A woman’s body goes through a lot of growing and shifting during 9 months of pregnancy. As your baby grows, you may find that your center of gravity shifts, shifting with it your posture, your joints, and even your walking gait. The result of all of this shifting is all too often painful and uncomfortable for the mom to be while she awaits the baby’s arrival. Prenatal care can be highly beneficial in relieving these symptoms.
There are natural ways you can treat this pain and chiropractic care is one of those ways. If you’re on the fence about seeing a chiropractor while you’re pregnant, we’ll be sharing several benefits that you will see now and later in your pregnancy that may help change your mind.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe for Mom and Baby?
When you find out that you’re expecting a baby, one of the first things you get from your doctor is a list of dos and don’ts to keep you and your growing baby healthy for the next 9 months. So, it’s not uncommon for an expectant mom to ask questions to make sure seeing a chiropractor wasn’t left off of the “Don’t” list.
The great news is that prenatal chiropractic care is 100% safe for everyone. Part of the training and education for all chiropractors is how to safely and effectively treat pregnant women. Not only that, but chiropractic care is drug-free and surgery-free, providing discomfort and pain relief naturally to keep mom and baby healthy.
The Benefits of Prenatal Chiropractic Care
The endless list of physical and hormonal changes that occur to a woman’s body during pregnancy can take its toll throughout those 9 months. These changes often put stress on nerves and joints, stress that can cause further discomfort and pain.
As the baby grows, physical changes can cause:
- An increased back curve due to your growing stomach
- Changes to your pelvis as your body prepares for labor and delivery
- Posture changes to accommodate the extra weight
- Changes to your gait as you walk
With these changes, you may find certain activities or positions more challenging or they may cause more pain or discomfort. The good news is that chiropractic care can help alleviate these aches and pains while helping your body better prepare for birth.
Benefits of seeing a chiropractor regularly during your pregnancy include:
- Easier labor and delivery
That probably got your attention. Your body is designed to give birth, but it’s not necessarily designed to do it quickly and free of pain. However, regular adjustments from the chiropractor can help get your body in optimal labor and delivery form. These adjustments put your pelvis, spine, and hips into proper alignment and make sure your nerves and muscles are in optimal working order. Since your nerves control your contractions and your dilation, good nerve health helps make labor and delivery easier and less painful.
- Optimal positioning of the baby
During birth, the baby needs to be in a specific position to make pushing easier and to avoid complications such as cord prolapse or needing a c-section delivery. Your chiropractor’s adjustments can help keep your pelvis where it needs to be to give your baby more room to easily move into the correct delivery position. When you reach your third trimester, regular adjustments should be a priority to achieve optimal positioning.
- The alleviation of hip and lower back pain naturally
The lower extremities tend to get the brunt of the pain and discomfort that comes with the changing body during pregnancy. In fact, a study showed that hip pain was reported by 34% of pregnant women in the study, mostly in the second or third trimester.
Seeing a chiropractor helps correct your misaligned joints, improving the amount of muscle tension you have as well as lessening the pressure that has been put on your spine. Treating the root cause of the issue means you don’t have to worry about taking medication for relief and worrying about possible side effects.
- A healthier pregnancy
Chiropractic care has many functions for everyone including making sure your immune system is functioning the best it can. It makes sense then that the stronger and healthier your immune system is when you deliver, the stronger and healthier your baby’s will be when they arrive. Additionally, chiropractic care helps reduce or alleviate unwanted symptoms of a changing body, making your overall pregnancy safer and more comfortable.
Frederick Chiropractic Wellness Center wants to make sure you and your baby are healthy and safe for the entire duration of your pregnancy. Book an appointment with us today for a plan that will make you healthier and more comfortable before and during delivery.