Pregnancy is an exciting and exhausting time in a woman’s life. The experience of growing a baby within her has a profound impact on a mother’s body and can cause discomfort during and well after the pregnancy. As you can well imagine, the birthing process causes quite a bit of trauma to the mother’s body and can affect the normal alignment of the body, which takes time to recover from. In today’s post, we will offer a few non-medical tips to maintaining a healthy pregnancy and delivery in hopes of offering a more comfortable experience and quicker recovery.
Keep Moving!
Based on cultural norms and perhaps a fear of harming the growing fetus, a majority of pregnant women take the chore of growing a baby as an excuse to take a hiatus from normal exercise and physical activity. Some women experience debilitating nausea and fatigue that can make it difficult to muster up the pre-pregnancy energy to engage in physical activity, but it is important to keep moving throughout the pregnancy. Perhaps you can skip your Zumba class for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood with the dogs, but the more you move, the more comfortable you’ll be in the later stages of pregnancy, the easier your labor will be, and the faster your recovery will be. Additionally, physical activity during pregnancy helps to promote the healthy growth of the baby and reduce the mother’s chances of suffering from gestational diabetes. And, it can actually help boost your mood and energy and reduce your chances of post-partum depression.
Eat Well and Hydrate
Nutrition during pregnancy seems to toggle between two extremes. Pregnancy hormones that cause nausea and affect your sense of smell can make it difficult to eat in the early stages of pregnancy. Then, many women experience cravings and a seemingly insatiable appetite later in the pregnancy. It is important for both mothers and babies to eat well and stay hydrated. Proper nutrition supports a healthy weight, hormone balance, and supports optimal fetal development.
Visit Your Chiropractor
Chiropractic care during pregnancy and the immediate postpartum stages can have profound positive effects for both the mother and the growing baby. Because of the size and weight of the baby pushing on internal structures and forcing the mother to modify posture and gait to properly balance, it can cause increased back curvature, pelvic changes, and posture alterations. All of these factors affect the alignment of the spine and nerves that are affected. By balancing the pelvis and aligning the spine, prenatal chiropractic care can help control nausea, reduce labor time, reduce pregnancy pains, and help prevent a cesarean section.
Dr. Perlstein at Family Chiropractic Center of Santa Fe today is here to help you with all of your chiropractic care needs. If you are pregnant or postpartum, schedule your evaluation for both you and your baby today.
