Provided by Chiropractic Newsletter Discover Chiropractic, published by ICPA Inc.
The body is more intelligent than we can imagine, and this intelligence goes farther and deeper than we know. More and more mothers have recognized the value of the chiropractic lifestyle for their pregnancies and births and for the months and years that follow. With the specific care provided by ICPA doctors, many mothers are journeying into motherhood in a way that outperforms current standards and expectations.
The standard model of care in pregnancy and birth frames the situation as if it were a pathological disease to be treated. This frame of reference, however, cuts mothers off from the source of what allows birth to proceed best. There are normal, physiological processes intrinsic to birth—stages that must be respected and supported—that lead to safer outcomes. When birth is portrayed as inherently dangerous, pathological, or in need of immanent intervention, we undermine the birthing woman’s physiology, elevating our trust instead in drugs and external procedures. There are thousands of women who experience birth ecstatically, and many more who recall the event as one of the most inspiring, self-defining moments of their lives. Far from pathological, birth is one of the body’s most magnificent displays of intelligence that we may ever witness.
The ICPA Journey
The intricate nervous system is a network of communication throughout the body that facilitates normal, physiological function. For a mother and her developing baby, a lot depends on the presence of normal physiological function. The ICPA journey into motherhood begins with a choice to nurture the nervous system. A hands-on method of care that involves working with the nervous system through correcting spinal and pelvic imbalances gives a mother and her baby tremendous benefits leading up to birth. We now know how important pelvic balance is for the uterine environment and for the baby’s ability to move freely and transition at birth. The ICPA’s focus on the mother’s spine and pelvis and how this impacts the baby’s freedom to move throughout pregnancy, as well as a focus on improving the body’s physiological performance for birth makes chiropractic a truly holistic and powerful form of pre-natal care.
The ICPA journey continues for a mother after her birth with the focus now on caring for her newborn infant. Any birth can be stressful for a baby, and even traumatic depending on the circumstance. Clear signs of a stressful birth in a newborn include head tilting and difficulty rotating the neck, or more subtle indicators such as difficulty settling down, sleeping, or breastfeeding. Getting your baby checked by your chiropractor at this time is of immense value for your baby’s further development and well-being.
“Before beginning my journey, I made apromise to my child that I would be asprepared as I could be to have a safe,fulfilling birth and to care for him or herthe way I felt was best. I am so grateful tohave found my ICPA chiropractor who helped me achieve that end. What I learned from this journey goes beyond the joy of a healthy birth; I learned that there are moments in life that move us to be something more. I just hope all women get to know what that something is.”
–Melanie, PA, USA.