Pediatrics and Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be one of the most stressful times on a woman’s body. During pregnancy women experience many changes that are both physically, chemically, and emotionally challenging. Due to these stressors, women often experience new or worsening pains and discomforts. Many of these issues respond well to gentle chiropractic care. Dr. Sutton works with women to get them as healthy as possible before and throughout the pregnancy. She also works with the mothers to help them heal up from labor, delivery, and the physical stress of being a mother.

Preparing for Pregnancy

It is never too early to start preparing for pregnancy

Most women do not know they are pregnant until weeks after conception, by which time vital organs, including the brain, heart, and central nervous system, may be formed. All organs, except the lungs, are present, functioning, and formed by the eighth week, which is when many women only start to make positive health changes. This is why it is very important for the mother-to-be to prepare for pregnancy well before trying to conceive.

Structural Alignment

Structural misalignments or injuries that were not properly corrected prior to pregnancy will often become worse after the pregnancy begins, due to the hormone relaxin being released. Relaxin allows the ligaments to loosen so that the pelvis can have extra space for delivering the baby, however, high levels of relaxin can cause structural instability and increase joint pain for the mother. Women need to have proper structural alignment before and throughout pregnancy to decrease discomfort during pregnancy, and aid in proper fetal position for birth, and an easier delivery.

Mothers who have a pelvis that is not properly aligned and balanced are more likely to have a breech baby position (upside down), which will increase their chances of having a C-section. Dr. Sutton is certified in Webster’s technique, which is a technique designed to balance the pelvis, and create the optimal pelvic position for fetal position, and easier labor.

Fortify Yourself Nutritionally

There are various individual nutritional needs for pregnant women. Dr. Sutton can help fine-tune and individualize a nutritional plan that will help keep the mother healthy, and therefore, keep the baby healthy. The mother and embryo will be using exponentially larger amounts of nutrition than normal. The mother’s body will sacrifice itself and go into deficiency for the child, however, this is dangerous and has lasting consequences for both. Dr. Sutton uses her extensive knowledge of genetic testing and laboratory analysis to her pregnant patients have a nutritional plan that will promote both the health of the mother and baby.

Read more about steps a mother can take before becoming pregnant.

Pregnancy

During the exciting time of being pregnant, the mother’s body will be changing very quickly to both nourish and support the baby, and make room for its rapid growth. Rapid weight gain is to be avoided, because of stress on the mother’s joints, especially in the lumbar, thoracic, and pelvic area. During this stage of pregnancy, it is very important to have strong muscular stability due to the increased relaxin-induced laxity of ligaments that would normally hold joints together.

Dr. Sutton has extra training in working with muscles to gently allow them to function better during this time. Chiropractic care throughout the pregnancy, in addition to Webster’s Technique, can help with proper positioning of the baby and help correct breech positioning.

It is also common for a mother-to-be to become deficient in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients due to the accelerated speed of growth of the child. This increased growth adds stress on the mother’s store of nutrients and also her ability to filter blood for both her and her developing baby. Dr. Sutton can help a mother make proper choices in her diet and lifestyle before, during, and after pregnancy to prevent and correct nutritional deficiencies as well as structural misalignments.

Labor and Birth

Chiropractic care can decrease birth trauma through providing proper spinal, pelvic, and sacral positioning. Having proper structural alignment can create space for a baby to move into the proper position, and thus decrease the chance of a mother having back-labor, needing an epidural, or needing a C-section. There are many benefits to having a vaginal delivery for both the mother and the child. There are times when C-sections are necessary, and they have been known to save the lives of many women and children. However, there are potential side effects that could be avoided through proper pelvic alignment.