The perinatal period refers to the time before and immediately after birth. Chiropractic care optimizes every parent’s chance of having a safe pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Here is how it all works:

As your body prepares for and grows with the baby, your nervous system is busy working! The uterus is a muscle that is powered by sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. These nerves need to work in sync and as optimally as possible for proper uterine function.

A perinatal chiropractor specializes in detecting areas of nervous system interference and restoring muscle function through clinical assessment, specific chiropractic adjustments and muscle tone work. Reducing nerve interference along the spine and pelvis allows:

• Contractions to occur with adequate power and proper coordination
• Labor to progress normally
• Mom’s body to be in sync with baby

During pregnancy, your baby grows and positions itself in your pelvis. If your pelvis is not aligned properly then your baby's passage into the world is compromised. Spine and pelvis misalignments can contribute to baby being in a breech position, back pain for mom, and/or labor stalling.

A chiropractor is an expert in pelvic alignment and biomechanics. Through chiropractic adjustments, a perinatal chiropractor can stabilize pelvic alignment and encourage proper passageway for your baby to enter the world. Thus, increasing the chances for a vaginal birth. A vaginal birth allows:

• Baby to pick up microbial flora from mom that will support the baby’s immune system throughout life¹
• Baby’s lungs to function properly²
• Baby to utilize instinctive reflexes necessary for establishing neurological development³

There are many ways that chiropractors can positively impact your baby’s position without directly involving the baby. A perinatal chiropractor is able to release tension in fascia and ligaments around the abdomen and pelvis. This release leads to decreased tension in the pelvic floor allowing your baby to nestle into the pelvis and prepare for delivery!

In addition to soft tissue work and chiropractic adjustments, perinatal experts also recommend safe exercises for you and your partner to encourage proper pelvic biomechanics, decrease discomfort, and help your baby engage with the pelvic floor on time.

1,2,3 Dunn AB, Jordan S, Baker BJ, Carlson NS. The Maternal Infant Microbiome: Considerations for Labor and Birth. MCN Am J Maternal Child Nurse. 2017 Nov/Dec;42(6):318-325. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000373. PMID: 28825919; PMCID: PMC5648605.

Pregnancy, labor, and birth are natural processes. However, your body experiences a great deal of musculoskeletal and neurological changes during this time. Chiropractic care can support proper healing and repair process during postpartum periods. In addition, chiropractic adjustments can help balance out your overall nervous system. A balanced nervous system will help a postpartum mom with:

• Sleep
• Stress management
       (Important for milk production and bonding with baby)
• Pain or discomfort

Every child deserves chiropractic care. It is never too early to have your child’s spine checked. The first trauma to the spine occurs during the birth process. Whether a child is lifted out of a belly or pushed out of a vaginal canal, a baby’s spine experiences stress.

Stress in an infant’s spine can present as:

• Colic
• Torticollis
• Difficulty latching
• Tongue tie & lip tie
• Reflux & spitting up
• Gas pains & constipation

Stress in a child’s spine can present as:

• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Bedwetting
• Ear infections
• Developmental Delays

The movement milestones that take place in the first year of life are critical to a child’s normal neurological development. How children behave, move, perform in school, and much more stems from their early development. So, you can see why it is very important to check for these milestones and to make the right corrections early on.

Stress in a child’s nervous system can present as¹ :

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum
• Speech delay
• Delay in fine motor skills

[1] “Clinical Certainty Through Functional Assessment”. Slack, Linda. Online. August 2020. Page(s) 60.