Heads usually turn when I say I am a Prenatal Chiropractor or Pregnancy Chiropractor. Yes, you heard me right, a prenatal chiropractor! From that moment forward I am then bombarded with questions. I would like to take a few minutes and answer some of the most frequently asked questions. Is chiropractic safe during pregnancy? There are no known contraindications of receiving chiropractic care during pregnancy. Chiropractic for pregnant women is safe and gentle. Additional training is performed by chiropractors who work with pregnant women. When looking for a qualified pregnancy or pediatric chiropractor be sure to visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association . The designation CACCP is for those doctors who have completed the 200 hours of additional training focused on the care of pediatrics and maternity. Doctors who have taken training in the Webster Technique will have that acknowledged on their directory listing. Webster training is included in the CACCP program. What do the sessions look like? When was the last time you were able to lay on your stomach? Now is your chance! We have special pillows that allow pregnant women to lie face down to receive their adjustments. The pillows have padding to lift your body and a cut-out to support your belly and baby. Adjustments performed on pregnant women are different than what you may have seen performed on the general public. The techniques we use avoids unneeded pressure being placed on the abdomen. The adjustment lasts approximately 20 minutes allowing for half of the time to be spent lying face down and the remaining time spent face-up or seated. The bony structures of the spine and pelvis are checked for alignment and adjusted if necessary. Many adjusting tools can be used based on the individual needs of the woman; our hands, a drop-mechanism table for a pelvic adjustment, an instrument and pelvic blocks. What do the adjustments do? Chiropractors, as doctors of the nervous system, work with the brain making sure it is communicating properly with every muscle, cell, tissue and organ of the body. The brain controls every emotion, movement, hormone secretion and process that occurs in your body. Our primary access points, the spine and pelvis, are assessed to be sure that the brain-body communication is in proper function. We also look at the body for tonal shifts, which are areas of abnormal tension in the body that also cause an imbalance in the nervous system. Your entire body is a webbing of different tissues that are interconnected. We are not merely looking for a bone out-of-place and re-aligning it. We look at the tissues in the body that have had to compensate and adapt to the distortion due to tonal shifts. What is the Webster Technique? The Webster Technique is a specialized analysis and diversified chiropractic adjustment for pregnant women designed to reduce the effects of sacral subluxation or Sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The technique combines sacral adjustments and soft tissue releases that restore function and balance to the pelvis which prepares the pelvis for the changes that occur during pregnancy and birth. The adjustment, created by Dr. Webster who was the founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, is used to restore proper bio-mechanics and neurological function in the pelvic girdle. Dr. Webster reported that when a pregnant mother came in for care due to her baby being in a breech position, the adjustment frequently resulted in optimal fetal positioning. Can a chiropractor turn a breech baby? No, turning a baby is practicing obstetrics. A chiropractic adjustment's intention is to realign the spine and pelvis and restore normal biomechanics to the mother’s body. This allows baby to move on their own, rather than an external force (an external version) that pushes baby into a desired position. Why is optimal fetal position important? Breech and posterior positioning can increase labor pains, interfere with natural labor and can lead to numerous interventions including a c- section. Mothers who have been under chiropractic care report greater ease during pregnancy and labor. How Can I benefit from the Prenatal Chiropractic? Many midwives and OBGYNs are recognizing the benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy and having their clients seek care. If a pregnant woman has a sacral subluxation it may contribute to a difficult labor for the mother (dystocia). Dystocia is caused by inadequate uterine function, pelvic contractions and mal-position of baby. Uterine nerve interference, pelvic misalignment and torsion of pelvic muscles and ligaments are all released during the adjustment which results in ample room for baby to grow, develop and move into the proper birthing position. Chiropractic removes torsion within the ligaments that support the uterus that may be causing aberrant torsion on the uterus through gentle ligament releases. Chiropractic reduces the interference to the mother’s vital nervous system which controls and coordinates all of her systems and functions.