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Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

As your body prepares for labor, it undergoes profound changes, including the production of hormones like Relaxin that increase flexibility. Our chiropractic care is designed to adapt to these changes, ensuring comfort and safety throughout each trimester:

• First Trimester: During the early stages of pregnancy, many women experience fatigue and nausea. To minimize any risks, such as miscarriage, we avoid adjustments in side posture and ultrasound therapy. Instead, we focus on deep tissue massage and gentle adjusting techniques to manage muscle tension and spinal misalignments.

• Second and Third Trimesters: This period often brings increased body weight and flexibility, which can lead to low back pain and sometimes sciatica. Our chiropractors use gentle adjustments and muscle release techniques to manage these symptoms and maintain healthy pelvic movement. As the pregnancy progresses, regular chiropractic visits become crucial, especially in the last month, to ensure optimal pelvic alignment and movement.

• Webster Technique: For cases of breech presentation, we utilize the Webster Technique to reduce intrauterine constraint and encourage the baby to turn naturally. This technique is a safe and effective method to prepare for delivery. Learn more about the Webster Technique.

Post-Partum Chiropractic Care

The post-partum period can be physically demanding, with common issues like muscle soreness, inflammation in the low and mid-back, and the challenges of caring for a newborn while the body is still highly flexible from pregnancy hormones. Our post-partum chiropractic care includes:

• Ultrasound Therapy: Now safe to use post-partum, ultrasound therapy is an excellent tool for reducing pain, inflammation, and swelling. Combined with gentle adjustments and massage, it helps new mothers recover more comfortably and quickly.

• Ongoing Adjustments and Care: As the body returns to its pre-pregnancy state, continued chiropractic care can be vital in managing lingering effects of pregnancy hormones and ensuring a smooth transition during the recovery phase.

At Families First Chiropractic, we are dedicated to providing the highest level of care to ensure that pregnancy and motherhood are comfortable and joyful experiences. Located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, we are here to support you from the early stages of pregnancy through the post-partum period and beyond. Contact us today to schedule your consultation and discover how chiropractic care can enhance your maternal health journey.

 

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Pregnancy & Post-Partum Care - DR. MIKE first write up

 

Chiropractic, when performed by an experienced and well trained practitioner, can provide many benefits during pregnancy.  We know that as the pregnancy progresses, a woman’s body produces certain hormones to promote growth and increase flexibility in preparation for labor.

 

During the first trimester, women often encounter fatigue and nausea and their low back should not be adjusted in side posture to minimize the risk of miscarriage. Also, we cannot use UltraSound therapy to reduce pain and inflammation because of the potential risk of injury to the fetus. If we find muscle tension or mis-alignments in the spine we can use deep tissue massage, and gentle adjusting techniques. 

 

Second trimester is usually easier to tolerate and much of the weight gain happens here.  The most important hormone from a Chiropractic perspective is Relaxin Because Relaxin, a hormone, is released, a woman will become more and more flexible as the pregnancy progresses.  This makes it possible for the pelvis to open wider to make labor possible and more flexible. Second and third trimester is when we often encounter low back pain and sometimes sciatica. Because of Relaxin and weight gain, a woman’s flexibility is increased while her joint stability diminishes.  In addition,  her center of gravity changes and there is an increase in stress on the low back.  For much of the second and third trimester, the usual course of care is gentle adjusting, muscle release and monitoring/maintaining normal and healthy pelvis movement. In the last month of pregnancy, a weekly visit is recommended to maintain a good pelvic movement and alignment. 

 

In case of a breech baby, a chiropractor would use the Webster Technique to reduce intrauterine constraint and allow the baby to turn on it’s own. (https://icpa4kids.com/training/webster-certification/webster-technique/)

 

As much as having a baby, especially for the first time is a wonderful event, it is also a physically traumatic experience for the new or repeat mom. There is a lot of muscle soreness and inflammation especially in the low back and mid back. In addition, the new mom is now sleep deprived and spending a lot of time bending forward while feeding and caring for the new baby while still hyper-flexible from Relaxin hormone. These hormone levels return to normal level about six months post-partum. 

 

The great news is that Chiropractic care can now involve Ultra-Sound (US) which is a very safe and very effective in reducing pain and inflammation/swelling in addition to gentle adjusting and massage.