What to look for in chiropractic care?

[CookAMH]

I am curious how to gauge if the chiro care I am receiving is beneficial for positioning. I'm 25 weeks with #2, and have gone 4-5 times.  She adjusts me facedown on the table that lowers, both with her hands manually adjusting my back (and the table drops a bit when she pushes down to adjust), and with a little gadget that she said pinpoints adjustments better. It's more gentle, and she has me put one arm out, then back behind my back, lift my hip, and when I do that, she checks my feet then uses the gadget (like a handheld jackhammer in shape) on my lower back, mostly.

Then, I lay on another table that is slightly raise for my head and she uses the gadget on my pubic bone since I deal with SPD pain. It's gotten a little better, and the glute tightness and cramping I had for several weeks has been relieved quite a lot. Shs said after the first visit my pubic bone didn't hold, but after the second, one side did, then last time she didn't need to adjust it.

She said she has gone to women in the hospital but I would like to ask her what she'd do, how she could help with a posterior baby (my first was posterior, I was told).  She said she'd do webster later if it was needed.

I pay $50 cash as she's out of network and considered finding one in network starting in January. I would love for it to go toward my deductible since my deductible will definitely be met next year!

I received regular Webster adjustments last pregnancy, and we've since moved. I obviously don't know how baby is positioned right now and it doesn't matter anyway at 25 weeks.

Now to just get off the couch also for better positioning!! 

[ASusan]

She uses an activator. I have not received chiropractic care while pregnant, but for lower back pain/sciatic issues. I intially went to a "back cracking" chiro and that made things better, then worse. I had surgery, and then 2 years of significant pain. I started with an activator chiro 2.5 months ago. I am no longer in pain. (I thought it was going to be lifelong.) I am now going every 2 weeks (started with 3 times a week). I set DH up for an initial appointment later this week, as he has had back pain for 20 years.

You can try calc fluor (a cell salt) to help your back hold it's position after adjustment.

[Monkey Keeper]

My (amazing) Webster-trained chiro does all manual adjustments.  The activator was so, so painful on my pubic bone in the 3rd tri--I switched to her later.  But I think a chiro who does a variety of modalities is a good one.  And yay for finding someone to come into the hospital!  I think if I could have had an adjustment during labor, my labor would have been greatly shortened.  It was prolonged due to positioning issues.

BTW, I think that your pubic bone not holding is a very common thing in pregnancy.  The relaxin just loosens up your ligaments so much that nothing much holds for long!

[buckeyedoc]

I picked mine from the ICPA, and she adjusted me throughout pregnancy. It sounds like you are having some Webster-type manipulations (lying on your stomach and having sacroiliac joins manipulated while that little platform crashes down), but $50 would be a steep charge for my area (Ohio).

http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/