How Childbirth Affects the Spine in Cape Coral

There is a big adjustment period after a new baby is born, both for the new mom and her entire family. Even the newborn is adjusting to life outside the womb by learning how to breathe, eat, and sleep without the warmth of mama’s body surrounding him or her. Dad has to learn how to care for a new baby and connect with it, all the while dealing with mom’s intense emotions that are brought on by postpartum hormones and sleep deprivation.

Every woman knows her body will change in some ways after the baby is born, and they know that their body will need time to heal and recover from nine months of being pregnant and from birthing their child. One thing a lot of moms don’t realize, however, is how much their spine is affected by childbirth. Additionally, most parents-to-be and veteran parents are unaware of how much the health of their baby’s spine is affected by the birthing process. Dr. Omar Clark and the team at Experience Health & Wellness Center are passionate about educating their community about the healing power of chiropractic in Cape Coral and how important it is for new moms and newborns to receive gentle, specific chiropractic adjustments.

Changes in Mom’s Spine in Cape Coral

During pregnancy, a woman’s spinal curve (the good curve that goes from back to front) shifts to account for a change in her center of gravity. Her tendons and ligaments are also loosened, particularly around her hips and uterus, to make room for the growing baby and to prepare her body for giving birth. Not only that, but the organs all get shifted around to account for space the baby is taking up. So once the baby is born, the mom’s body has a lot of changes to do to restore the normal structure of everything inside her. Even if the mom has an easy, natural, and peaceful delivery, her body has to put forth a great deal of effort to birth the baby, and she often experiences soreness and discomfort in many areas of her body for several days after delivery. Healing must take place for her body to get back to its normal state, and principled chiropractic care from Dr. Clark in Cape Coral, FL will help speed up and maximize healing.

Effects on Baby’s Spine

Studies have found that the large majority of newborns have at least one spinal subluxation or misalignment of the vertebrae. Due to how babies are delivered, there is often a great deal of forceful twisting and pulling on the head that results in these misalignments. If they aren’t corrected, subluxations can lead to a number of health concerns and problems in babies and kids. Some common infant issues that have been linked to subluxations include colic, sleep problems, and acid reflux. More severe problems related to the spine include spinal cord damage and brain stem injuries. Even when babies are delivered vaginally and with no instruments, they can still have trauma to their spine and should be checked after birth for subluxations. Especially if you give birth with more interventions, such as a C-section, vacuum extraction, or forceps delivery, you should have your newborn examined by a chiropractor because misalignments of the spine are more common with these types of deliveries.

The spine shifts and changes for pregnant mothers, and childbirth puts added pressure on the spine, often resulting in misalignments and pain. Babies also go through a very intense experience when they’re birthed, so it’s important for both moms and newborns to be under regular and consistent chiropractic care. Dr. Omar Clark of Experience Health & Wellness Center is a principled and neurologically-based chiropractor who is passionate about seeing the health of families in Cape Coral improve. Contact Dr. Clark and his team today to set up your consultation.

Sources

Spear, D., & Alcantara, J. “Resolution of Birth Trauma Sequelae Following Adjustment of Vertebral Subluxations in an Infant.” Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, & Family Health, 2016: 28-31. https://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/chiropractic-care-resolves-birth-trauma-sequelae.html.

Trevathan, W. “Primate Pelvic Anatomy and Implications for Birth.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Biological Sciences; 2015 Mar, 370 (1663). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4305166/#.