You are pregnant, now what

Hopefully now that you have prepared your body as well as your mind, you have now become pregnant. Your pregnancy is going along smoothly, your are feeling well, excited about the arrival of the baby. But what can you do if your doctor tells you past your 28th week of pregnancy that your baby is breech? First thing is to not panic; there are options that can be attempted (hopefully with success) to avoid a cesarean section.

One methodology that has been known to assist in ensuring the normal head down position of the baby is Webster technique. All pregnant women, once they discover they are pregnant, should be under the care of a competent chiropractic physician certified in Webster technique. Sacral misalignment can cause tightening and torsion of specific pelvic musculature and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus which prevents the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth.

Webster technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nervous system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, thus allowing for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. In expectant mothers presenting breech, there has been a high reported success rate of the baby turning to the normal vertex (or head down) position. In our office, Webster technique has been successfully used in women whose babies present transverse (lying sideways), posterior (sunny side up) as well as with twins. Any position of the baby other than the suggested position of the baby lying on the right side with the back of the head facing the pubic bone (ROA) may indicate the presence of sacral misalignment and therefore intra-uterine constraint. At no time should this technique be interpreted as an obstetric, "breech turning" technique, known as ECV or external cephalic version.

When an expectant mother comes in for chiropractic care during pregnancy, a thorough history will be taken to ensure the best possible care and safety for both the mother and the baby. Once that is accomplished, and mom has taken a bathroom break, the examination will take place including Webster technique and analysis. So that you understand what will happen during Webster technique and analysis, allow me to give you a bit of a synopsis.

First, mom gets to lie face down on the table. Yes I said face down, the position you have not been able to achieve for possibly some time now, and yes it feels like heaven all by itself. The table has a special piece that drops down to accommodate the growing baby inside of you. We also have special pillows with abdominal and breast cut outs if needed to alleviate any pressure on your abdomen or breasts. As you lie comfortably on the table, the doctor will analyze which side of the sacrum might need to be mobilized. The mobilization or adjustment is given in the same position by the aid of a toggle piece, known as a drop piece, built within the table. This piece provides speed with very low force as the progesterone and relaxin of pregnancy make adjusting mom-to-be very easy.

Then mommy turns over to lie in a semi-reclined position on her back to check the round ligaments located on each side of the body serving to support the uterus. The tighter ligament will gently be released using light pressure. We even show mom how to find it and rub it at home if it helps alleviate any discomfort. Once the ligaments and sacrum are balanced, we usually encourage regular chiropractic care to help maintain this state of balance, leading to a healthier pregnancy and hopefully an easier birth.

Pre Planning for Pregnancy

Deciding to start a family is one of most exciting times in people’s lives. Often, however, men and women who want to become parents suddenly take a sharp look at their personal health and then wonder, “Hmm...perhaps I should have taken better care of myself! Now what?” Let’s talk a little about how to best take care of ourselves so that when the time presents itself to take on a new life role, we are healthy and ready.

Prenatal nutrition is generally directed at women once they are pregnant. But, in doing so, we have missed a great window of opportunity. Women who have taken hormonal birth control for years have been depleting essential nutrients from their body as these medications are synthetic steroids. B vitamins, folic acid, calcium are just some of what needs to be replaced once the pill is no longer in use. Although it is possible for women to become pregnant immediately after stopping hormonal birth control, it is nutritionally best to wait about 3 months before trying to conceive. These three months should incorporate an excellent prenatal supplement (for more help with these, please contact the office). Prenatal supplements should contain a well rounded prenatal multi-vitamin, fish oils for those Omega 3’s and calcium. Eating right begins now! Fresh produce and protein at every meal, adequate water and limiting (but not necessarily eliminating) caffeine drinks. Dump the soda and avoid all artificial sweeteners, preservatives, additives and colors. (This means no more Diet Coke!!!) Begin a healthy eating plan of every 3 hours and now is the right time to get some good exercise. Early in a pregnancy some women have excessive fatigue and/or nausea. At that time, some women cannot eat or work out the way they would like. Having started early to get a good nourishing base can go a long way. If you don’t exercise regularly, now is the time. Seek activities you like that you will enjoy maintaining. Jogging, swimming, yoga and group classes are all great ideas.

Fathers-to-be should not be left out of the equation. They may not be the ones to carry the actual growing baby, but sperm health and fertility is strongly affected by diet and exercise. Men who smoke, eat poorly and drink diet sodas have lower sperm counts with less motility. This pre-prenatal time is the perfect window for men to overhaul their nutritional intake along with their spouses and get on a good, enjoyable exercise plan.

Stress levels for both men and women need to be addressed. Better nutrition and exercise can help the body to tolerate stress and be more resilient. However, adding a baby to a family is a life-changing event that while fun -does add stress. Schedules change, personal choices change and of course sleep deprivation is a given. People entering into parenthood with elevated stress levels have a much more difficult time. Now is the time to find healthy stress relief and support the body with nutrients.

Additionally, men and women with a history of auto-immune disorders, daily medication use or past recreational drug or alcohol use need to pay special attention to what their bodies will need to bring them to optimal health. As, always, please contact the office with any questions, we are here to help and support!