Does Chiropractic Care Really Help Pregnancy?
Women go through a lot of physical and emotional shifts during their pregnancy due to the hormonal changes and body transformation that are preparing a woman to give birth to a baby or even babies! Morning sickness, mood swings, swelling, and back pain are the most common side effects that can cause distress for a mom-to-be. Additional pressure to the spine because of the increasing weight and changing center of gravity can make it especially hard to bear during the third trimester.
Many have heard about chiropractic care, but are always a little skeptical on whether it really helps. And if it does, how does it REALLY help pregnancy or labor?
Chiropractic care is known to be one of the best gentle ways to release discomfort in the body of pregnant women. Certified chiropractors can restore the inner body balance and bring relief to pregnant women by reducing painful sensations in their back, as well as opening the pelvis to help babies get in their best position for birth!
Benefits Of Chiropractic Care During Labor
The third trimester is a special period in the life of every woman. On one hand, they feel tired of being pregnant and counting days to meet their child. However, on the other hand, the upcoming labor can cause stress and inner pressure. Pregnant women become very vulnerable and all they need is professional support and good care during this special time.
Adjustments from chiropractic care can provide fundamental support and care by focusing on the alignment of the spine which not only balances the mind but also the body. During pregnancy where the spine is bearing a lot of weight and pressure, it often causes subluxations, which are misalignments of the vertebrae, causing interferences in the nervous system.
Since the nervous system communicates our body to our mind, a poorly performing nervous system will ultimately weaken the immune system, decrease stamina and strength, along with bodily coordination. To say it plainly, it gives your body a harder time to survive and increases your pain level.
Chiropractic adjustments help remove these subluxations and help your body feel less pain and ease your body into more relaxation during pregnancy.
In addition to the benefit it has during pregnancy, it also prepares the pelvis for the natural birthing process. Reducing stress and pain is essential in the preparation for the labor, as it affects the whole process and may cause difficulties or complications. With chiropractic care, you will feel a vibrant pregnancy! One of the most common fears of pregnant women is complications during labor.
Chiropractic adjustments help pregnant women get more space for the baby in their pelvis, which will ease contractions and create a smooth passageway from the uterus to the birth canal for delivery in natural birth.
When you feel relaxed, your body releases oxytocin, the so-called love hormone. You want to have these hormones rushing through you during your labor. What you don’t want is adrenaline. Naturally, adrenaline makes the human body freeze, and during labor, it results in slowing down the birth-giving dynamic, inhibiting ease.
Therefore it’s essential to ensure that a woman feels safe and as comfortable as possible during labor, and chiropractic care is the most natural way to achieve that. A gentle massage to the lower back and some minor adjustments to the body will reduce pain and ease discomfort. It optimizes the pelvis space and supports the natural way of giving birth which will be beneficial both for the mother and her baby. Moreover, it can decrease labor hours and the chance of external manipulations (such as episiotomy or amniotomy).
Can Chiropractic Care Help With Breech Babies?
Often times when a woman hears that her baby is breech in the late stage of her pregnancy, it adds a lot of stress. Breech babies are usually found to be positioned bottom-first (feet-first) in the mother’s uterus. However, it’s highly possible for breech babies to naturally turn into a head-first position by the time of delivery. In order to help breech babies, the baby needs plenty of comfortable space in the pelvis to move freely and return to its right position. Many times in these cases, doctors would offer a cesarean section for safer delivery.
However, mothers can still give birth naturally to their breech babies, although there may be heightened risks to it. This is where chiropractic care works its magic. With the Webster Technique, adjustments can help provide more space to the pelvis by stabilizing the sacrum and improving the pelvis joint functions.
The Webster method is named after Dr. Larry Webster – the founder of ICPA. He created it for his daughter and used it during her labor. He intended to create a technique that can help pregnant women and ease labor.
Is Webster Technique Similar To External Cephalic Version?
No. External Cephalic Version (ECV) is a manual repositioning of the baby which can be painful for the mother. Webster Technique is not painful at all as it is making adjustments to the pelvic and sacral via spinal adjustments. This technique loosens the uterine and pelvic muscles and thus gives space for a baby to turn themselves to the right head-down position. The ECV can also be performed by an OBGyn or Midwife whereas the Webster Technique can only be performed by a Chiropractor certified in that technique.
Chiropractic care brings balance to your mind and body.
Chiropractic care can be very beneficial for a pregnant woman and her baby. It’s a gentle technique that focuses on fixing the core problem rather than just removing the symptoms. Chiropractors are specialists that can help a pregnant woman to restore her body and mind balance because both of them are tightly interconnected and both should be considered when it comes to healing. Chiropractic care helps a pregnant woman to enjoy this special time and get well-prepared for one of the most important moments in her life-giving birth and meeting her precious baby.
Dr. Cristina Padilla Bravo | Mobile Family Chiropractor in Jacksonville, FL
Thrive Family Chiropractic, LLC was founded by Dr. Padilla in the fall of 2017 with the idea that Chiropractic care should be convenient and accessible to all, with a focus on facilitating care for families, women during pregnancy and children. Throughout her years of practice, Dr. Padilla has seen how challenging it can be for families to incorporate Chiropractic into their lifestyles and make it a priority rather than a luxury. With this thought in mind, Dr. Padilla wants to provide the best, most personalized and individualized Chiropractic care to women during pregnancy and to children of all ages, to help improve their lifestyle, prevent chronic illness and allow them to express their full potential in life, sports, school.
Call (904) 437-4546today for a complimentary consultation and to schedule an appointment in the office or at home!