Reducing Interventions During Childbirth with The Support of Chiropractic Care

Pregnancy is a journey. Pregnant women go through physical changes that are both beautiful and exciting, they have great anticipation for their family’s newest member, and they get to learn much more about their body and all-things pregnancy.

On the other hand, this journey is also not without potential hardships; pregnant women can experience physical changes that are uncomfortable and painful, have large lists of things to do and acquire in preparation for baby’s arrival, and they’re likely bombarded with a wide range of emotions regarding the days leading up to delivery, the birth itself, and the years following it all.

To match all of this, interventions and complications during pregnancy and childbirth are on the rise, which is why it’s no wonder that moms-to-be can feel stressed and overwhelmed throughout their pregnancy. Things don’t have to be like this!

One of the biggest reasons why pregnant women in our office seek chiropractic care is to make sure that they do everything in their power to avoid interventions or complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Our goal for them is to be able to enjoy their pregnancy and to be able to have the birth that they want, which is why its always exciting when we hear from moms under care that their pregnancy and birth was completely different from their previous ones!

Here are some of the more common reasons why pregnant moms come to our office for care:

• Pain relief (i.e. back/hip pain, sciatic pain, rib pain)
• Wellness
• VBAC
• Happy, healthy birth

How can chiropractic care during pregnancy help reduce interventions?

Correcting Pelvic Biomechanics:

Chiropractic care focuses on optimizing the structure and proper movement of your pelvis. Relaxin hormone is released throughout pregnancy and it is this hormone that is responsible for making your hips and back more unstable. This means that any small bump or microtrauma can progressively shift your structure out of alignment.

If your pelvis is misaligned, your baby’s movement through the birth canal may be further impeded due to intrauterine constraint and this can create substantial pain during birth, making it more likely for the use of an epidural. Additionally, when baby’s movement is impeded, labor can be prolonged and the likelihood for medical interventions such as Pitocin, forceps, or a C-section can increase. There are multiple other reasons why labor can progress slowly, but by improving your pelvic biomechanics through chiropractic adjustments, you may further decrease this possibility.

When looking for a local chiropractor to care for you during pregnancy, consider choosing one that specializes in Webster Technique. This certification is offered by the international chiropractic pediatric association (ICPA) and by having this certification, you can make sure that your chiropractor has additional educational hours that focus on correcting pelvis biomechanics during pregnancy.

Making sure your nervous system is communicating properly:

Chiropractic care not only corrects structural misalignments, another huge goal of ours is to reduce nerve interference. The nerves that branch out of your spinal cord innervate every single organ and tissue in your body, and so if there are structural shifts putting pressure on the nerves that go to the cardiovascular, endocrine and reproductive systems, removing this interference can help these systems function at their best. By making sure that your body is functioning to the best of it’s ability, you can increase defenses against the chance of developing complications, such as gestational diabetes and hypertension.

Pregnancy is a period where your body goes through many changes that can be both very stressful to yourself, as well as physically stressful to your body. Chiropractic care can help you have a comfortable pregnancy and help to avoid medical interventions during birth by reducing pregnancy related pains, correcting structural pelvic imbalances that may impede the birthing process and removing nerve interference, which helps to support your body safely develop and deliver your newest family member!

If you’d like to know more about how chiropractic care can offer you a happy, healthy pregnancy and birth, check out our office hours and call to schedule an appointment!