There are so many physiological and neuro-biomechanical changes that happen during pregnancy. If you’re expecting, whether it be your first, second or seventh baby, you know better than anyone things are happening physically, mentally and biochemically because of your growing baby. With concerns of adverse events associated with medications and other interventions for the unborn baby and mother, many pregnant women are turning to prenatal chiropractic to help support them through their pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant and are looking into prenatal chiropractic care, this blog post is for you!

WHAT IS PRENATAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

Prenatal Chiropractic Care is a specialized form of chiropractic that encompasses three (3) different elements that greatly benefit both mom and baby during this special time:

1. All of our doctors have special post-graduate training and certification in the Webster Technique (keep reading to learn more about this!)

2. We provide safe, gentle and effective adjustments that help mom’s nervous system better relax and make room for the growing baby, and keep mom strong and ready for a natural birth and optimal transition to motherhood

3. Our office also provides an incredibly empowering and supportive environment where expecting moms and dads can ask the tough questions, access incredible resources, and feel confident throughout their journey

Taking it one step further, the kind of chiropractic care we provide goes beyond just typical structural-based chiropractic care and focuses entirely on mom’s nervous system.

The umbilical cord connecting that developing baby to mom is not just there to carry oxygen and nutrients, but it’s also the neurological “power cord” that connects mom’s nervous system to her baby’s. In today’s world, where we have more stress, tension and anxiety than ever before, the Neurologically-Focused Prenatal Chiropractic Care that we offer, therefore acts as a crucial component of keeping both mom and baby’s nervous system healthy, calm and clear of interference all along the way!

WHY DO EXPECTANT MOMS CHOOSE PRENATAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

Before we jump into what makes prenatal chiropractic care special at Sprout Family Chiropractic, let’s discuss why moms decide to get under chiropractic care during pregnancy and even birth?

Moms-to-be come in for many reasons but some of the most common reasons pregnant moms seek care in our office are:

• Perinatal anxiety, perinatal depression and perinatal stress

• Pain (neck pain, lower back pain, pelvic girdle pain, pubic symphysis pain, wrist pain)

• Poor sleep

• Decreased mobility and flexibility in the entire body

There are some unavoidable physical changes that occur during the first trimester, second trimester and (especially!) the third trimester but this doesn’t mean that you should feel like you are suffer and don’t have options for support.

San Diego moms choose Sprout Family Chiropractic because Dr. Nicole and Dr. Rachel are both Webster Technique Certified. What does that mean?

WHAT IS THE WEBSTER TECHNIQUE?

The Webster technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and diversified adjustment. The goal of the adjustment is to reduce the effects of subluxation and/or SI joint dysfunction (to learn about subluxation, read this article). Prenatal chiropractic care and the Webster technique improves neuro-biomechanical function in the sacral/pelvic region. Sacral subluxation during pregnancy may contribute to difficult labor for the mother (i.e., dystocia). Dystocia is caused by inadequate uterine function, pelvic contraction and baby mal-presentation. Using safe and gentle chiropractic adjustments correct these sacral subluxation by addressing the three primary causes of dystocia via uterine nerve interference, pelvic misalignment and the tightening and torsion of specific pelvic muscles and ligaments.

The Webster technique and all the other techniques we use at Sprout Family Chiropractic doesn’t force the body to do anything, instead it works with an expectant mom’s body to relax tense muscles and ligaments, restore proper movement in the pelvic joints and optimize the sacral nerve communication to the reproductive organs that are supporting baby.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS FROM PRENATAL CHIROPRACTIC CARE?

Above and beyond the physical benefits pregnant moms experience under chiropractic care, they also see a change in their energy, mood and overall health.

During pregnancy, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is responsible for involuntary actions, plays a crucial role. The ANS consists of two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is what comes to life when you are under duress and experiencing stress. You might have heard it referred to as fight or flight. The PNS is the branch that helps us calm down, relax, and function once again after the stress has passed. To learn more about the parasympathetic nervous system and the Vagus Nerve that controls and regulates most of it, check out this additional article here.

A regulated and well-balanced nervous system is of utmost importance during pregnancy, as it profoundly influences both the expectant mother’s health and the developing baby’s well-being. The nervous system acts as the master control center, coordinating and regulating all body functions, from basic physiological processes to complex hormonal interactions. And now your nervous system has to do “double” the job, controlling all of your bodily functions and baby’s too.

The prenatal period is chalk full of people bombarding you with advice, tips, other birth stories and endless lists of pregnancy books. It is all out of love but it can get overwhelming. This leads to mom stress or prenatal stress even before baby is born.

At Sprout Family Chiropractic, we can test, measure and quantify how your nervous system is functioning, how it is managing stress and what we can do about it as neurologically-focused prenatal chiropractor using an amazing piece of technology.

MEASURING PRENATAL STRESS

This technology is called HRV, which stands for Heart Rate Variability, and it is an absolutely essential exam for all pregnant women to take on a regular basis because it provides valuable insights into the health and function of their autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and overall health during pregnancy.

HRV is a measure of the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats. A higher HRV indicates a more flexible and adaptable nervous system, which is associated with better overall health and resilience to stress during pregnancy. This also means reduced maternal stress, better sleep quality, improved cardiovascular health and enhanced immune function. Additionally, maintaining a balanced ANS is essential for supporting proper blood flow to the placenta and optimal fetal development.

On the other hand, a lower HRV suggests an imbalanced or stressed ANS, which can lead to various health issues, commonly leading to a high-risk pregnancy.

Below is an image with a series of three (3) HRV Scans performed on a pregnant woman throughout her pregnancy. The first scan on the far left shows the small white box way in the lower left quadrant of the HRV plot, indicating her parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve are both suppressed and shut down, allowing her sympathetic fight or flight system to run out of control.

Then as care progresses over the second and third trimester, you can see the white box move towards the center line and higher up towards the green circle, indicating that her nervous system’s ability to adapt and manage stress was vastly improved. When she came in she worried she was going to be fighting postpartum depression but after she gave birth she said, “It never came! I am so happy!” This is because her nervous system was in a much calmer, balanced and better regulated state.

In addition to HRV, we ALSO run two (2) additional tests, NeuroThermal and NeuroSensory EMG, to complete the overall INSiGHT Scans and neurological exam. Together these three (3) collective scans can function as a pregnancy test that actually looks beyond symptoms and dives deep into the nervous system and how prenatal chiropractic can help both mom and baby.

“HOW EARLY CAN AND SHOULD I GET ADJUSTED WHEN I AM PREGNANT?”

Within the nine or so months a mom is pregnant, physical and emotional support is crucial at every stage of pregnancy. A well functioning nervous system, a mobile & relaxed pelvis and a confident and empower mind are all critical in creating a better pregnancy for YOU which leads to a better BIRTH for you and baby. This is why we recommend expectant moms to get checked as soon as they know they are pregnant (many actually start care during the time they are trying to get pregnant to best set their body up even before the prenatal period).

The Webster technique and all of the other adjusting techniques we use at Sprout Family Chiropractic are gentle and safe which means you can get adjusted at any stage of pregnancy. The #1 thing expectant moms tell us in our office was, “I wish I started prenatal chiropractic care sooner” and “I wish I did this for all my other pregnancies.”

HOW DO I FIND A WEBSTER CERTIFIED PRENATAL CHIROPRACTOR NEAR ME?

If you are in the Kearny Mesa, Serra Mesa, Tierra Santa or Mission Valley area in San Diego County or the surrounding areas, both Dr. Nicole and Dr. Rachel Wong-Homer are Webster Technique Certified by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). This means they have successfully completed post-graduate training, written and practical examinations to best serve pregnant moms for a safer, easier birth.

If you are not in the San Diego area or local to our office, you can find Webster Certified prenatal chiropractor with the ICPA’s directory.

Are you pregnant or know someone who is? Share this post with them so they can learn more about prenatal chiropractic care too!

If you’re in San Diego and want to get under prenatal or postpartum chiropractic care, we’re here for you! Give us a call at (619) 786-4886 for a free 5 minute phone consultation.

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