” and it takes a village to prepare for the child.  Having a team will help get you ready mentally, emotionally, and physically as you move closer to giving birth.  This team can include:

  • Your family, friends, or partner 

  • OBGYN

  • Nutritionist

  • Massage therapist

  • Acupuncturist

  • Midwife

  • Doula

  • Chiropractor

Yes, you read that last line right.  A chiropractor can help you during (and after) your pregnancy.

At its core, chiropractic care is a “licensed health care profession that emphasizes the body’s ability to heal itself.”

1  It focuses on supporting the health of the spine, discs, related nerves, and skeletal system without the use of drugs or surgery.

2. This means that going to a chiropractor can help bring you relief and prepare you for delivery—without the concerns of taking pills or having a procedure.

Great.  Chiropractors help their patients using natural techniques.  But how can they help you?

RELIEF FOR YOUR BACK PAIN

If you are pregnant and your back hurts, you are not alone.  70 percent of pregnant women report having lower back pain, while 32 percent report hip pain.3  And 85 percent of women who experience back pain during pregnancy will experience it again in a future pregnancy.4

Why is back pain so common while pregnant?

  • As your baby grows and you gain weight, your center of gravity starts to shift forward.  To help keep you balanced, you might overcorrect and lean back a bit too far.5   This curve or sway can cause strain in your lower back and compression in your lumbar spine and pelvis.

  • Pregnancy hormones can also flare up low back pain.6  More on hormones in a moment.

A good chiropractor will take the time to understand your history and your symptoms.  Part of this includes a physical analysis and a look at your movement.  Chiropractors can then give an adjustment that will help improve your mobility and lessen your discomfort.  And they do this in a way that takes into account your growing belly.

Do your muscles feel tight?  Chiropractors can also stretch and release certain muscles in your lower back area.  This can reduce the stress around your uterus and ligaments.  They can also show you pregnancy-friendly stretches to help between your appointments.

REDUCING MORNING SICKNESS AND SCIATICA

Back pain may not be the only thing bothering you.  Here are a couple of other symptoms that chiropractors can treat:

  • Nausea.  Morning sickness affects many women during pregnancy.  It can certainly make your first trimester feel awful.  Morning sickness is thought to be caused, in part, by the change of hormones in your body.  A chiropractor can help lessen your nausea by realigning your spine. An aligned spine can improve your nervous system function, which allows your hormones to have a healthier balance.

  • Sciatica.  Your belly grows, and your body begins to shift.  Maybe your baby changes position.  These things can place extra pressure on your sciatic nerve, causing shooting pain or numbness and tingling from your hip down to your foot.  This can make even the simplest of activities, like walking, excruciating.  It’s a literal pain in the rear.  Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the compression of the sciatic nerve and bring you much-needed relief.

REALIGN YOUR PELVIS

Pelvic discomfort can occur as your baby grows and your hormones change.  As your body begins preparing for labor and delivery, it will release a hormone called relaxin.  Relaxin does exactly as its name implies—it relaxes, or loosens, the joints and ligaments around your pelvis.  

Relaxing makes your bones and joints more flexible, which can also mean they can go out of alignment easier.  Being out of alignment can cause you pain with walking or even rolling over in your bed.

Chiropractors can give you exercises and stretches to help with this.  They can also provide an adjustment to help align the spine and stabilize the pelvis.  Keeping your pelvis balanced lessens your discomfort and helps prepare your baby for delivery.

PREPARE FOR DELIVERY

When it comes time to deliver, the best position for your baby is to be head-down.  This position makes it safer and easier for your baby to move through the birth canal.9  But what does this have to do with chiropractors?

Chiropractors who specialize in prenatal chiropractic care may also get certified in the Webster technique.  This technique was developed in the 1980s, specifically “for laboring women to help with the ease of birth.”10  It’s a method that helps to correct sacral subluxation, which when left unchecked can contribute to difficult labor.

The goal of the Webster technique is to restore the balance and function to the pelvis. It optimizes the room in the pelvis so that the baby can move naturally into the head-down position.  A balanced pelvis lowers the chance of your baby going into the breech position.  A breech position happens when a baby is bottom-first (or feet-first).

When your chiropractor is certified in the Webster technique, it signals trust.  It means your chiropractor has been trained by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) to better serve you and your family.

Adjustments can also benefit the actual delivery.  Being in alignment helps to make sure your nerves are working at their best.  Nerves are responsible for controlling contractions.  And having optimal nerve health can help you experience faster labor.  It can also help make your delivery easier and with less pain.

INCLUDE A CHIROPRACTOR ON YOUR PREGNANCY TEAM

Being pregnant is truly an exciting journey. Your body goes through so many changes as you prepare for your baby. Discomfort or pain can also come with creating this new life.  

Talk with your health care provider about including a chiropractor as part of your pregnancy support team.  Doing so can help both you and your baby.  Regular chiropractic adjustments are beneficial in reducing back pain, keeping your pelvis in line, and even helping prepare you for delivery.

Our offices in Southlake and Las Colinas, Texas specialize in prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care.  Dr. Nikki is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, has received certification in the Webster technique, and has additional credentials through the Academy Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics.  She has the training and certifications needed to help you with the aches and pains of pregnancy.

Let us help you find relief. Give our office a call or click “Book an Appointment” at the top of this page to see how we can help you and your growing baby.

SOURCES

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