I have many mothers join my practice during pregnancy with the thought that it won’t be needed once baby arrives. I have several others who call for their first appointment shortly after birth begging for relief of new found aches and pains. It doesn’t take either mother long to understand just how valuable chiropractic care is for postpartum recovery and a healthy lifestyle.
I am not just talking about the week after having your new baby, which of course is highly needed, but also the months – and even years – after having children.
After giving birth, you may not consider one of your first outings should be to the chiropractor, but once you think about the journey you have accomplished, you may think again. That first visit after birth is wonderful for both mother and baby. Your baby has just experienced quite the ride – no matter how she/he entered this world. Your baby’s positioning within your uterus may or may not have been ideal, the birth process is strenuous, and the world can be a hard place to adjust to. Dr. Mandy is trained by the International Pediatric Chiropractic Association (ICPA) in taking care of babies and kids. We’ll save those details for another post.
Today, though, I want to talk about YOU… the mother.
As you may (or may not) have realized, your body has changed significantly throughout birth:
Ligaments have loosened
Bones have spread
Nerves have been pinched
Back Pain has persisted
Weight has shifted
Posture has changed
Balance is different
Hormonal tides have caused chronic complaints
After giving birth, some of these problems disappear while most linger and new ones arise. The body immediately begins working to tighten the ligaments and realign organs and bones, but it is a process. This can take months, even up to a year to completely occur. And while this is happening, you are altering your body by holding a baby, leaning to breastfeed and survive in a state of exhaustion. To put it mildly, your body is not in its peak performance state.
Seeing a chiropractor immediately after birth grants you the ability to jump start your body’s healing process. Chiropractic care ensures proper blood flow to these tightening ligaments, aligns the spine to allow proper communication within your nervous system (the way the brain and body communicate), and can alleviate aches, pains, and other symptoms. In fact, research has shown that with consistent chiropractic care, Moms have decreased rates of postpartum depression/anxiety and increased milk supply…hooray for breastfeeding!!!!
I also wanted to add that our office is hosting Boulder Birthfit Breath and Flow postpartum classes every Thursday in February from 5:30-6:30 pm. This starts next week, February 7 at 5:30 pm. Please click on the link below to register:
If you are planning to have more children, it is even more important to help heal your body properly. Future pregnancies deserve a strong foundation and healthy start!!!!