Pregnancy is a joyous time, but it can also carry a lot of stress. William’s Obstetrics categorizes the three main causes of dystocia, or failure to progress, as Power, Passage and Passenger. Watch the video to find out how Chiropractic can help with each of these. Or read below for more information.
Failure to progress is often a result of medical intervention, and of not allowing the body to do what it knows how to do. The woman’s body knows exactly how to birth a baby, and often times, we get in the way when we try to help. Chiropractic works to get what’s in the way, out of the way, and allow natural childbirth to occur.
Power
Birth is a dance between the contractions of the uterus and the dilation of the cervix. The mother can assist with those contractions and help to deliver her baby, but only if she can feel it, and only if the nerves that provide information to those organs are fully functioning.
The Chiropractic adjustment works to restore function to the nerves which allows the body to contract in a fully coordinated way. That makes labor more efficient, and faster. When the uterus is working better, labor and delivery happen more smoothly.
Passage
Passage refers to the pelvis of the mother, the passage that the baby must travel through in order to be born.
The techniques used by the Chiropractor specifically work with the pelvis to align it, and create the optimal space for the baby to be born. This includes not only the bony structures of the pelvis, but the muscles that frame the inside of the pelvis.
So, getting adjusted helps with both power and passage, two of the three causes of dystocia.
Passenger
The third cause of dystocia is referred to as passenger, which is the baby itself. So how can chiropractic work with the baby?
When the mother gets adjusted, this allows the uterus to achieve its optimal shape within the pelvis. If the baby is not in the optimal position, it is often because of constrictions in the uterus and the pelvis. Once the mother is adjusted and the pelvis aligned, the baby can assume the most optimal position for delivery. This will ease the third cause of dystocia.
Summary
So if you know someone who’s pregnant, make sure they are getting Chiropractic care. It can really help with their labor and delivery. Check out the ICPA website for more information on a chiropractor specially trained to help. My wife and I are here to help in Tacoma, but we know not all of you live here.