Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy. Is It safe?

Pregnancy is an exciting and magical time. Seeing all the changes your body goes through when growing a new life is amazing. However, for many women, pregnancy isn’t all glowing complexions and cute bumps. Pregnancy brings many unwelcome symptoms, as well. These range from morning sickness, fatigue right through to backache.

During pregnancy the body produces more hormones which work to loosen ligaments and joints at the right times. These hormone changes help prepare the body for birth, but combined with a growing belly, can also result in changes to the spine, pelvis and body. It can increase the feeling of weight or tension – and that’s even before the baby starts to grow.

It’s common for those about to have a baby to question whether Chiropractic care will help, whether it is safe and also, what considerations are wise…

Contraindications And Safety

Contemporary thought suggests that it is usually safe and of low risk to receive routine, maintenance or supportive Chiropractic care during pregnancy. It is considered ‘rare’ for complications to arise, however it is always worth being careful and cautious in determining whether seeking care during your pregnancy is right for you.

Choosing the right time

Old-fashioned, more cautious thought, suggested it was wise to not see a Chiropractor in the first trimester (just in case) but it’s no longer considered an absolute reason not to offer care. The key consideration we suggest is working out your healthcare need and when the most appropriate time is for you to seek care. This is where our Connective Chiropractic Onboarding sessions come into play: We’ll be happy to advise here depending on your circumstances.

Managing the clinic differently

There are differences that must be managed for safe Chiropractic care during pregnancy however. Principal Chiropractor at Connective Chiropractic, James Harrison, explains; “It’s important to adapt our care in line with the stage of pregnancy and your expectations. We have to think about all the little details, such as using pregnancy pillows or adjusting when you are seated rather than lying on your tummy. A little adjustment goes a lot further too with pregnancy, so we have to pay particular attention to the type of care or the techniques we use, so not to overwhelm the body or baby. At all times, we act sensitively and check for consent throughout to ensure there is never any distress”

Doing the right thing

Of course there are some times when Chiropractic care really ought not to be considered. These may include (but are not restricted to) if you find yourself bleeding, have uncontrolled blood pressure or know that your pregnancy is ectopic. These are all things that the medical profession are better placed to help with.

Considering After Pregnancy Care

The process of birth can be traumatic for both mum and baby. Once again, we find many consider Chiropractic care at this time, but it’s not without its separate considerations.

Choosing the best time for mum

For mum, it’s about finding the appropriate time. Whilst it may seem like a good idea to rush ahead, our advice is that time is the best healer shortly after giving birth. If you’ve had a C-section, for example, you’ll want everything to heal first otherwise it may not be appropriate for us to adjust.  If you are in doubt in terms of when the right time is for you, give us a call and we’ll be happy to advise.

Finding the best practitioner for baby

For baby, there’s a whole host of additional considerations. Certainly Paediatric Chiropractic is a thing. Many do want their child to obtain Chiropractic care from an early age. 

James Harrison explains however that, “Children are not the same as adults. A child’s body is forever changing and developing and as a result, the care offered needs to be appropriate and sensitive to this. It’s one reason of many why many Chiropractors choose to take additional Masters level courses to become ‘Paediatric Chiropractors’ so they can deal more appropriately with these challenges. It is wise to seek out someone with such a qualification, or is a member of the Royal College of Chiropractors Paediatric Faculty.”

What we can offer at Connective Chiropractic

James Harrison explains “We made the decision not to see Children under the age of 5 at our clinic, but to refer out to Chiropractors with such greater training, where required. However we offer quite a lot of service and are insured to help to the pregnant mum and Children over the age of 5, both in terms of tailored Chiropractic, Massage and general wellbeing care. Please book in for an initial consultation via our website should you wish to find out more.”