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Chiropractic and Pregnancy:
Greater Comfort and Safer Births
By Dr. Jeanne Ohm
(Originally Published in the I.C.P.A. Newsletter May-June 2002)
How can chiropractic add comfort?
Chiropractic care in pregnancy is an essential ingredient to
your pre-natal care choices. A large percent of all pregnant
women experience back discomfort/pain during pregnancy. This is
due to the rapid growth of the baby and an interference to your
body’s normal structural adaptations to that growth.
Pre-existing unnoticed imbalances in your spine and pelvis
become overtaxed during these times. The added stresses lead to
discomfort and difficulty while performing routine, daily
activities. Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can relieve
and even prevent the common discomforts experienced in
pregnancy. Specific adjustments eliminate these stresses in your
spine, restore balance to your pelvis and result in greater
comfort and lifestyle improvements.
Comfort for your baby, too.
As your baby deveops, your uterus enlarges to accomodate the
rapid growth. So long as the pelvis is in a balanced state, the
ligaments connected to the uterus maintain an equalized,
supportive suspension for the uterus. If your pelvis is out of
balance in any way, these ligaments become torqued and twisted
causing a condition known as constraint to your uterus.
This constraint limits the space of the developing baby. Any
compromised position for the baby throughout pregnancy will
affect his or her optimal development. Conditions such as
torticollis occur because a baby’s space was cramped in utero.
If the woman’s uterus is constrained as birth approaches, the
baby is prevented from getting into the best possible position
for birth.
Even if the baby is in the desirable head down position, often
times constraint to the uterus affects the baby’s head from
moving into the ideal presentation for delivery. The head may be
slightly tilted off to one side or even more traumatically,
present in the posterior position.
Any baby position even slightly off during birth will slow down
labor, and add pain to both the mother and baby. Many women have
been told that their babies were too big, or labor “just slowed
down” when it was really the baby’s presentation interfering
with the normal process and progression. Avoidable interventions
are implemented turing a natural process into an operative one.
Doctors of Chiropractic work specifically with
your pelvis throughout pregnancy restoring a state of balance
and creating an environment for an easier safer delivery.
Preparing for a Safer Birth
Dystocia is defined as difficult labor and is something every
woman wants to avoid. In addition to the pain and exhaustion
caused by long, difficult labors, dystocia leads to multiple,
medical interventions which may be physically and emotionally
traumatic to both you and your baby.
Some of these interventions are the administering of pitocin,
the use of epidurals, painful episiotomies, forceful pulling on
the baby’s fragile spine, vacuum extraction, forceps and perhaps
even c-sections. Each of these procedures carry a high risk of
injury to you, your baby or both. However, all of these
procedures used to hasten the delivery process can be avoided if
delivery goes more smoothly to begin with.
When reviewing the obstetric texts, the reported reasons for
dystocia are caused by pelvic imbalance and its resulting
effects on your uterus and your baby’s position. Chiropractic
care throughout pregnancy restores balance to your pelvic
muscles and ligaments and therefore leads to safer and easier
deliveries for you and your baby. Additionally, the chiropractic
adjustment removes interference to the nervous system allowing
your uterus to function at its maximum potential. Published
studies have indicated that chiropractic care does in fact
reduce labor time.
In our office, we offer specific analysis and adjustments for
your special needs in pregnancy. You and your baby’s continued
safety and comfort is primary in our care. This pregnancy, offer
yourself the best! Include the many benefits chiropractic offers
in your prenatal care choices. Call for your individulal
consultation. Give you and your baby the opportunity for a
more comfortable pregnancy and a safer, easier birth!
Read these additional Articles on Chiropractic in
Pregnancy: (on the I.C.P.A. website)
Chiropractic Care in Pregnancy for Safer, Easier Births
Midwifery and Chiropractic: Bonding for Life
Birth - What are the philosophical options?
The Importance of a Non-Invasive Birth
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ADIO Chiropractic
12740 Culver Blvd., Suite G
Los Angeles, CA 90066
Telephone: 310-694-5045
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