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Postpartum Chiropractic Care

Postpartum Chiropractic Care

Guest post by Dr. Carolyne Hiebert BSc DC.

After a birth and delivery, some mothers may assume they are out of the woods when it comes to discomfort and health challenges. Whether a mother is under chiropractic care during pregnancy or not, postpartum chiropractic care is crucial for her after a birth.

Life after birth

The birth and delivery process is life-changing for both the mother and the baby. The birth process, even straight-forward vaginal births, can be traumatic for both birth partners. We already addressed having your baby checked by a chiropractor after birth in my article Adjusting to New Life. In this article, we talk about care for the mother after the birthing process.

Chiropractors remove nervous system interference to allow for optimal health and well-being. Impaired nerve function and bio-mechanical imbalance in the pelvis can lead to pain, discomfort and poor health. Many women may “feel fine” after the birth of their children, overjoyed and excited about this new life. This exuberance may mask problems until they are noticed later on. It’s important to be checked by a chiropractor as soon as possible after the delivery.

This is also a stressful time in a woman’s life as she is now challenged with looking after her newborn baby and experiencing a changing family dynamic with emotional highs and lows. These stressors can wreak havoc on a woman’s health if not addressed early.

For many women who have not had their nervous system stress and pelvic biomechanics addressed after birth, symptoms and pain for subsequent pregnancies can become increasingly severe as this misalignment and stress compounds. Being checked by a chiropractor after each birth gives a woman confidence knowing she is in her best health going forward.

A window of opportunity

With the hormone Relaxin still present for awhile after the birth process, there is a window of opportunity to gently set the pelvic bones into balance and ensure proper alignment before ligament support is enhanced. However, adjustments to the spine and pelvis may be done any time after Relaxin has been diminished.

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Rehabilitation

For more difficult deliveries with intervention or surgery, rehabilitation of the spine, pelvis, and associated muscles and ligaments may be needed. Once a woman has healed and is well enough to visit the chiropractor, gentle adjustments can be made to the pelvic structures and recommendations for exercise and rehabilitation of the core musculature can be addressed to ensure proper healing and restoration.

Wellness care

After initial symptomatic complaints after the birth have been addressed, wellness-based chiropractic care can begin to maintain nervous system and spinal health and to keep the mother functioning at her best. This allows the woman to be in the best health possible for herself, her family and for subsequent pregnancies.

Please visit Dr. Carolyne’s website, The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association’s website or the BCCA website to find out more valuable information relating to chiropractic care during and after pregnancy.

Dr. Carolyne Hiebert BSc DC practices in the Fraser Valley with her husband Dr. Jonathan Hiebert. Together they own and operate Pacific Life Chiropractic. Learn more at www.drcarolyne.com

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