Right after you give birth, the last thing you may be thinking about is a visit to your chiropractor. And that’s OK. Give yourself some time to bond with your baby and to recover.
Giving birth is one of the most intense and difficult experiences women go through. Your hips just moved more than they ever have before! The rest of your body has worked really hard as you coped with contractions, lying in hospital beds, and pushing a baby out! Think of how tense your entire body was and how hard it worked throughout labor.
After I explain this to my practice members, most of them understand why it is so important to get adjusted as soon as possible after giving birth. We tend to focus so much on pregnancy and giving birth that we often don’t get as much care during that difficult and less discussed phase of post-partum. Let’s start with the facts:
1) Throughout your pregnancy, all of your ligaments slowly loosened up to accommodate your growing body.
2) Post-partum, those ligaments are tightening back up to help bring your body back together. Because ligaments do not get very much blood flow, this process can take up to 8 months!
3) You are doing all sorts of new, repetitive tasks: Constant breast feeding, carrying the baby, and lugging around a car seat, just to name a few!
Ligaments trying to tighten back into place, hunching all the time, carrying children are all stressors that can take a toll on your body. Many women experience upper back pain and neck pain while trying to adapt to the new life tasks at hand. Regular adjustments are extremely valuable during the post-partum recovery phase. The more aligned your body is during this time, the healthier you will be as your body recovers.
Also remember that chiropractic care can help boost the immune system, and you want that to be as strong as possible to keep the baby safe and healthy.
Always remember that at Pure Light Chiropractic, we encourage you to bring in your bundle of joy so both of you can get adjusted. Our practice members and staff are all baby-friendly. We can’t wait to see you soon!
Laine Morales DC
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