Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care

Pregnancy and Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care during pregnancy is something that we have always encouraged for our students. The reasons for this are many and can  include:

-Increased comfort during pregnancy

. Back pain during pregnancy is a common problem that can be helped with chiropractic. The benefits can extend beyond this issue and help other sources of discomfort like SPD.

-Improved positioning of the infant for birth

. Webster certified chiropractors are famous for their ability to adjust the pelvis and release the round ligament on the pregnant mom and thus allow the baby to move into a position that is more advantageous for the birth. This can help with breech presentations as well as posterior or other variations.

-Faster labor.

Many midwives notice that their clients who have regular chiropractic care from a skilled practitioner have faster births than those who don’t. This may be due to the improved positioning of the baby which can allow it to more easily navigate through the pelvis.

The benefits of chiropractic care can even extend beyond the birth of the baby and into the breastfeeding relationship. Some lactation consultants refer to chiropractors for latch issues or trouble breastfeeding.

Dr Kristin Hosaka, Birth Boot Camp Advisory Board Member, adjusts a baby.

The video below briefly describes how and why we include chiropractic in our online childbirth classes and encourage our live instructors to invite a local chiropractor to their own classes.

We believe that chiropractic care can be an important part of achieving a natural birth.

Looking for a chiropractor for your pregnancy? Check out this article on how to find one for you.

References-

This small study found that chiropractic adjustment could relieve back pain during pregnancy:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1829312?dopt=Abstract

This small study also found chiropractic care to give significant relief to a high percentage of women:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16399602?dopt=Abstract

This case study chronicles the labor pattern of one women and quick progress after adjustment:  http://chiropracticpediatrics.sharepoint.com/Pages/2009_1002_dystocia.aspx

Three patients discussed whose labor quickly proceeded after chiropractic adjustment:  http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/chiropractic-care-of-women-during-pregnancy-and-the-possible-success-at-resolving-dystocia-a-case-series.html

30 pregnant patients undergo Webster technique adjustments and most see improved fetal positioning:  http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/patients-with-malposition-and-malpresentation-pregnancies-cared-for-with-the-webster-technique-a-retrospective-analysis.html

5 patients with breech babies undergo chiropractic care and all have improved positioning:  http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/the-webster-in-utero-constraint-technique-a-case-series.html

A survey of chiropractors practicing the Webster technique finds a high percentage of patients have resolved breech presentation following adjustment:  http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/the-webster-technique-a-chiropractic-technique.html

Review of chiropractic during pregnancy evidence:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18722200

9 examples or studies of chiropractic benefiting the breastfeeding relationship or improving latch:  http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/Breastfeeding-Difficulties/