During pregnancy, your body undergoes a rapid transformation due to an increase in hormones, weight gain, and postural adaptations, which can lead to an imbalance of your sacrum and pelvis. When the pelvis and sacrum are correctly aligned, it can help decrease dystocia (difficult birth), which can be hard on mom and baby. This is a good reason to see a chiropractor, and midwives often recommend that mothers have adjustments at some point during pregnancy, or even during labor.
Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy?
Yes. As your pregnancy progresses, some chiropractic techniques will need to be modified for your comfort. Your chiropractor is aware of this and will make the necessary changes. This should include special pregnancy pillows that will accommodate your growing belly and will begin to use a technique specifically for pregnant women called the Webster technique.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy and After
Research has shown that chiropractic care can support women in whatever birth they decide to have. Studies have shown the following:
Maintain a healthier pregnancy
Help control symptoms of nausea
Reduce the time of labor and delivery
Reduce the usage of pain medication
Relieve back, neck or joint pain
Decrease the risk of a potential cesarean delivery
Decrease the risk of a difficult birth that can be hard on mom and baby
Help to restore balance & function post-pregnancy
The Webster Technique
A specific chiropractic technique, called the Webster technique, can help your baby into an optimal position for birth and may even turn a breech baby to head down. This technique is often used in conjunction with the techniques of Spinning Babies®.
When to Contact a Chiropractor
It’s never too early to see a chiropractor. Most women find it beneficial to start care before getting pregnant to prepare their body for birth. I encouraged my clients to start care with a chiropractor by at least the third trimester.
Mayo Clinic, Chiropractic Adjustment. November 2020.
Medline Plus, Your Baby in the Birth Canal. May 2021.
National Institutes of Health, Adverse Events From Spinal Manipulation in the Pregnant and Postpartum Periods: A Critical Review of the Literature. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, March 2012.
National Institutes of Health, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Chiropractic: In Depth. April 2019.
National Institutes of Health, Pregnancy and Chiropractic: A Narrative Review of the Literature. J Chirop Med, Spring 2007.
National Institutes of Health, The National Library of Medicine, The Effectiveness of Complementary Manual Therapies for Pregnancy-Related Back and Pelvic Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Medicine Baltimore, September 2016.
Society for Endocrinology, Relaxin. March 2018.
