Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

In large part due to my very FIRST visit with the Chiropractor at my birth center this last week and the raving testimonies I have heard about using a Chiropractor during pregnancy, I thought I would write about Chiropractic care while pregnant! This took quite a bit of research on my part, because I am a totally newbie to chiropractics and its benefits.


What exactly is chiropractics? Here is what I found (take these definitions as you will):


1. It involves the art and science of adjusting misaligned joints of the body, especially of the spine, to promote health throughout the body.

2. Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine that emphasizes diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, under the hypothesis that these disorders affect general health via the nervous system.


In addition to my general information about chiropractics, I have also included a few links to articles for you to read for yourself. The important thing to remember about going to a chiropractor during pregnancy is to make sure it is safe for you and your baby.


Make sure to go to a chiropractor that specializes in prenatal chiropractics. You want to know that the person taking care of you knows what they are doing.


Talk to your doctor or midwife about going to the chiropractor. He/she may be able to recommend someone that they know and tell you what is safe/unsafe that is specific to you and your pregnancy.


So why go to the chiropractor during pregnancy?
As you can obviously tell, your body is going through a lot of changes physically during the process of growing a baby. Even though our bodies were made to do this, it can still cause us pain, discomfort and physical problems as baby grows and we grow. Hormones that are released during pregnancy cause muscles, ligaments and other things in our bodies to relax and can cause more pressure on our bones and joints and can cause our spine to get out of alignment. A body that is out of alignment cause be painful. Keeping your body aligned can help with general pregnancy pains and can prevent more serious problems.


What are the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy?
There are so may benefits of going to the chiropractor while pregnant and these benefits are not limited to the mother. Chiropractic care also benefits the baby. Here is a list of benefits of going to the chiropractor:

• Alleviates common pregnancy pains- It is amazing how being properly aligned can alleviate a lot of the common pains that go along with being pregnant

• Helps make labor shorter- it is a proven fact that mommies that have regular chiropractic care during pregnancy have shorter labors. This is because the chiropractor helps prepare your body to be in the best position for birth as possible.

• Help turn breech babies into the right position- There are techniques that a chiropractor can do to help your baby move into the best correct birthing position. This is not a guaranteed thing, but it is proven to help babies move.

• All over healthier pregnancy- Chiropractors know more than just how to pop your bones. Chiropractors can help you with many other ailments that go along with pregnancy

• Helps with nausea- it is really amazing what chiropractors can help with. Let them know what symptoms are bothering you and they can suggest things to help.

• Helps with lower back pain/round ligament pain- This is what their specialty is! Once you are properly aligned, your body will have much less pain

• Helps with headaches caused by hormones and stress- The hormones released during pregnancy can cause wonderful headaches. Believe it or not, hormone releases are connected to our spine, the vertebra and the nerves connected to them. Chiropractors can help align your spine and as a result help with those hormones that can cause headaches

• Is a drug free approach to dealing with pregnancy symptoms- Chiropractics is considered an alternative medicine that prides itself on drug-free approach on caring for patients. There are so many medication that are unsafe during pregnancy and it is really best to avoid medicine all together. So an alternate way to deal with pregnancy symptoms is always great!

When and how often should I go to my chiropractor?
This is a question that would be best answered at your first appointment with your chiropractor. My midwife suggests to start going regularly starting at 20 weeks and go every week. Me, personally, I have decided to go every other week until 30 weeks when my chiropractor said I REALLY need to go every week. My midwife suggests that all her patients start going regularly at 20 weeks, but talk to your doctor and chiropractor.


Here are some links that have to do with chiropractic care during pregnancy:


Expected Mother's Guide article


Alternative Medicines article


Birth Without Fear blog post


Remember to always tell your chiropractor what is going on with you since you last saw him or her. What symptoms are you having? What pains are you having and are they new or reoccurring pains? Are there any concerns that have turned up? Always communicate with your chiropractor about what is going on.


Also, ask your chiropractor about adjustments during labor for you and newborn adjustments for after your baby is born. This can really help with labor pains and shorten your labor. Getting your newborn adjusted can help your baby with many things including proper digestion. Being born is hard work and can twist the baby's body in many weird ways and an adjustment is very beneficial.


There is so much to learn about chiropractic care and I am learning more and more as I go along. I have a feeling this will not be the last post on chiropractics. If you have any questions are comments about your experiences feel free to leave a comment or email me at grace.faith.dirt@gmail.com. As always, God bless you and your family!


Until the Whole World Hears,
Katie
grace.faith.dirt@gmail.com