As a pregnancy progresses the body releases a hormone known as Relaxin into the system. Relaxin is designed to help loosen and stretch the ligaments of the pelvis so that baby can position itself in the optimal position for birth. Although this is an expected part of the process, Relaxin can also cause or exaggerate instability in the pelvis. This instability means that the structures of the pelvis can put pressure on the surrounding nerves in the lower back, leading to back pain and leg pain. This pain can even become more pronounced during labour, when there is further force being placed on these unstable structures. It is hard to appreciate the wonders of pregnancy when you’re in pain! Long term pain can also lead to stress, which isn’t good for the health of mum or baby. This is where chiropractic comes in.

Chiropractic care aims to align the joints in the spine to minimise nerve pressure and therefore improve overall nervous system function. This allows you to have a pregnancy with little pain, and less stress.

When you’re establishing your pregnancy support team of friends, family and doctors, a chiropractor is an essential part to maximise your chances of a safe, healthy and comfortable pregnancy.

When the pelvis is misaligned this can place constraint on the uterus, which means baby may not have enough room to move or become ‘engaged’ in the birth canal. This can lead to baby being in a breech or posterior position which may then lead to a caesarean operation, or even the use of interventions such as forceps and suction which are not only uncomfortable but put a lot of force on the fragile structure of a baby’s skull. Studies have shown that even if a woman has had a caesarean section before, if she has received chiropractic treatment throughout her pregnancy it is still possible to have a normal vaginal delivery.

Many women are hesitant to induce a birth as nature tells us baby will come when their bodies are ready. Inducing a birth also means introducing a cocktail of drugs to both mum and baby as well. But being in constant pain can lead to this decision being made anyway. In these women most commonly the problem was a misalignment in the pelvis, putting tension on the uterus. Therefore baby was not able to get into a comfortable position for birth, and also leaving the mum in a lot of discomfort as well.

Newborns can benefit greatly from chiropractic, as chiropractic aims to remove the interference from a baby’s rapidly developing nervous system. In the first few months of life a baby goes through huge growth spurts and if there is any pressure on their nervous system this can really get exacerbated at this time. The nerves from the spinal cord supply every growing organ, tissue and cell. Pressure on these nerves can lead to a variety of health issues, such as colic, reflux, difficulty feeding and recurrent middle ear infections. It can also result in problems getting your newborn to settle and go to sleep. We all know babies who won’t settle are also a big source of stress on a household as well. When baby doesn’t sleep, nobody does!

This nerve pressure often occurs during birth, even natural birth. The spinal structures in a new born are very delicate and mobile. This pressure can also occur as baby learns how to sleep, crawl and walk. To have your baby checked through all these important stages of development gives their nervous system the best possible chance to produce a happy, healthy child.

Chiropractic treatment of newborns is extremely gentle and non-invasive, so you can be guaranteed of the health and safety of your child throughout each and every consultation.