Becoming a mother is perhaps one of the most amazing journey in a woman’s life. It is as exhilarating as it is stressful to the mind and body owing to the fast adaptation of the body to the growing life within. Hormonal changes, physiological changes, aches, worries, anticipation, apprehension are only some of the phases the to-be-mother goes through.
Why Is It Important To Have Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy?
The body of a woman undergoes many changes during pregnancy such as pelvic changes, fast increasing size of the abdomen which causes increased back curvature and change in posture among others. When these changes occur in the body, there is plenty of scope of misalignment of the body owing to the change in posture.
Such misalignment will often affect the space that the developing fetus required in the womb of the would-be mother. This, in turn, would impede natural delivery and may result in breach delivery or C-section. Chiropractic manipulation would ensure that the spine remains properly aligned throughout the pregnancy so the development of the fetus carries on unimpeded and the nervous system is not interfered with. Generally speaking, keeping the spinal cord correctly aligned would ensure that the body functions optimally during the pregnancy months.
A few other key benefits are briefly described below:
Maintain Good Health Throughout the Pregnancy Period – proper alignment of the body means that all the organs will function normally. A backache in particular, which is quite common during pregnancy can be well prevented. When the body functions optimally, the mother is healthy and hence, the fetus development is also optimal.
Reduces/ Eliminates The Nausea Symptoms – misalignment of the body has a direct impact on the stomach. Regular visits to your chiropractor will ensure that the morning sickness – one of the most dreaded symptoms of pregnancy – is averted or at least kept at the minimum. Most women who have undergone chiropractic treatment during pregnancy have found that the nausea feeling has decreased drastically if not totally gone.
Maintaining Pelvic Balance – this could be one of the most important benefits of chiropractic care. Not only would this ensure that a backache is averted, but also ensure that the baby stays in the correct position for a safe and easy natural birth. Misalignment of the pelvis can lead to very serious complications during child birth, i.e. lengthy and painful labor, breach birth (when the baby does not get enough space to turn downwards to a normal birth), the inability for the baby to move through the birth canal making it necessary to conduct a C-section.
Regular chiropractic care will ensure a short labor, safe birth, and quick recovery from child birth. Studies have shown that chiropractic care – even from 8th month onwards – will actually reduce the risk of breech birth by as much as 82%. There is, in fact, a technique called, ‘the Webster technique’ which is used by chiropractic practitioners to balance the pelvis and ensure optimal space for the baby’s development.
Promotes Better Nutrition – chiropractic care is able to minimize morning sickness in particular and the queasy stomach feeling in general. This, in turn, helps the mother-to-be to eat as normally as possible and ensure that she gets proper nutrition. There are less acidity, less nausea, and definitely better appetite.
Ability To Exercise – proper alignment of the body will allow the mother-to-be to do enough exercise to keep healthy and fit throughout the pregnancy. Very often, when the spinal curvature increases the body develops pains at various joints, including an acute backache leaving the expectant woman drained out and almost immobile. Proper alignment of the pelvis and spinal cord would ensure that the woman enjoys good health throughout the pregnancy period.
Reduces Mood Swings – a pregnant woman is at the mercy of the hormones produced in the body which normally fluctuate through the pregnancy period. This causes sudden mood swings that leaves her emotionally drained. Chiropractic care, by ensuring that the body is correctly aligned, ensures that the hormone production is more or less regulated. This in turn, would significantly reduce the mood swings and in particular depression symptoms that most women experience during this time.
Every woman wants short and least painful labor and a safe delivery. Every woman looks forward to having a healthy and normal baby and takes utmost care that nothing affects the baby’s development negatively during pregnancy. From the above, it is obvious that chiropractic care is an excellent way to ensure that both the expectant mother and her baby are healthy throughout the pregnancy.