Pregnancy

The unique and wonderful experience of pregnancy brings with it miraculous developments every day, as two little cells become nearly 3 Trillion. Your baby’s brain and nervous system form, the senses awaken and heartbeats begin, all before the very first breath. Although, sometimes challenging, the human body is able achieve this and the birth of your new baby naturally in most cases. As you make important choices to create an ideal environment for your growing baby, surround yourself with loving support and gravitate toward a healthy, natural lifestyle. More and more ‘expecting parents’ are adopting natural ways to assist in their pregnancy, birth and early development of their baby.

A new life is a gift…

During pregnancy, hormones allow the mother’s pelvic joints, ligaments and musculature to relax. They stretch and change positions to allow for the growth of your baby, labour and birth. This can create some instability and can cause lower back pain, disturbing your sleep and impacting your day-to-day living. Unfortunately, the prevalence of lower back pain is reported to affect 50-70% of women (1). This may greatly affect the wonderful experience of carrying your baby and enjoying your pregnancy (2).

In addition to creating the best environment for your baby, recent research has demonstrated that 85% of pregnant patients had significant improvements in pain within three months of receiving chiropractic treatments for back and pelvic problems. (7,8,10,11) Another interesting study indicated that chiropractic was more effective than standard medical care for alleviating pregnancy-related back pain. (9)

Our number one focus is to gently facilitate your pregnancy and birth by creating a comfortable body allowing you to enjoy a wonderful experience in bringing your baby into the world. The benefits are often substantial, regardless of the presence or absence of lower back pain. (Many spinal problems can be painless until they are aggravated) chiropractic care also helps maintain a healthy nervous system. The aim is to facilitate the best outcome for both pregnancy and the birth process.

Optimise your birth

A mother has key ligaments suspending the uterus within the pelvis. As the baby grows, it becomes increasingly more important that the pelvic alignment is balanced, enabling the uterus to be supported symmetrically. Optimising biomechanical function of the pelvis and lower back, makes good sense when you are looking forward to a natural birth.

An Australian study indicates that women consulting with chiropractors during pregnancy are less likely to require a caesarean section after onset of labour or to have a premature birth. (6) It is clear that this is an area requiring further research.

Chiropractors utilise many different techniques to adjust patients, including pregnant mothers and babies. We like to specialize in gentle techniques and finding the best technique, to suits the mother. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of pelvic joint dysfunction to achieve improved neuro-biomechanical function.

It just makes such good sense having your spine checked by a chiropractor before and during pregnancy, to ensure your changing body stays in alignment and is as stable as possible.

Healthy tips for helping manage back pain during pregnancy

• Practice good posture – as your baby grows your centre of gravity changes.
• Wear low heeled shoes, (not completely flat). Use shoes with good arch support.
• Lift properly – wide stance, squat down and up using your legs NOT your back, and hold the object you are picking up close to you.
• Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. After 20 weeks it is recommended for you to NOT sleep on your back as this puts extra pressure on your aorta and inferior vena cava. Show More
  Pressure on these vessels can slow blood circulation to your body and your baby (4). Sleeping on your left side during pregnancy prevents the uterus putting pressure on your liver, therefore this continues to allow the baby to receive the right amount of nutrients and oxygen through the placenta. This position actually improves circulation ensuring optimal blood flow to mother and baby (5). Despite the best advice, sometimes, sleeping postures are best managed by finding what works for you. The use of pillows to help position and support you can be invaluable.
• Stay active, exercise is very important during pregnancy, know your limits with this however, as you don’t want to overheat.
• Maintain your nervous system by seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy.

Birth and the spine of your baby

If you have ever woken up with a ‘Crick in your neck’, you can imagine how the cramped and compressed conditions of your babies neck before and during birth, may present a ‘jamming of the joints’. Many mothers will agree, the birth process is amazing but can be quite taxing and even traumatic. This can cause neck and even lower back problems in both the child and the mother. Unfortunately, these may remain undetected for years.

Much like dental issues, spinal problems may be present without symptoms. Some tell tale signs that your baby MAY have a spinal issue include but are not limited to: irritability, poor sleep, turning his/her head to one side, preferential breastfeeding on one side, flattening of the back of the head (particularly on one side).
Our intent is to assist with any spinal issues and calm any irritation to your babies nervous system and not treat syndromes. It makes sense that children should have a check up of their spine to optimise their wonderful potential.

References:

1. http://www.babycenter.com.au/a536387/back-pain-in-pregnancy
2. http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Fulltext/2004/07000/Low_Back_Pain_During_Pregnancy__Prevalence,_Risk.11.aspx
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pr egnancy/art-20046080
4. http://www.webmd.com/baby/positioning-while-sleeping
5. http://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregnancy/sleep-during-pregnancy-which-side-do-i-sleep-on
6. Relationship between complementary and alternative medicine use and incidence of adverse birth outcomes: An examination of a nationally representative sample of 1835 Australian women
   Steel, Amie et al. Midwifery , Volume 30 , Issue 12 , 1157 – 1165
7. http://www.chironexus.net/2014/07/seeing-chiropractor-safe-pregnancy/
8. Peterson CK, et al. Outcomes of pregnant patients with low back pain undergoing chiropractic treatment: a prospective cohort study with short term, medium term and 1 year follow-up. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies 2014;22(1):15
9. George JW, et al. A randomized controlled trial comparing a multimodal intervention and standard obstetrics care for low back and pelvic pain in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology 2013;208(4):295.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.10.869.
10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647084/
11. Shaw G. When to adjust: chiropractic and pregnancy. J Am Chiropr Assoc. 2003;40(11):8-16