Pregnancy
Why see a Chiropractor during pregnancy?
Having your spine checked by a chiropractor helps to ensure that your pelvis is sitting correctly and allows for optimum room for your baby to grow and move. Maintaining and improving the function of your spine and nerve system with chiropractic adjustments throughout pregnancy helps to clear your nerve system of interference, enabling your body to easily adapt to your ever changing environment.
The benefits of chiropractic for birthing are now frequently documented. Research shows that ensuring that your pelvis and spine are correctly aligned contributes to a more straight forward labour, with less pain and trauma for mother and child. A study conducted by Dr Irvan Hendryson MD (a member of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees) demonstrated that women who received chiropractic adjustements in their third trimester were able to carry and deliver their child with much more comfort.
Another study commented on the significant reduction in labour time for those women who has chiropractic care through their pregnancy. With chiropractic adjustments, first time mums averaged a 24% shorter labour, while mothers (experienced with birth) a 39% reduction in the average labour time when compared to other birthing women.
Correct alignment of the spine and pelvis during birth allows your baby to apply even pressure with their head into your cervix, enabling your body to dilate effectively.
Misalignments in the mothers spine not only interfere with your baby’s presentation at birth and a natural delivery, but studies have started to show that there may be long term effects of in-utero constraints on foetal development.
Pregnancy also creates a large amount of physical stress on the spine and body. Consequently, low back pain affects around 50% of women during pregnancy. 40% of these women have a history of back pain prior to conceiving.
The Webster Technique
Referred to by many as the ‘baby turning technique’, the Webster Technique is becoming better known. A major misconception is that chiropractors turn babies, this is incorrect, chiropractors do not turn babies. The woman's body does, given the right help.
"The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, a cause of intra-uterine constraint of the baby and allows for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth." (ICPA). Dr Alan Corin is certified in the Webster Technique.
For further information on Chiropractic Care in Pregnancy for Safer, Easier Births click here.