Chiropractic Care

I have always been amazed at the results the human body receives from chiropractic care. I’ve suffered from migraines for the majority of my life and even after all of the various medications I’ve tried, chiropractic adjustments were the only true relief I ever got.

My first pregnancy was difficult on my back, but it wasn’t until now that I really broke down and admitted that my body needed help. I haven’t seen a chiropractor on a regular basis mainly because I don’t have coverage for it. The out-of-pocket cost truly adds up after time and I really didn’t see it as a necessary expense. Boy was I wrong.

A few weeks ago I began having a very intense pressure in my pelvic area. My midwife had commented on how low baby was already positioned and I accustomed the pain merely to his location. But it continued to worsen, and at one point, I couldn’t even walk. It was nearly impossible for me to raise my right leg up when getting dressed and I walked around with this awkward limp while holding my groin area. Believe me…it was not attractive.

I’ve met some wonderful ladies being a member of the Alaska Birth Network and I decided that it was finally time for me to go in and see one of the chiropractors who specialize in pregnant women. During my exam I was not surprised to see that I wasn’t properly aligned, but exactly how much so was a bit of a shocker. My pelvis was tilted so that my right hip bone was ¾” higher than my left. Ouch! No wonder I was in pain…the baby’s head was practically rubbing on my bones.

The first adjustment was pretty uncomfortable, but that was to be anticipated. She had to place intense pressure on my round ligaments to loosen them, and that my friends, felt almost as painful as childbirth! She sympathized with me and laughed that this was perfect practice for labor. She had to press on them for quite some time for them to loosen, but once they were softer it felt like such a relief. I scheduled an appointment to return the next week for a follow up and a second adjustment.

The day before my second appointment I began having extremely bad back pain. This wasn’t the usual lower or upper pain that I typically felt from all the excess baby weight, but I didn’t really think too much of it. As the day progressed, so did the pain. I couldn't stand or sit for more than a few minutes without having to move around. There was a particular point on my left-middle back that felt almost as if I had pulled a muscle. It burned and nothing I did seemed to help. My chiropractor was happy to see that my pelvic adjustment had held up and after I informed her of my back pain she had me do a couple stretches to see if they helped. Nothing did. I sat down and when she started feeling around…she felt a rib. Yes, a RIB!

I still can’t believe I had a rib sticking out my back. The female body sure does endure a substantial amount of manipulation when it comes to creating a new life. The mere fact that we can stretch and birth a baby is amazing, but to find out that my insides are being dislocated is a bit unnerving.

I absolutely love being pregnant and enjoying this little man wiggle about inside me. But for my body’s sake, I am so thankful to be in the home stretch. I’m beginning to feel the same pain again and fear that my rib has decided to poke out once more. Thankfully, I have another adjustment scheduled for tomorrow.

I’ve always heard how beneficial chiropractic care can be during pregnancy but I can now say that I am a firm believer. Not only can they keep your body aligned and make for an easier birthing experiencing, but the baby itself can be physically manipulated if they are not in the correct position.

Chiropractic service is now something that I will urge all of my doula clients to partake in. Yes, it may be an out-of-pocket expense for some, but the benefits of feeling great and helping your body prepare for childbirth in a natural way are priceless. There’s no reason to endure pain just from being pregnant. Chiropractic care can help!