Benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy
It's becoming a popular trend for women to have chiropractic care during their pregnancy journey and thereafter. But this trend isn’t just a fad. The benefits of being under chiropractic care are countless – pregnant or not.
During pregnancy however, the benefits become intriguingly appealing especially because chiropractic offers a safe and natural way of getting the body aligned, functioning well, ensuring baby has plenty of space to grow and prepping mum for delivery.
One of the key reasons to have chiropractic care during pregnancy is establishing pelvic alignment. A misaligned pelvis causes undue restriction in the uterus and is known as intrauterine constraint. This can decrease the amount of space baby has to grow and develop over the cause of pregnancy. It also can add difficulty for the baby to get into the right position for delivery.
The ideal positioning for baby to be delivered is LOA (left occiput anterior), which means head down and back facing mum’s tummy. Allowing for the easiest exist for baby as they can be pushed through the pelvic opening with ease – this means less pain for mum and baby during labour and less distress for baby coming into the world – a win win situation really! It also means higher chances of mum being able to have a natural delivery with less chance of intervention.
In some cases, babies can stay in breech position after 37 weeks of pregnancy (approx. 4% of pregnant women). The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported an 82 % success rate of helping babies turn into the right position for delivery after receiving chiropractic care - specifically Webster technique.
Pregnancy can be overwhelming with so much changing so quickly. It's important to educate yourself, to embrace these changes and enjoy every bit of the process. Chiropractic can be a valuable element of your pregnancy journey – the benefits are very appealing and it’s a safe and effective approach to a natural pregnancy journey.
- By Khushboo Patel DC