Baby steps? Great steps!
We have a new saying around Pathway To Wellness offices: “Make America Pregnant Again!” It’s a fun little saying that was born out of our ability to help many, many women who were previously infertile achieve their dream of having a baby. Of everything we’re known for, this is one of the most satisfying.
Childbirth is a wonderful thing, but it will have inevitable effects on both the mother and child. There are physical, neurological, and hormonal traumas that can take place, setting a new mother up for post-partum depression and/or intense pain and a beautiful baby for a compromised immune system.
I’M NEW TO THIS PARENT THING! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
A Wellness Way chiropractic adjustment is one of the best things a mother can do for herself, and for her child- as soon as possible!
THREE REASONS MOM SHOULD BE ADJUSTED
1. An adjustment will reset the hormonal cascade and help her endocrine system, which has been out of whack for a while, renormalize and respond effectively.
A woman’s body changes during pregnancy in miraculous ways, all to accommodate the development of her baby. She has no menstrual cycle, which causes her estrogen and Progesterone levels to rise continuously for nine months. That’s a hardcore change from what her body usually does. When hormone levels shift that drastically there will be a neurological effect.
2. As the baby develops mom produces the hormone, relaxin. It creates ligament laxity in the hips and pelvis, which allows the baby to safely pass through the birth canal. Following childbirth, a woman’s body stops producing relaxin but her hips and pelvis will likely be out of alignment. An adjustment will stabilize the nervous system and normalize the signaling of hormones throughout her body. The cycle takes time to return (based on many factors), but it will ease the stress that takes place during that process. It can certainly lesson the severity and length of post-partum depression- and in some cases, prevent it altogether.
3. A vital part of the development of every baby’s immune system is breast feeding. The milk letdown required for healthy feeding happens postpartum when prolactin increases. The brain secretes Prolactin via the pituitary gland. That adjustment will make the communication along that information superhighway move smoothly and allow your body to respond effectively. This allows for easier, and more fulfilling, breast feeding, which results in a stronger immune system for the bambino and less colic and infections.[i]
THREE REASONS I SHOULD GET MY BABY ADJUSTED
Many chiropractors give babies adjustments, but Wellness Way doctors are trained to pay attention to the specific, hormonal markers that signal potential problems in a child’s development. They are aware of the intimate connection between the immune system and the nervous system and work to insure the nervous system and the skeletal system develop properly.[ii]
1. Childbirth is a traumatic experience, for the mother and the child. The baby, who has been growing and forming in the womb has flipped its position in the last few days and weeks and now he/she has fought its way through the birth canal and entered a world of light and sound. It’s a struggle and it puts a lot of stress on a newborn’s spine. An adjustment will free the child from the structural trauma that has occurred during the birthing process. It will also free the nervous system to be at peak potential.[iii]
2. An adjustment will also jump start the immune system, keeping that child from being susceptible to all manner of infant ailments like ear infections and colic. By allowing the immune system to develop early you are being proactive. Most parents will wait until sickness develops, not knowing that a simple adjustment will often prevent the sickness in the first place. To not do it could set them up for an inflammatory response down the road.[iv]
3. It feels good. We like to say it’s the best that baby has ever felt.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE?
The adjustment we are talking about is a light check for asymmetry in the spine. It’s what we call “Reflex Testing” and includes no impact. It involves sustained contact and is minimally invasive. Usually the baby sleeps through it.
WHEN SHOULD MOM AND BABY BE ADJUSTED?
We recommend that you have your newborn adjusted right away, the first day if you can. The sooner you correct the trauma caused by birth the sooner the child can begin a path away from inflammation. There will be plenty of opportunities for that later in their life- let’s get them off to a good start.
SET YOUR FAMILY UP FOR SUCCESS
New moms- a Wellness Way adjustment will ease your spine, hips and pelvis back to where it should be post baby-birth, as well as normalizing the hormonal signaling in your body. If you have any concerns about your hormones, or if you are having problems feeling “good” again, consider having your hormone levels checked- something Pathway To Wellness does every day and has a unique understanding of.
Don’t wait for your baby to get an ear infection or sleep issues to get him or her checked out. Cut those ailments off at the pass by getting them adjusted early. A happy baby makes a happy home. Have them adjusted by a Wellness Way chiropractor as early as possible.
You’ll be getting them off to a fantastic start.
[i] https://www.wcfamilychiro.com/post-partum-your-body-after-baby.html
[ii] https://icpa4kids.org/About-the-ICPA/why-chiropractic-for-children.html
[iii] Vallone SA. The Role of Subluxation and Chiropractic Care in Hypolactation. JCCP. 2007;8(1&2)
[iv] Jesper. et al. The Short Term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Trial with a Blinded Observer. JMPT. 1999;22;517-522