Prenatal Chiropractic Care

Yesterday I walked into my office smiling like a fool! 

I have always had back problems, but for one reason or another I hadn't ever gone to a chiropractor. I could usually stretch and exercise and clear up the pain. Pregnancy has really limited that for me so I finally had to resort to getting help.

I told the Bestie's mom that I felt like I was preaching the 'gospel' of chiropractic care after my appointment yesterday.

As my pregnancy has progressed back pain has become "normal" for me. It's part of what got me into such a pickle with our ER visit - I didn't recognize that I had a kidney infection because I assumed my back pain was just normal. Did you know that back pain in pregnancy is not normal?!?

A few weeks ago my Midwife suggested seeing a chiropractor when I had some trouble sitting up from laying on the exam table (another problem I had dismissed as "normal"). Then when we met with Susan, our Doula she couldn't sing enough praises of seeing a chiropractor for prenatal care. I was still pretty skeptical, then a friend who has had three children recommended it so I finally agreed to look into it. 

A little about my back pain - I had the common pregnancy ailments of aches and pains that come with your body changing to accommodate the belly's growth. Unfortunately, I also had this "catch" in my lower back from before I was pregnant that was just made worse with my changing body. I couldn't go from a laying position directly to sitting, or sitting with my legs extended to standing without horrible pain. More than once in the last few months I have bawled my eyes out as John attempts to help me out of bed because I had "pinched" something in my back in that "catch".

Kara, my chiropractor practices in our OB/Gyn & midwife office. She specializes in Prenatal care and holds special certifications and training to care for pregnant women and women in postpartum recovery. She was so sweet to explain everything she was doing to me and point out things as we went through the exam. She totally put me at ease! 

Turns out the "catch" in my back is a misalignment from my pelvis. I would have never figured that out, but as she adjusted it I could feel what normal felt like again. The feeling of things moving back where the belong was amazing! We still have some work to do, but at the end of the adjustment I was able to sit up straight without assistance or that darn "catch" causing problems for the first time in I can't even remember how long!

She was able to adjust and correct problems I didn't even realize I had. I'm breathing better (but hadn't realized I wasn't breathing well), my posture is substantially better (to the point that others have commented on it!), the range of motion I have in my neck hasn't been there in years and we think we may have found the source of my chronic headaches from pre-pregnancy. 

I'm 32 weeks pregnant and this is quite probably the best I have felt the entire pregnancy!

I had really wondered if I could make it to term because I was just so very uncomfortable already.  I'm sure there will still be discomfort but one adjustment has done so much for my quality of life, it's amazing! 

My pregnancy advice for you? See a Chiropractor, from day 1! I won't go through another pregnancy without one!

UPDATE - a great article about my chiropractor and her practice can be found here.