Pregnancy can be an exciting and cheerful journey, but it is also a time of change. The body goes through plenty of hormonal and physiological changes, and in the end, you are bound to become a mother. It is important to take care of both yourself and your baby during this process. Chiropractic care for pregnancy has been shown to help with back pain, sciatica (pain in the buttocks), pelvic pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Prenatal chiropractic care may offer relief from painful situations through gentle adjustments. The adjustments facilitate restoring the natural curves in the spine.
WHAT IS CHIROPRACTIC CARE?
Chiropractors are using their hands-on methods to manipulate your spine and other body parts for the better. This manipulation is used when joints become restricted by injuries caused by trauma, such as a fall, or if they have repetitive movements like sitting with improper back support. They can also increase mobility through these manipulations to help you heal without surgery or medication.
The theory behind chiropractic treatment originates from the alignment of the musculoskeletal system. Numerous studies performed in the past have shown that chiropractic treatment facilitates a healthy healing process in the absence of surgeries and pharmacological interventions. In addition, it restores joint mobility brought by traumatic injuries, such as falling on accident and overuse movements. Prolonged sitting in an improper position is a contributing factor to spinal injuries as well.
Dr. Sierra specifies the advantages of chiropractic treatment during pregnancy:
- Non-invasive
- Drug-free
- It helps you move better
- Increases Motion Range
- Live a Better Life
HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP PREGNANT WOMEN?
The chiropractic field is based on the belief that health and wellness are related to a person’s physical, mental, spiritual, or social well-being. Dr. Sierra utilizes a holistic approach, which focuses more on treating pain at its source instead of simply masking symptoms with medication as other medical professionals do. Using an adjustment called the Webster Technique helps maintain pelvic alignment which can lead to better posture as well as help alleviate back problems such as sciatica if they exist concurrently in patients due to this kind of misalignment.
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation or SI joint dysfunction, by altering neural-biomechanical function in your pelvis.
WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER CHIROPRACTIC CARE DURING PREGNANCY?
During pregnancy and lactation, hormonal and physical changes are evident. A woman’s body goes through a massive amount of changes, which might be overwhelming for some women. Despite being natural, there will be some discomforts throughout pregnancy. In some cases, it causes the following misalignments:
- Increased back curve due to the changing weight distribution
- Changes in pelvic orientation
- Postural changes
- Change in gait
- Protruding abdomen
Doctors recommend that pregnant women should see a chiropractor at least three times to maintain their pelvic alignment. This is because when the pelvis becomes misaligned, it can reduce the available room for developing a baby inside of the womb. Thus, the insufficient room may cause intrauterine constraints. An intrauterine restriction may lead to severe birth defects during pregnancy if left untreated or undiagnosed.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE DURING PREGNANCY?
There are no known contraindications to chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. All trained chiropractors work with women who are pregnant. Pregnancy care is routine care for most chiropractors. Investing in the fertility or wellness of a woman while she is pregnant, especially if they are trying to conceive should be part of everyone's plan as well.
Dr. Leigh Sierra specializes in pregnancy care. From pre-conception, pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpartum chiropractic care, Dr. Sierra guarantees to help the mother and the baby. The following are the benefits of chiropractic care throughout the pregnancy:
- Preconception
For someone who wants to start a family, preconception can be overwhelming. Through proper chiropractic care led by Dr. Sierra, any woman who wants to begin a healthy pregnancy can understand how to handle the following:
- Physical and emotional stress
- Proper movement and exercise upon conception
- An appropriate environment for a healthy pregnancy
- Right food to eat
- Dealing with hormonal changes
- Pregnancy
To create an environment for the developing baby, a woman's body undergoes significant changes. These physiological and endocrinological changes may result in pain or poor function of different areas such as in the neck, back, or organs since the nervous system runs throughout the entire body.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy helps with the following:
- Healthier pregnancy
- Ease symptoms of nausea
- Reduce the time of labor and delivery
- Relieve body pains
- Supports vaginal birth through pelvic alignment and optimal fetal positioning
- Labor and Birth
Chiropractic care facilitates the assurance of optimum biomechanics of the hips and spine in reducing birth complications. There are varied baby positions when giving birth. In some cases, due to the complicated fetal position, the delivery is safest for both the mother and the baby through a cesarean section.
Pregnant women who are dealing with back or hip pain should consider going to a chiropractor for relief. Chiropractors employ techniques like spinal manipulation and gentle massage. These techniques do not only reduce stress but also work on the muscles surrounding pelvic joints. Hence, reducing the chances of complicated labor.
- Postpartum
Natural childbirth is one of the most strenuous tasks a woman will ever do. The stress it puts on her body can lead to problems breastfeeding, and even if she has successfully given birth many changes still need to occur for everything to be back running like normal.
Dr. Sierra uses safe approaches which make adjustments more comfortable for both mom and baby. The following are the benefits of chiropractic care in postpartum moms:
- Restores Normal Body Mechanics For The Mothers
As the baby grows, its mother gains weight appreciably. Her body will experience substantially increased pressure in different areas throughout her entire being and lifespan. There is pressure on the back of her spine as well as intense stress placed on the hips. These pressures cause a shift in the center of gravity forward. A person's gait changes to accommodate these new weights bearing down upon them. Gait changes may lead to long-term consequences, such as chronic health issues if left uncorrected for too long, which is evident in women with extreme cases.
- Speed Up The Healing Process
Chiropractors know how essential the spine and brain are in getting postpartum healing back on track. They use their skills to realign your spinal column, kick-starting the body’s self-healing process so you can return to health quickly.
- Helps With Postpartum Stress
The postpartum period lasts for a full year after giving birth. It takes that long for the hormone relaxin, an essential component in facilitating bone and connective tissue changes necessary to give birth, to leave your body. During this time, the hormone continues to affect ligaments of your spine and pelvis. Relaxin can produce pain and feelings of instability making standing or walking difficult. Not to mention that a woman is dealing with hormonal change as well as taking care of being a new parent at once.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy and post-birth can help a great deal in so many ways. When you are feeling healthy, your baby will also be healthier.
- Supports and Promotes Pelvic Rehabilitation
The postpartum period can be a difficult time for new mothers. Some moms feel they are no longer the beautiful person they were before pregnancy and childbirth. Postpartum stress makes motherhood seem like hell on earth. Consulting a trained chiropractor reduces the risk of suffering for the family. Most importantly, chiropractic pregnancy care helps you bring out the maternal instincts you have inside.
HOW CHIROPRACTIC CARE DURING PREGNANCY HELPS THE BABY?
Research indicates that when a pregnant woman experiences any kind of stress, her unborn child can feel it too. Despite numerous studies available, people have often questioned the safety of chiropractic care during pregnancy. However, there are many benefits for pregnant women and their babies when they receive chiropractic care.
Dr. Sierra, as a highly skilled chiropractor, clarifies how babies can benefit from chiropractic care during pregnancy.
- Improves fetal development by reducing the nervous system complications from the mothers.
- Provide enough room for the baby to develop its skeletal structures, such as the spine.
- Facilitate in reducing stress during delivery
- Dystocia, also known as delayed birth, can be significantly reduced through proper chiropractic care.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE AND BREASTFEEDING
Research shows that there is no replacement from a nutritional, immunological, digestive, neurological developmental, and mental standpoint. Not to mention, it provides healthful natural benefits without all those pesky chemicals found in some baby food formulas or pumped milk substitutes.
Despite its benefits, some mothers struggle to breastfeed properly. Some difficulties in breastfeeding moms experience are ineffective latching and when babies damage the breast through chewing.
Dr. Sierra is an expert on children’s health. She recommends that all newborns go through their first chiropractic exam to see if they need adjustments done. Early detection of complications can help them get off to a healthy start by being able to breastfeed successfully.
MEET DR. LEIGH TRECO SIERRA
Dr. Leigh Treco Sierra is one of the brightest Chiropractic students at Life University, graduating as a Magna Cum Laude in 2010. She is constantly mastering her love for health sciences with a Bachelor's Degree from Auburn University in Biomedical Science followed by a Master's degree from Biology to pursue this path. Being a chiropractic expert allows her to help people get back on their feet to work again and live without being limited by pain every day.
