Chiro Mums
The fourth trimester is a critical time for moms to spend with their new baby, but is also an important time for your body to heal. Postpartum moms, especially those who are breastfeeding, are continuously dealing with high levels of Relaxin. This makes joints vulnerable to hyper mobility, which may cause discomfort post-delivery.
Regardless of how your baby is delivered, giving birth takes a toll on your body and can leave you feeling uncomfortable for some time. Your body has been under strain for a number of months leading up to the birth and now needs to recover from that, as well as the delivery.
The first concern when treating patients post-delivery is the changes caused to their body during the birthing process. Regardless of the delivery method, the pelvic bone will most likely be altered from labour and delivery. These changes can make it difficult to sleep, walk, bend, sit and nurse. Using a combination of gentle exercise movements, stretches and joint manipulation, balance can be restored to this area.
During the first year, a mother’s body will continue to adapt to the demands of nursing and caring for their child. Certain imbalances can occur when mothers prefer to hold babies on one shoulder over the other, for example. This might later transfer to the one-hip carry that can push hips out of alignment and create back pain.
When you factor in carrying car seats and diaper bags slung over one shoulder, you can see a number of potential problems the recovering mother’s body might encounter.
Postnatal Chiropractic care can also assists with:
- Hip alignment
- Lower back pain
- Birth recovery
- Middle back pain
- Sciatic joint problems
- Postnatal aches and pains
Chiropractic & Postnatal Pain
They say it takes a village when it comes to raising children, and that saying becomes true even before your precious child arrives.
While carrying a child is one of the most incredible experiences in a woman’s life, it is often met with some discomfort (and sometimes even pain) as the body adjusts to carry a growing baby and prepares for delivery. The transformation that the female body goes through during and after pregnancy is quite remarkable. There is a surge in hormones, weight gain and change in body dimension all leading up to potential pain issues.
What structures are usually affected during pregnancy and birth?
The pelvis: the pelvis plays a massive role in stabilising the human body and plays an even bigger role when it comes to pregnancy. The pelvis acts as the protective walls for a baby to grow in and those walls are supported by various muscles and ligaments needed for proper function and stability.
The pelvic floor: these are the underlying supportive structures within the pelvis that act to support the pelvic organs, increase intra-abdominal pressure, maintain urinary and fecal continence, help to control movements of the sacrum and hips and is important for sexual function.
The core and diaphragm: The diaphragm is important for controlling intra-abdominal pressure through breathing. The core muscles play an important role in compressing the internal organs when contracting, stabilising the spine and ensuring good stability in our lower back and pelvis.
The pelvic floor and diaphragm have a synergistic relationship – as you breathe in and the diaphragm flattens and descends, it presses on the contents of the pelvic cavity, resulting in the stretching of the pelvic floor to accommodate. As you exhale, the diaphragm actively relaxes and the pelvic floor does as well, so you’re moving up and down in unity.
Pregnancy often creates weakness in the pelvic floor and abdomen. It’s therefore important to provide post-partum moms with the correct tools to help them improve function.
This is where chiropractic comes into play. Chiropractic treatment during pregnancy is a safe and effective means to ensure that you are more comfortable so that you can focus on the excitement of welcoming your little bundle into the world. It gently releases the pain, discomfort and irritability you might feel in your back, neck, hips and joints.
As chiropractors, we are equipped to administer treatment that is specifically tailored to our patients’ needs, as well as give evidence-based advice to our patients that will in-turn improve their overall well-being.
Chiropractic care can also assist in ensuring reduced labour times, successful natural delivery of your baby and an overall healthier pregnancy.
Additional resources:
www.beautifulbirths-za.com
How soon post-partum should I see a chiropractor?
The post-partum experience is different for every person. Commonly known as the fourth trimester, the post-partum period is recognized as the first 12 weeks post-delivery. This is an important transitional period for both mom and baby and is characterized by various physical, emotional and social changes that you might need support with.
What will a post-partum chiropractic consult look like?
As chiropractors, we specialise in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of various neuromusculoskeletal conditions, and this is no different for a pregnant or post-partum mom.
As your body works to ‘reset’ itself post-delivery, our goal is to help your body ‘heal’ itself by utilising specialised techniques that support an easier transition for your body.
During your consult, we will assess you and determine what issues may be present. It may look like lower back pain, caesarian scar pain, neck and shoulder pain or even pelvic floor issues. Each mom presents differently and once we know what challenges you are experiencing, we will tailor a treatment program for your specific needs. Chiropractors may also refer you to other healthcare professionals if further intervention is required.
Chiropractic support during breastfeeding
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF for 6 months, and even after introducing solids, moms are encouraged to continue breastfeeding up to two years post-delivery.
Breastfeeding isn’t as simple as it seems and many a mom’s breastfeeding journeys are defined by moments of pain and struggle. As women we believe breastfeeding should be instinctual, but it is not. It is a skill that needs to be mastered by both mom and baby, and often requires additional support to ensure its continued and ongoing success. In order for a baby to successfully late and feed, 6 cranial nerves, 22 bones and 60 muscles are utilised by the baby. It’s no easy feat and if you are struggling, you are not alone!
If you need help with ensuing your breastfeeding journey is success, Chiropractic is a safe and gentle way to help improve
breastfeeding success.
How do I know if your baby is having breastfeeding difficulties?
- Nipple or Breast pain
- Gumming or chewing
- Nipple trauma or wounds
- Nipple vasospasm
- Low milk supply
- Blocked ducts or Mastitis
- Untimely weaning
Or your baby may be experiencing one or more of the following:
- Difficulties latching (and staying latched)
- Long frequent feeds
- Poor weight gain
- White coating on the tongue
- Clicking or noisy feeds
- Lip blisters
- Peri-oral blanching
- Prominent naso-labial folds
- Tongue restriction
The stress on a baby’s spine and jaw during his or her time in the womb could be contributing to him or her presenting with one or more of the symptoms above, or in your experiencing pain related to a poor latch. Through chiropractic, you could gently correct the misalignments of the upper neck, ensuring that your baby can more easily turn their head, making latching on both breasts easier. The release of tension in the jaw and skull can also help promote a deeper, stronger latch.
Your breastfeeding journey doesn’t need to be a battle you win on your own. If you are battling to enjoy your pregnancy or to recover post-delivery, or if you need support on your breastfeeding journey, book an appointment with us today and we will provide you with the much-needed relief, comfort and support you are looking for.
