How do chiropractors adjust pregnant women?

There are so many benefits to getting adjusted by a chiropractor while pregnant, but what exactly do these adjustments look like? This is a question we get asked all the time!

How do we position pregnant women on the chiropractic table?

Here at Agape Family Chiropractic, we have many options to accommodate pregnant women during adjustments. Our pregnancy pillows can be placed under the torso and have a cut-out center, to help mom feel comfortable while laying face down. We have pregnancy pillows of different sizes to accommodate different stages of pregnancy. We also have a table with a swing-away piece in the middle, which allows the part of the table under the belly to swing down and away from mom to create more space for baby. For moms who are uncomfortable laying face down at all, we have other techniques available that allow us to adjust while sitting up.

What misalignments do we most commonly find in pregnant women?

For many pregnant women, we find that the sacrum (also known as the tailbone) can often get misaligned as baby grows and starts moving around. A growing belly can also cause changes in mom's gait, which can lead to sacrum misalignments as well. We find that using Webster's technique can be beneficial for many pregnant women, as this technique focuses on balancing the sacrum and round ligaments. The round ligaments support the uterus, and restrictions in the ligaments can pull on the uterus, leaving less room for baby to move around. We make sure to thoroughly check these areas on all of our pregnant patients.

What does it feel like to get adjusted while pregnant?

The hormone relaxin, which makes joints more mobile, is detectable as early as week 7 and is released throughout pregnancy. This means that it does not take much pressure at all to get the spine realigned with specific chiropractic adjustments! We have many techniques available to adjust our patients, including manual, drop-table, and instrument-assisted options. Dr. Kimball is also trained in a number of low-force chiropractic techniques such as Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT) and Logan Basic. We focus on providing adjustments that are both gentle and very specific to what the body needs to function optimally.

If you are pregnant and interested in learning more about how chiropractic can help during pregnancy, we are happy to chat with you and get you scheduled for a new patient exam!