I have just recently read an article from Empowher.com - Pregnancy and Chiropractic - It caught my attention first because it mentions one of my teachers - Dr. Lederman, a prenatal chiropractor. But it brings up a great topic that not many people know about. Like the article states - most women go through pain and discomfort thinking that is just a part of normal pregnancy - unaware that it doesn't have to be that way. In addition, several women, too many women, think of and have experienced a long, difficult and painful delivery. This too does not have to be, but it has so commonly become the norm, leading many to believe it is simply the traditional passage of child birth. Articles as this one and many others need to be shared to help educate and provide better options. The article makes the statement that "There are no contraindications for using chiropractics during a pregnancy." - but I feel it should have made a stronger stance in prenatal health and state that every pregnant women should not be without a chiropractor. It is a bold statement, but one I stand by - using some statements from this article and a few others, I will explain why prenatal chiropractic care is so vital.
1. Nausea control - Nausea is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy and often experienced by a majority of women during pregnancy, ranging from mild morning sickness to months of bed ridden sickness. Usually there is very little a medical doctor can do to provide relief. However, sometimes an adjustment can help with the symptoms. But even beyond the adjustment, prenatal specialized chiropractors are aware of natural ways to help. Taking some notes myself - I have recorded a few helpful tips. One is to make sure to eat first thing in the morning something light, usually a smoothie that is easy on the stomach. Often things with ginger or papaya can help. We've tried several things with our third child, my wife experiences terrible sickness, and the only thing that brought relief for her was natural papaya juice. It wasn't her favorite, but it just shows how uncomfortable nausea can be for several women and how much they will do to find relief.
2. The ability of laying on stomach - This is such a simple thing, but for a pregnant woman it is so relieving. Through special tables or pregnancy pillows, a woman in pregnancy can lay face down. These tables are used for the adjustment which is more comfortable for the woman, but just laying face down for several minutes can be just as therapeutic for a pregnant woman.
3. Reduce back, joint and neck pain - Whether you like it our not, your body is going to change during pregnancy. Weight gain, abdominal protrusion, and postural imbalance can bring about uncomfortable pain. With muscle tightness, ligament laxity, and the body's adaption to the extra weight, the lower back increases in it's curve creating jamming, irritation, and muscle soreness. These imbalances often result in neck tightness and pain. As much of a miracle the body can be during pregnancy - it often can allow for dysfunction in the body and joints. I know for my wife, on our third child (the third wasn't easy) she began to feel incredible hip pain. Within months of finding out she was pregnant - her ligaments had already adapted and prepared for pregnancy become relaxed and loose. Unfortunately this allowed for instability of the hip joints causing recurring pain. The question is - What would the medical field could have done? Nothing - there was nothing a medical doctor beyond pain killers could have done. But with chiropractic care, with adjustments of the hip and back, she was able to experience pregnancy with mild pain every once in a while. This is simply just an example of Dr. Lederman's statement on women being so uncomfortable in pregancy, stating it's “sad people think that’s how pregnancy has to be."
4. Reduces delivery time - The article states that women under chiropractic care experienced a 24% shorter delivery time on their first pregnancy than women who did not receive chiropractic care. Also a 39% shorter delivery time for women under chiropractic care for their second and third pregnancies. The key is to allow the process to occur natural is it was intended to be. Too often, women are not in perfect balance, are not in perfect position creating a more difficult and painful process. The epidural is given to help relieve the pain, but it relaxes the muscles in result - which is contradictory to what is needed to naturally push the baby, creating a more prolonged birth than what is necessary. A 24% and 39% shorter time - I'm sure every woman in pregnancy would enjoy that.
5. Prevents ceasarian deliveries - As great as how much the medical field has advanced, to create the ability of a medical emergency delivery, this is a prime example of the unnecessary medical intervention. It may be more my opinion, but with legalities and lawsuits these days - doctors don't take any chances. As great as it is to provide a medical delivery in a complication - it is my opinion that 90% of ceaserians are unnecessary. I've experienced one myself with my first child. Uneducated in things, I was just happy to hold my beautiful, healthy child. I don't really know if there was something that could have been done in that situation - but knowing what I know now - I wish I had that opportunity to find out. I have no complaints from that experience, but it is not a situation I would want to put my wife in again. There are thousands of delivery complications that occur. However, in my opinion, most of these complications are induced. The position a woman is put in to deliver a baby may be the most anatomically incorrect position. It is easy for the doctor, but it narrows the pelvic region and creates a narrowed, unnecessary path for the baby to come through. Often caesarians are done due to stress on the baby. A narrow pelvic region, pressure on a baby, and creating induced labor when the baby is not ready all can create stress - And if there is any abnormal position of the baby - the doctor is unlikely to proceed. Through chiropractic care - these complications are limited. The pelvic is balanced, creating an optimum pathway for the child. Allowing for the baby to proceed when ready reduces stress and complications. Being in balance provides necessary muscle contractions to bring a safe and uncomplicated delivery. And if a baby is mal positioned - chiropractic care can provide help, using a technique that provides optimal room in the uterus, allowing the baby to turn in the necessary position. According to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics - using the webster technique in chiropractic care - they had an 82% success rate at turning breeched babies. It's as simple as providing the necessary room to turn - 82% success - How is chiropractic care not utilized?
6. Allows for a more healthy, uncomplicated delivery - I think I have already covered the benefits of limited complications, but chiropractic provides great benefits to provide a healthy outcome. I had heard one time a mother say she was worried about how she was eating, eating out all the time, and so she asked her doctor in which her doctor replied - you don't need to change anything, your diet doesn't really matter. Seriously? I know that's just one bad moment, but I can only imagine the other ignorant statements that are made out of lack of knowledge - but yet these doctors are suppose to be our health care providers. My wife was told before that taking Vit. C only does so much and there's no need to take it, and also told that most multi-vitamins out there aren't great and she might as well just take flintstones. I'm not tearing down doctors - I am only showing that they just aren't taught the importance of true health. Unfortunately, they just don't know. But we need to be aware of that - Nutrition and exercise is so vital in pregnancy. With conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure that can so easily occur and create issues, we need to do better to make sure people are aware. Proper nutrition not only keeps the mother healthy and in good balance - but also provides the important nutrients for the growing baby. It is just in recent years that we have understood the importance of proper vitamins that play a key role in the development of a human child. It is important to find proper care, chiropractic or wherever, that will provide the necessary information to begin a healthy pregnancy from the start
7. Allows for a more healthy, well born baby - Again, proper nutrition plays a key role in the development of a healthy child. Folic acid is needed for nerve development. Vit. B12 is necessary for nerve function and blood cell count. Iron, Calcium, and several other minerals are essential along with Vit C, D, E and all the Vit. B's which are all recommended in a good prenatal multi-vitamin. Keeping balanced will also provide a healthy birth. Birth is traumatic - for the mother and for the baby. Stress and complications can occur if risks are not limited. Also understanding the nature of the mother-child natural bond plays a significant role. One thing I wish I had known and wish we had requested was for the new born child, before anything, to be placed skin on skin with the mother. That bond is necessary to be placed as soon as possible - creating a social-emotional healthy relationship of the mother with her new born child. There is no replacement for such thing.
I have tried to provide helpful information for whoever is willing to listen and take the time to read - which I hope you will look further into the option of a natural prenatal care. With all this information provided, I hope one can agree with me that any woman either pregnant or have any desire to one day be pregnant should not be without chiropractic care. How vital it is - not only for the mother - but for the expected child. I understand the tradition in this country - the medical system has set up convenient hospitals. However, the only convenience is for the doctors. They put you in an uncomfortable bed ridden position, poke and prod, monitor you only to make you think and worry if everything is okay, send in fifteen different people doing different things so you don't know what is going on - only to have the doctor realize he needs to be home for dinner and you aren't close to delivery so he orders for you to be induced to speed up the process creating distress to the baby finally resulting in a caesarian surgery neglecting your wishes of a natural, healthy birth. I know there are several care providers who truly care for the patient. I admire those nurses and doctors truly doing their job. But the system has failed. With all the technology and so called education - The United States lacks far behind. In 2011 - it is tied for 38th in Infant Mortality Rate recording 6 infant deaths per 1,000 births. Also, the United States finds itself 50th in the world on Maternal Mortality Rate recording 24 maternal deaths per 1,000 births recorded in 2008. These are just deaths, but we are seeing a growing population with child mental issues, neurological issues, and social-emotional health issues. I reiterate Lederman's words - It doesn't have to be that way! This is your birth, your child, your moment. You should have every right and choice to have your wishes of a healthy and natural childbirth. There are other options out there, either having a home birth or going to a birthing center. Either way, whether you choose a hospital birth for comfort of mind or to do a home birth - chiropractic care should be utilized - a part of every pregnancy
No comments:
Post a Comment