Chiropractic Care and Pregnancy
I am in my third trimester and I thought this would be a good time to talk about the importance of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. Most of you know already but it’s so so so important to make sure your body is working right all the time, but especially important when you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.
What we cannot see are the millions of different hormonal changes and chemical reactions occurring both in the mother and the developing baby, all of which are controlled and coordinated through the nervous system. Now more than ever, during pregnancy you need a nervous system that responds immediately and accurately to changing requirements in all parts of your body, and therefore you need a healthy spine!A person’s spine is made of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae, plus the sacrum (tailbone), pelvis, and skull. From the brain, nerve impulses travel down the spinal cord, branch out into nerves, and exit between the vertebrae. When the vertebrae become misaligned or unable to move properly, a condition called vertebral subluxation, it irritates and interferes with the nerves. The message from the brain is slowed down and the life-energy carried by the nerve is unable to reach the organs and tissues at full potential. A doctor of chiropractic aligns the vertebrae and pelvis through gentle adjustments to the spine, relieving the pressure on the nerves and allowing the full nerve energy to reach the tissues it serves.
Chiropractic care prior to conception promotes a more regular menstrual cycle and optimal uterine function. It prepares the body to be strong, supple, and as balanced as possible to carry the pregnancy. Restoring proper nerve supply to reproductive organs has helped many couples who thought they were infertile. Adjusting women throughout pregnancy is oneof the most rewarding parts of our work, because a healthier pregnancy means an easier labor and delivery, and a better transition for the baby into this life. It is a time to get your body ready! This is when you should really focus on healthy lifestyle habits — drinking enough water, eating nutritious food, take prenatal vitamins, exercise, stress relief strategies and getting enough sleep. It is good to have these habits before becoming pregnant so you don't have to make any big changes.
**Prenatal vitamins — It is important to be taking a good prenatal vitamin. You should take these 3 months before you conceive. Three months is the amount of time it takes for your cells to regenerate/rebuild. Health and healing starts at the cellular level. We need these vitamins during the first few weeks of pregnancy and this is usually before you know you are pregnant. There are a million choices out there so make sure to ask if you are not sure.
First Trimester: [Conception - 12 weeks] Hormonal changes will affect every organ in the body. Your uterus begins to support the growth of the placenta and the fetus and your body adds to its blood supply to carry oxygen and nutrients to the developing baby. These changes accompany many of the pregnancy symptoms, such as fatigue, morning sickness, headaches, and constipation. Proper nerve supply to these organs helps them adapt better to the stress of these changes and promotes a healthier first trimester. These hormonal and structural changes can lead to spinal and pelvic misalignment and the consequent lower back pain many women experience during pregnancy. Lower back pain, in and of itself, is a burden to a woman’s daily function and quality of life. However, the misalignment of the spine and pelvis have a far more crucial consequence. During pregnancy, when a mother’s body systems are basically functioning for two, any interference to the nerve transmission supporting their function can be detrimental to her health and well-being. Reducing this nerve system stress with chiropractic adjustments is a key ingredient for normal bodily function.
Second Trimester: [13 weeks - 28 weeks] This is the time period where you are drastically changing physically and structurally. As you gain weight, especially in the abdomen, this exerts a downward, forward pull on the lower spine. This extra weight combined with changes in your gait and center of gravity can set the stage for structural compensations which lead to many secondary conditions, the most common being back pain. Additionally, as laborapproaches, your body secretes a hormone called relaxin, which loosens ligaments. Thismay exaggerate the effects of an existing spinal or pelvis problem. The positioning of the baby and its movement as well as expansion of the lower part of the ribcage to accommodate your growing baby can also cause discomfort in the ribs and upper portion of the lower back. Additionally, your increasing breast size in preparation for lactation can create upper back subluxations.The mother’s pelvis has various key ligaments attached that support her uterus. As the baby grows, their role becomes increasingly important. If her pelvis is in biomechanical balance during pregnancy, the uterus will be supported symmetrically. This allows greater comfort for the mother and potentially optimal room for the baby's development. Structural abnormalities in the woman's pelvis may contribute to conditions like torticollis in the baby, with excessive stress to the baby’s developing neuro-muscular system. This is turn may impair his developing nervous system and adversely affect virtually any of his body’s systems and functions.**A lot of people get worried about stretch marks. Get a lot of vitamin C in your diet to help your skin be more elastic. You don't have to buy all the “creams and lotions” to prevent stretch marks.
Third Trimester: [29 weeks - 40 weeks] The structural and physical changes continue in this phase. The baby will, at some point, turn into a head down position getting ready for birth. It is hypothesized that pelvic misalignments in the mother may affect optimal fetal positioning at the time of birth. The optimal position for birth is anterior vertex (rear-facing, head down). When a baby presents breech or posterior, it may be the result of an imbalance in the mother’s pelvis, forcing the baby to assume a compromised position. Baby malposition will result in a lengthier, less comfortable and more complicated birth. If mother’s biomechanics are compromised, obstetric interventions are more likely to be recommended and implemented. Each and every intervention has significant side effects for both mother and baby. Chiropractic adjustments of the pelvis during pregnancy allow for proper biomechanics which allows more room for the baby.
Due dates: It is important to remember that only 2% of women deliver on their due date. The average length of pregnancy is 280 days, or 40 weeks from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period.Your due date is really an estimated date of delivery. The baby will decide when its time!
Birth: One important organ in this process is the uterus. The uterus is controlled by sympathetic nerves which make it contract and parasympathetic nerves which make it relax. Muscles have to be relaxed during birth to allow the womb to pass through. Chiropractic care focuses on making sure the nervous system supply to the uterus is working properly so its able to do its job. Body position during delivery is also critical. Any late second stage labor position that denies postural sacral rotation denies the mother and the baby critical pelvic outlet diameter and moves the tip of the sacrum up to four centimeters into the pelvic outlet. In other words, the popular semi-recumbent position that places the laboring woman on her back onto the apex of the sacrum closes off the vital space needed for the baby to get through the pelvic outlet. This delivery position is the main reason why so many births are traumatic, labor is stalled, the mom becomes fatigued and overwhelmed by pain, so the utilization of epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, vacuum extraction, and caesarean increases. This is why squatting is the preferred position—gravity works to help and the pelvic outlet can open to a greater degree. Squatting during delivery results in decreased use of forceps and a shorter second stage of labor than the semi-recumbent position!
After Birth: Birth is very stressful to both the mother and the baby. It is good for the mother to get checked to help the body get back to its normal and allow it to heal more efficiently. Babies can get checked as soon as minutes after they are born to make sure their nervous system is free of any interference. This is the most fragile time for them as their nervous system is developing at a rapid rate and it is important to catch anything abnormal as early as we can to get it corrected.
Benefits of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy:
~ Dr. Stacey Rosenberg
~ Dr. Casey Paluch
Butternut Squash Lasagna Ingredients
• 4 cups (about 1½ lb/750 g) peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 bunch (about 8 large leaves) kale (I am a bigger fan of spinach so that is what I added.)
• 15 oz (470 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, plus 2 tablespoons
• ½ cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• ½ lb (250 g) lasagna noodles
• 1 can (14½ oz/455 g) diced tomatoes, drained (fresh is better!)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Pile the squash on the prepared pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread the squash out in a single layer. Tear the sage leaves in half and scatter on top. Roast in the oven until fork-tender, about 25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Let the squash cool slightly, and then carefully transfer to a food processor and process to a smooth puree (or, using a potato masher, smash it on the pan or in a bowl until smooth). Set aside.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place nearby.
While the water is heating, rinse the kale and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry. Remove and discard any tough stems and cut the leaves into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. In a large frying pan, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, just until the kale begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. (Spinach — Cut into smaller pieces and add to dish.)
In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, the 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup (1 oz/30 g) of the pecorino Romano, and the egg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water a few at a time, stir once or twice to prevent sticking, and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. As each batch is finished, using tongs, transfer the noodles to the oiled baking sheet and lay flat.
Coat the bottom and sides of a 2-qt (2-l) baking dish with cooking spray. Spread one-third of the squash puree over the bottom of the dish and top with a single layer of noodles. Top the noodles with half each of the ricotta mixture, the remaining squash puree, the tomatoes, and the kale. Top again with a layer of noodles and then repeat the process with the remaining ricotta mixture, squash puree, and kale (reserve the tomatoes). Place one final layer of noodles on top, scatter the remaining tomatoes over all, and finish with the 2 tablespoons mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup pecorino Romano.
Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned and the juices are bubbly, about 10 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares two smaller lasagnas.
The lasagna will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
Makes 6 servings
I am in my third trimester and I thought this would be a good time to talk about the importance of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy. Most of you know already but it’s so so so important to make sure your body is working right all the time, but especially important when you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant.
What we cannot see are the millions of different hormonal changes and chemical reactions occurring both in the mother and the developing baby, all of which are controlled and coordinated through the nervous system. Now more than ever, during pregnancy you need a nervous system that responds immediately and accurately to changing requirements in all parts of your body, and therefore you need a healthy spine!A person’s spine is made of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae, plus the sacrum (tailbone), pelvis, and skull. From the brain, nerve impulses travel down the spinal cord, branch out into nerves, and exit between the vertebrae. When the vertebrae become misaligned or unable to move properly, a condition called vertebral subluxation, it irritates and interferes with the nerves. The message from the brain is slowed down and the life-energy carried by the nerve is unable to reach the organs and tissues at full potential. A doctor of chiropractic aligns the vertebrae and pelvis through gentle adjustments to the spine, relieving the pressure on the nerves and allowing the full nerve energy to reach the tissues it serves.
Chiropractic care prior to conception promotes a more regular menstrual cycle and optimal uterine function. It prepares the body to be strong, supple, and as balanced as possible to carry the pregnancy. Restoring proper nerve supply to reproductive organs has helped many couples who thought they were infertile. Adjusting women throughout pregnancy is oneof the most rewarding parts of our work, because a healthier pregnancy means an easier labor and delivery, and a better transition for the baby into this life. It is a time to get your body ready! This is when you should really focus on healthy lifestyle habits — drinking enough water, eating nutritious food, take prenatal vitamins, exercise, stress relief strategies and getting enough sleep. It is good to have these habits before becoming pregnant so you don't have to make any big changes.
**Prenatal vitamins — It is important to be taking a good prenatal vitamin. You should take these 3 months before you conceive. Three months is the amount of time it takes for your cells to regenerate/rebuild. Health and healing starts at the cellular level. We need these vitamins during the first few weeks of pregnancy and this is usually before you know you are pregnant. There are a million choices out there so make sure to ask if you are not sure.
First Trimester: [Conception - 12 weeks] Hormonal changes will affect every organ in the body. Your uterus begins to support the growth of the placenta and the fetus and your body adds to its blood supply to carry oxygen and nutrients to the developing baby. These changes accompany many of the pregnancy symptoms, such as fatigue, morning sickness, headaches, and constipation. Proper nerve supply to these organs helps them adapt better to the stress of these changes and promotes a healthier first trimester. These hormonal and structural changes can lead to spinal and pelvic misalignment and the consequent lower back pain many women experience during pregnancy. Lower back pain, in and of itself, is a burden to a woman’s daily function and quality of life. However, the misalignment of the spine and pelvis have a far more crucial consequence. During pregnancy, when a mother’s body systems are basically functioning for two, any interference to the nerve transmission supporting their function can be detrimental to her health and well-being. Reducing this nerve system stress with chiropractic adjustments is a key ingredient for normal bodily function.
Second Trimester: [13 weeks - 28 weeks] This is the time period where you are drastically changing physically and structurally. As you gain weight, especially in the abdomen, this exerts a downward, forward pull on the lower spine. This extra weight combined with changes in your gait and center of gravity can set the stage for structural compensations which lead to many secondary conditions, the most common being back pain. Additionally, as laborapproaches, your body secretes a hormone called relaxin, which loosens ligaments. Thismay exaggerate the effects of an existing spinal or pelvis problem. The positioning of the baby and its movement as well as expansion of the lower part of the ribcage to accommodate your growing baby can also cause discomfort in the ribs and upper portion of the lower back. Additionally, your increasing breast size in preparation for lactation can create upper back subluxations.The mother’s pelvis has various key ligaments attached that support her uterus. As the baby grows, their role becomes increasingly important. If her pelvis is in biomechanical balance during pregnancy, the uterus will be supported symmetrically. This allows greater comfort for the mother and potentially optimal room for the baby's development. Structural abnormalities in the woman's pelvis may contribute to conditions like torticollis in the baby, with excessive stress to the baby’s developing neuro-muscular system. This is turn may impair his developing nervous system and adversely affect virtually any of his body’s systems and functions.**A lot of people get worried about stretch marks. Get a lot of vitamin C in your diet to help your skin be more elastic. You don't have to buy all the “creams and lotions” to prevent stretch marks.
Third Trimester: [29 weeks - 40 weeks] The structural and physical changes continue in this phase. The baby will, at some point, turn into a head down position getting ready for birth. It is hypothesized that pelvic misalignments in the mother may affect optimal fetal positioning at the time of birth. The optimal position for birth is anterior vertex (rear-facing, head down). When a baby presents breech or posterior, it may be the result of an imbalance in the mother’s pelvis, forcing the baby to assume a compromised position. Baby malposition will result in a lengthier, less comfortable and more complicated birth. If mother’s biomechanics are compromised, obstetric interventions are more likely to be recommended and implemented. Each and every intervention has significant side effects for both mother and baby. Chiropractic adjustments of the pelvis during pregnancy allow for proper biomechanics which allows more room for the baby.
Due dates: It is important to remember that only 2% of women deliver on their due date. The average length of pregnancy is 280 days, or 40 weeks from the first day of a woman's last menstrual period.Your due date is really an estimated date of delivery. The baby will decide when its time!
Birth: One important organ in this process is the uterus. The uterus is controlled by sympathetic nerves which make it contract and parasympathetic nerves which make it relax. Muscles have to be relaxed during birth to allow the womb to pass through. Chiropractic care focuses on making sure the nervous system supply to the uterus is working properly so its able to do its job. Body position during delivery is also critical. Any late second stage labor position that denies postural sacral rotation denies the mother and the baby critical pelvic outlet diameter and moves the tip of the sacrum up to four centimeters into the pelvic outlet. In other words, the popular semi-recumbent position that places the laboring woman on her back onto the apex of the sacrum closes off the vital space needed for the baby to get through the pelvic outlet. This delivery position is the main reason why so many births are traumatic, labor is stalled, the mom becomes fatigued and overwhelmed by pain, so the utilization of epidurals, forceps, episiotomies, vacuum extraction, and caesarean increases. This is why squatting is the preferred position—gravity works to help and the pelvic outlet can open to a greater degree. Squatting during delivery results in decreased use of forceps and a shorter second stage of labor than the semi-recumbent position!
After Birth: Birth is very stressful to both the mother and the baby. It is good for the mother to get checked to help the body get back to its normal and allow it to heal more efficiently. Babies can get checked as soon as minutes after they are born to make sure their nervous system is free of any interference. This is the most fragile time for them as their nervous system is developing at a rapid rate and it is important to catch anything abnormal as early as we can to get it corrected.
Benefits of Chiropractic care throughout pregnancy:
- Reduced need for analgesics by 50%(pain medication)
- 24% reduction in labor times for the first birth and 39% reduction for the second or third time
- 84% relief of back pain during pregnancy
- Breastfeeding is more comfortable (posture) as well as produce more milk
- Reduce likelihood of postpartum depression
~ Dr. Stacey Rosenberg
~ Dr. Casey Paluch
Butternut Squash Lasagna Ingredients • 4 cups (about 1½ lb/750 g) peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 fresh sage leaves
• 1 bunch (about 8 large leaves) kale (I am a bigger fan of spinach so that is what I added.)
• 15 oz (470 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup (4 oz/125 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, plus 2 tablespoons
• ½ cup (2 oz/60 g) grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• ½ lb (250 g) lasagna noodles
• 1 can (14½ oz/455 g) diced tomatoes, drained (fresh is better!)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Pile the squash on the prepared pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread the squash out in a single layer. Tear the sage leaves in half and scatter on top. Roast in the oven until fork-tender, about 25 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. Let the squash cool slightly, and then carefully transfer to a food processor and process to a smooth puree (or, using a potato masher, smash it on the pan or in a bowl until smooth). Set aside.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place nearby.
While the water is heating, rinse the kale and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry. Remove and discard any tough stems and cut the leaves into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces. In a large frying pan, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, just until the kale begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. (Spinach — Cut into smaller pieces and add to dish.)
In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, the 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup (1 oz/30 g) of the pecorino Romano, and the egg. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water a few at a time, stir once or twice to prevent sticking, and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. As each batch is finished, using tongs, transfer the noodles to the oiled baking sheet and lay flat.
Coat the bottom and sides of a 2-qt (2-l) baking dish with cooking spray. Spread one-third of the squash puree over the bottom of the dish and top with a single layer of noodles. Top the noodles with half each of the ricotta mixture, the remaining squash puree, the tomatoes, and the kale. Top again with a layer of noodles and then repeat the process with the remaining ricotta mixture, squash puree, and kale (reserve the tomatoes). Place one final layer of noodles on top, scatter the remaining tomatoes over all, and finish with the 2 tablespoons mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup pecorino Romano.
Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned and the juices are bubbly, about 10 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares two smaller lasagnas.
The lasagna will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer.
Makes 6 servings
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