Pregnancy is often described as a beautiful journey. However, it usually brings discomfort as your body works hard to support your growing baby. As you adjust to changes in posture, weight distribution, and hormones, aches and pains can arise. However, chiropractic care can help relieve these discomforts and offer support during and after pregnancy.
In this article, we explore more about pregnancy and how chiropractic care can support you—and your baby.
How Pregnancy Changes Your Body
Your body changes in amazing ways during pregnancy—here are some of the major shifts that impact your joints.
- Hormonal changes include the increase of the hormone relaxin. This hormone relaxes your joints so that your pelvis can accommodate the growing baby and shift slightly during the birth. Unfortunately, a side effect of this is instability in your joints, which often causes pain.
- In the second half of your pregnancy, your center of gravity shifts forward, affecting your balance. This accentuates the curve of your lower back as your muscles work harder to carry the extra weight in your front, which can result in lower back pain.
- Another aspect of pregnancy that contributes to back pain is a weakened core due to the natural stretching of your abdominal muscles.
The good news is that you don’t have to experience pain for months while you wait for your sweet baby to arrive—chiropractic care can help.
5 Ways Chiropractic Care Helps in Pregnancy
Chiropractic care helps in a few different ways as you both prepare for your baby and recover after the delivery. Here’s how!
1. Pelvic Alignment
Your chiropractor will assess the position of your hips and pelvis to ensure they are aligned optimally. In many cases, a few careful adjustments restore balance to the pelvis (relieving pain) and encourage the baby to lie in the correct position for birth. Proper pelvic alignment can even reduce labor duration as your nerves can better send signals to your brain!
2. Posture Support
As your body strains to carry the additional weight of the little human growing inside you, it’s normal for your posture to suffer. After the delivery, you might feel stiff from looking down as you feed your baby or hold your baby for hours at a time.
Your chiropractor will assess the alignment of your spine and safely manipulate your vertebrae to restore harmony. You’ll also learn simple exercises and receive helpful tips to help you strengthen and protect your spine.
3. Pain Relief
The aches and pains that come with pregnancy are normal, but they don’t have to be permanent. Your chiropractor will use manual therapy (targeted massage) to encourage circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve flexibility in stiff and strained areas of your body. Natural pain relief is possible in pregnancy.
4. Improved Sleep
A common pregnancy complaint is difficulty sleeping. Your chiropractor can advise you on the best sleep posture to support you—and your joints—as you rest at night. Yes, it is possible—and you’ll feel so much better!
5. Reduced Risk of Injury
You already know that pregnancy and birth are major responsibilities and undertakings—but you can reduce your risk of (muscular and joint) injuries by visiting your chiropractor. They will guide you and work with you to maximise your flexibility, which naturally reduces the risks of strains and prolonged discomfort—before and after the birth of your baby.
Did you know that babies benefit from chiropractic adjustments, too? The journey through the birth canal often causes minor misalignments in your baby’s spine. Be sure to visit your chiropractor for a quick and gentle assessment. After all, your baby deserves the best.
We can’t do much about the extra pressure on your bladder, but our team at Bradford House Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is ready to help! Contact us to book your appointment and leave some of those pregnancy niggles and pains behind—after all, there’s so much to look forward to!
