Pregnancy
In today’s fast paced, highly technical world, the journey of pregnancy has become a mixed bag of emotions for women. With all of the doctor appointments, “routine” tests and horrifying birth stories from friends, it leaves many women feeling overwhelmed and fearful for the journey ahead.
The “Typical” Pregnancy Experience
This is your pregnancy. You shouldn’t feel like a “backseat driver.” We have all heard the story of the friend who is not happy with her OB or who is not impressed with the way things are run at the hospital. But, these mothers are not to be blamed. With little or no previous experience, we all decide that the doctors know best and that we should take whatever tests they tell us to, give birth however they tell us to, and, essentially, raise our children they way they tell us.
The primary issue is that many pregnant women are feeling left out when it comes to how their pregnancy journey may shape up. Women honestly ARE like a backseat driver. They are on this journey, and as they are moving down the path, they may say, “I would like to do this……” but often times are met with a dismissive response or are told, “because of x, y, or z we can’t do that,” or “we don’t do it that way here.”
Taking Control of Your Pregnancy
We always encourage you to seek options and to take control of your health, especially during pregnancy.
Women may come to their doctor with their route planned, only to find that their doctor is using a GPS to navigate to their destination on a different route. Both routes will get the same result, the baby will be born, but they simply are not choosing the same route and probably not the same arrival time to that destination either.
Women are put in the backseat and are saying, “no it’s not this exit, I wanted to take this route”, but the doctors still push forward with their own route. This is never the feeling anyone should have in their healthcare, especially not during pregnancy, when it is so essential for women to feel safe and confident so their babies feel safe and grow up healthy. Not only are these women being denied control of their own pregnancy and birth journey, they are not being encouraged to seek out options and answers.
Why Chiropractic?
“Why does a chiropractor even care about pregnancy and birth?” The answer can be quite simple, yet many people don’t see it. Most people have a skewed view of chiropractic. Our main role as chiropractors is not to treat headaches and back pain. Rather, we are trained to help each and every patient reach their full potential by allowing their body to work with ease and efficiency.
When an expecting mom receives chiropractic during her pregnancy, it has been shown to:
• decrease pain during birth
• shorten birth times
• reduce the number of birth interventions
Each of these benefits are not only great for mom, but important for what all parents want at the end of their pregnancy—a healthy, happy baby.
The easier a pregnancy and the birth process are, the less stress and strain babies endure, which leads to better bonding, better nursing, better sleeping, and fewer digestive complaints (colic, reflux, and constipation). When moms are considered “backseat drivers” and let others take control of their birth journey, getting numerous “routine” tests and medical interventions, it is estimated that nearly 95% of children have stress at the base of the skull and upper neck which hinders their ability to function with ease and efficiency. This stress on the neck is exactly what paediatric chiropractors are experts at detecting and correcting.
Still people may offer objections to chiropractors discussing pregnancy or birth, because we are not OBs. To be fair I understand that, but you see, an OB is trained to deliver your baby, not raise a healthy baby! When you receive chiropractic care prior to and during pregnancy, not only do you receive adjustments, you will be consistently educated and empowered to ask the questions and take the steps that help you achieve the birth that is best for you and your baby’s long term health. We want what every family wants; for you to have a healthy, happy baby. The best way to achieve that is by preparing, educating, and taking control of your own care.
-Dr. Jennifer Yakimishyn