Pregnancy is an exciting, precious time in a woman's life, full of new experiences. Unfortunately, the baby's development brings about bodily changes that often wreak havoc on the back and joints, and end up causing pain. These issues also frequently cause issues during delivery, and increase the time it takes for the body to recover post-pregnancy.

  Expectant moms benefit from chiropractic care in a number of ways. Here are five key ways chiropractic care helps alleviate the toll pregnancy takes on a woman's body.

#1: Chiropractic keeps the spine in alignment.

  Pregnancy adds significant additional weight to a woman's body in a short amount of time. This change bears on the spine, frequently pulling it out of alignment.

  When this happens, the pain can be quite severe. Chiropractic care during pregnancy works to keep the spine in alignment and all supporting tendons working optimally, to be better prepared and able to adequately support the extra weight.

#2: Chiropractic reduces need for pain relievers.

  Most times, individuals experiencing moderate pain pop a couple of over the counter pain relievers and think nothing of it. However, pregnant women strive to avoid medications when possible.

  Chiropractic adjustments decrease the underlying issues that cause pain, so the patient relies less on medications. Experiencing less pain as well as eliminating the need for pain killers is a win-win situation for expectant mothers.

#3: Chiropractic strengthens and repairs joints.

  Pregnancy really beats up an expectant mothers joints. Chiropractic care for expectant mothers is a productive way to minimize the effect the large, protruding abdomen has on her hips, legs, and ankles.

  Treating the body as a whole, chiropractic treatment works to strengthen the body and promotes healing of injured or strained areas.

#4: Chiropractic helps achieve pelvic alignment.

  An aligned pelvis is critical to the birthing process, and increases the chances of being able to give birth naturally. According to the American Pregnancy Association,

  "When the pelvis is misaligned it may reduce the amount of room available for the developing baby. This restriction is called intrauterine constraint. A misaligned pelvis may also make it difficult for the baby to get into the best possible position for delivery. This can affect the mother's ability to have a natural, non-invasive birth."

  An experienced chiropractor can effectively align the pelvis before delivery, so the mother is able to deliver with little incident. 

#5: Chiropractic increases the body's ability to bounce back.

  Let's face it, every pregnant woman thinks "will I ever fit in the clingy red dress again?" The healthier and stronger a woman's body is before and during pregnancy, the easier it is to get back into shape once the baby is born. Eating right and safely exercising are effective ways to accomplish this. 

  Chiropractic care is also a valuable component to fitness. Expectant mothers who choose chiropractic enjoy better posture, less pain, and increased mobility, especially late in the third trimester.

  This allows them to maintain exercise routines and be active longer than those suffering from back pain and achy joints. After the delivery, it's easier to get back into a fitness routine, and into that red dress, if the new mother's joints, back, and hips are aligned and functioning properly.

  Chiropractic care can serve to reduce pain and increase the overall heath of expectant mothers, letting her relax and focus on the more pleasant aspects of pregnancy. Expecting women who commit to chiropractic care can look forward to a stronger body, the chances of a smoother delivery, and an easier recovery after the baby comes.

  As many mothers can attest, the muscle strains of pregnancy are very real and can become more than just a nuisance. The average weight gain of 25-35 pounds, combined with increased stress on your body by baby, can result is severe discomfort. During the pregnancy your body will release hormones to relax your ligaments. Without these, your babies head would never fit through your pelvis. But those hormones, along with your gorgeously swollen belly can leave you loose-limbed, swayed-back and unusually clumsy. All of this can put a significant amount of extra pressure on your spine.

Benefits of Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy
  According to recent studies, Chiropractic care may result in easier pregnancy including increased comfort during the third trimester and delivery, and reduced need for pain medications.  Other benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy include:

• A more comfortable pregnancy and delivery
• A 50% reduced need for analgesics (pain medication)
  
• A 24% - 39% faster than average labor time
• 84% of women report relief of back pain during pregnancy
• Significantly less likelihood of back labor (contractions and sharp pain felt in the lower back during labor)
• Significantly reduced utilization of epidurals, forceps, vacuum extraction, episiotomies, and Cesarean sections
• Reduced likelihood of postpartum depression

If you are interested in more information on the benefits of chiropractic during pregnancy, you can click here and visit the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association website.