The Miracle Of Chiropractic In Pregnancy And Postpartum

When Donna came in pregnant with her eighth child to our center, Ama Mama Holistic Healthcare, her chief complaint was fatigue! Having kids from ages ranging from 18 down to 2 years old, she was tired, and nursing almost continuously that entire time, posture and alignment were definitely an issue. Dr. Lara was up for the challenge.

Receiving chiropractic adjustments throughout her pregnancy, Donna would comment, and then exclaim, that this was the most comfortable pregnancy of all. She was surprised even though she had had chiropractic care before, but not during pregnancy. Donna continued coming to see Dr. Lara throughout the nine months… despite having to drive 25 miles to the office… despite having 7 children… despite doing in-home daycare! She simply felt it was that important. The day before Donna’s birth, she was again in the office, raving about the difference in her life her time with Dr. Lara had made.

After a wonderful, easy home waterbirth, Donna returned to see Dr. Lara when her son was 11 days old and he, too, had an adjustment; the first of many if Donna has anything to say about it! A surprise was when she was able to lie on her back without pain for the first time in years.

Pamela came to Ama Mama’s mother support group after having an uneventful, but not-asexpected birth in the hospital. Her beautiful daughter could not be soothed and mom was frantically tired and had run out of ideas about what to do. The moms in the group, the midwives at the office, and the rest of the world offered ideas that did not fit this nearly unconsolable child. From swaddling to shooshing (Happiest Baby on the Block) to yoga and massage, nothing was working. Plus, this little girl arched her body as if she were a gymnast doing a backbend. In over twenty years of birth and midwifery, I had never seen a baby so stiff and tight. At first, she was reassured that not being cuddly was normal, until a group of us watched and saw that the arching this child was doing was not normal at all. The pediatrician wanted to give her medications for soothing, for gas, for reflux, but mom was hesitant (and rightly so!). She asked about chiropractic and several moms in the group gave a resounding “yes!”

Dr. Lara began meeting Pamela and her daughter when the baby was 3 months old. As Dr. Lara began the first adjustment, the baby screamed in pain, was so tense she could barely be moved, and the baby would not (could not) relax at all. Dr. Lara said it was actually scary how the baby was reacting, but it was apparent by the tightness of her spine just how much help she was going to need. Pamela brought her daughter in four times a week for the first month and, very gradually, improvement was seen.

This baby girl was also constipated early on despite being completely breastfed and after her first adjustment, began having regular bowel movements. It was at least three weeks before distinct changes were able to be seen by anyone other than mom. Pamela noted that even after the first couple of adjustments, the baby had less arching and it was easier to move her and cuddle with her (a very important point for moms). Mom also said that the baby was more content… not screaming as much as she had been; something incredibly important to the mother-baby relationship and its sustenance.

Four weeks after beginning chiropractic care and continuing to this day several months later, this baby is a completely different child. She is happy, calm, flexible, cuddly, sleeps as well as babies should (sleeps better after adjustments), and has found a place of peace in her family. This case, Dr. Lara acknowledges, may seem extreme, but the beauty of the telling is the hope for other families in similar situations.

For moms and babies, the possibilities are endless with proper chiropractic care.