Chiropractic question *help please*

YES YES YES

Chiropractic is gentle, noninvasive, and can definitely help if the baby's position is due to spinal/pelvic misalignments or musculoligamentous issues.

These are some reasons why:
Anatomically, your uterus is suspended by ligaments and muscles that attach directly to your lumbar spine and your pelvis. If these bones are not mechanically where they should be, it can cause torsion on your uterus and the supporting structures.

The "technique" that you may have heard about is called Webster. It is a sacroiliac adjustment followed by direct myofascial work on the round ligament. It has a very high success rate.

Neurologically, the spine/pelvis houses your central nervous system, which controls every function of your body. Even your hormones cannot work properly without input to and from your brain via the spinal cord and nerves. This organ system is so incredibly important that it is the only one in your body COMPLETELY surrounded by bone. However, if you have subluxation in your spine (misalignment leading to nerve or cord pressure), messages cannot be perfectly transmitted through your body. Therefore your body cannot function at 100%.

In my professional experience and in that of my colleagues, properly performed adjustments including Webster, greatly improve or correct fetal position, result in a healthier pregnancy, and an easier birth and healthier child.

That being said, the sooner you are under regular care, the better (before pregnancy is ideal, getting children under care is best to help them grow up healthy and not have the problems we do as adults). Although it is the "norm" to be in pain during pregnancy, it is not normal. Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong, like any other symptom. Chiropractic addresses the underlying cause of symptoms.

So, although PP is right and at 30 weeks (I am also at that stage of pregnancy), your baby has plenty of time to turn on his/her own, abnormal fetal positioning is much easier to correct now rather than waiting until 38 weeks. You should also remember that sometimes babies are doing what's best to be in a breech position, such as a short cord that is implanted high, preventing the turn. Many breech babies are born vaginally today, and if this is the case, you should have trust in your baby and in your body.

Also, it is not too early to start doing proactive positioning and exercises to facilitate turning, including inversion if the cord is wrapped around, preventing the baby from turning. I prefer to encourage my patients to not using the ironing board trick. Instead, with supervision, get on your hands and knees at the top of a flight of stairs. Walk your hands down a few steps until you are inverted. Stay there for several minutes, and then walk yourself quickly back up and stand. This facilitates gravity helping swoosh the cord from around the baby. Internet sites like www.spinningbabies.com can offer some more suggestions.

Craniosacral therapy (which can be done by many different providers, including chiropractors, massage therapists, PTs, dentists) can also be very effectve; however, with the symptoms you are describing, get thee first to a chiropractor who utilizes these pregnancy-specific techniques. If your doc does not, you can go to http://www.icapediatrics.com/members-referral.php or www.icpa4kids.com to find a qualified doctor. Or PM me with your location and I can attempt to help you find someone, or I can try to answer any more questions you might have.

HTH,
Kristin

I'm going to place my vote for the value of chiropractic during pregnancy - I started going early on when I had a flare of of sciatica and have gone just about every week since - it makes SUCH a difference to how I am feeling. I can tell if I go more than a week between visits for sure.

I'm also chiming in with a question of my own - I'm 34 wks right now and baby is posterior (and has been as long as we've been able to tell baby's position). My chiro, who I love, does not know anything about Webster (which I believe is of value for all malpresentations - not just breech, is this correct?). Is the technique something that she can learn through reading or discussing it with another chiro - or do I need to seek out someone who is certified if I decide I want to try this to faciliate turning?

Jeanette

i just wanted to chime in and say hooray for chiropractic. my first birth was very straight forward and quick thanks to my dtr being in a good postion for birth. how she got that way i believe had to do with regular chiropractic treatment, prenatal yoga and exercise. this baby at 28 weeks seems to be in a good position too.

the funniest thing is i never really put it together until i saw my chiropractor this week and was worrying about the position of my baby. i thought last time i was just "lucky"!!! then suddenly it dawned on me that all that chiropractic stuff must have had an effect!! so i talked to the chiro and he agreed. made me relax a little about the positioning of this baby! i dont spend money on much these days but there is NO way i would give up my regular visits to the chiro.