I became a chiropractor because I loved its philosophy about bringing forth an innate potential within our body.  If Life is motion then without this motion our bodies aren't able to manifest life expression.  If there is any time in your life that you want to manifest your life expression it is when you have another human being growing in your belly!  I understand this notion of life expression is not the reason that individuals originally seek out the help of a chiropractor. It is usually physical discomfort or a sense of imbalance. 

Common discomforts during pregnancy include SI (sacro-iliac) joint complaints, low back pain, pubic bone discomfort or pulling through the round ligament.  Chiropractors believe that there are three reasons that our system becomes imbalanced or stressed; physical, chemical or emotional imbalances.  During pregnancy these three areas are continuously being stressed, from the biomechanical alterations from a growing baby, the hormone chemical fluctuations, to the emotional anticipation of being a new parent. 

During my own pregnancy I felt that chiropractic (among other good decisions) played a vital role in letting me feel good in my body and ultimately resulting in my ideal birth. Usually it is our own discomfort that provokes us to seek chiropractors but we must think about what is happening to our babies. Dunn, a medical doctor reviewed cases of breech babies and found the following occurrences; 42% developed postural scoliosis, 20-25% torticollis (wry neck), and 50% experienced hip dislocation.   His research shows that even after experiencing disruptions in our own physical body during pregnancy, the womb creates our baby's first environment in which they develop.  If the environment is imbalanced then our babies grow from having this as their baseline. 

I have heard parents say. "my baby is perfect, they don't need to be adjusted".  They are born perfect little beings that inhabit an imperfect world.  We are surrounded by those, physical, chemical and emotional stressors, even as a baby.  The actual birth process can be a traumatic experience.  Birth trauma can occur if forceps or vacuum extraction was used during the birthing process.   These techniques are considered long lever techniques and can traction a newborn's cervical spine out of a neutral position and compromise the spinal cord and other neurological components that may cause damage.  A study by Dr. Gutmann looked at 1000 infants with birth trauma that as a result were emitting signs of colic, restlessness, fever of unknown origin, seizures and postural scoliosis.  All showed improvements after having a series of chiropractic adjustments. 

I understand the idea of adjusting a baby or child is foreign to many people. But, the most important thing to note is adjustments for babies or children are not the same as they are for adults.  The amount of force in an adjustment matches the resistance in a body's system.  Because a baby's bones and ligaments are smaller and more malleable, the amount of force to shift these components is very light, usually the amount of force you could push into your eyeball comfortably. 

In my chiropractic office, the conditions that we most commonly treat are discomfort from earaches, colic, indigestion, asthma and parents that bring in their children after falls (we know how often that happens!).  I am always amazed when treating children and babies to be in the presence of their highly efficient systems. They respond quickly to care which presents as a profound experience for the child and more often the parents!

I think the main concern of those who seek out chiropractors, especially pregnant women, is safety.  I suggest that they seek out chiropractors who have been trained specifically for treating pregnant women and children by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).  Their knowledge and interest is geared toward common problems during pregnancy and they have acquired lighter force styles to counter pregnancy related issues. Those who are trained by ICPA are also certified in the Webster Technique.  This technique is designed specifically to reduce interference to the nervous system by improving the function of the pelvic muscles and ligaments.  This leads to the reduction in constraint of a woman's uterus allowing their baby the best opportunity to be positioned for a healthy birth.  Women with breech babies are known to seek the services of chiropractors who are trained in this technique in order to create this optimum space for the baby to turn. It is important to note that chiropractors do not turn babies; they just create the optimum environment for them to turn on their own. 

I go to work everyday in awe of a body that has the capability to produce another human being.  This is a testament to the resilience of the human body.  It is my goal as a chiropractor and a doula to provide pregnant women with guidance to be more intuitive with their bodies and ultimately create a sense of empowerment during their pregnancy.

Adrienne McRuvie can be reached at 416-803-9333 or found at Oma Chiropractic at Queen and Broadview (416) 469-0369