A guest post from Dr Tania Kent (Chiropractor)
Pregnancy
Are you pregnant? Do you know someone who is pregnant?
A lot of prospective mums and dads, especially first time ones, still remain unaware of the benefits of chiropractic care pre– and post-natally. Having experienced 5 pregnancies and 4 beautiful births, we thought it timely to address all things birth-related in this particular issue. While all our births have been different journeys (one hospital birth attended only by midwives and three homebirths), the one constant has been chiropractic.
As you can imagine, pregnancy produces considerable stress on the mother’s spine and body. Chiropractic adjustments may improve the function of the spine, which in turn may assist the body to function as optimally as possible as it goes through dramatic structural and hormonal changes. We always tailor our care to suit the individual mother and our approach takes into account ligamentous changes which occur due to altering hormone levels.
Caring for your spine during pregnancy
- Try not to strain your abdominal muscles when sitting from a lying position. Turn onto your side and push yourself up with your arm.
- Keep your knees unlocked while standing.
- Avoid pushing your tummy forward when standing.
- Avoid lifting heavy objects, including toddlers! If you have to pick up anything from the ground, contract your abdominal muscles as best you can and bend your knees.
- Avoid remaining in one position for long periods of time.
- Do pelvic floor exercises to maintain strength in the pelvic floor muscles.
- Gently stretch your body daily—often yoga instructors will offer specific yoga classes for pregnant women.
- Breathe deeply into your lower abdomen—not only will it remove stress from your upper back but it will get you into the habit of breathing during labour.
- Avoid twisting movements—let your nose follow your toes.
- Have your spine checked regularly by your chiropractor.
Information drawn from “Well Adjusted Babies” by Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani http://welladjustedbabies.com/
