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Post-Pregnancy Chiropractor Visits: Is It a Good Idea?

If you’ve just had a baby, chances are you’re clamoring to get back to your old self.

You are also likely to be dealing with new pains and aches across your Body, especially in your back.

Holding your new bundle of joy and feeding them puts strain on your back in ways that you might not have experienced before.

You may need a chiropractic adjustment. Chiropractors are easy to find, you can simply search on Google. For instance, search “Houston chiropractor” and compare results there.

All of this post-pregnancy lifting can get to a stage where it feels unbearable and you need to seek professional assistance.

However, there are a whole host of things that you should and shouldn’t do during and after pregnancy.

How about visiting a chiropractor? Is it a good idea and is it safe to do so?

When Can You Visit a Chiropractor Safely?

Chiropractors can undoubtedly help in many different ways, both in terms of recovery and preventative care.

However, there is a right time and place for a visit. That time depends crucially on how you delivered your child.

Vaginal Delivery

If you delivered your child vaginally, then you could visit a chiropractor as soon as you feel ready to.

That means being able to leave the house comfortably and that you’re not recovering from a particularly complicated delivery.

Cesarean Section

If you’ve undergone a cesarean or C-section, also called a “Cesarean” section, and the procedure went well with no complications, then you’ll need to spend at least 4-6 weeks recovering.

It’ll take this much time for you to be able to confidently use your abdominal muscles again.

If your operation had complications, you’re still suffering from pain, or a doctor recommends a longer recovery, you’ll need to wait longer before seeing a chiropractor.

Why Visit a Chiropractor Post-Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, your body undergoes a huge amount of changes. Your pelvis completely realigns.

Your spine curve changes due to your center of gravity shift. Plus, your body has to cope with carrying substantially more weight.

Another thing that happens is that your body is flooded with relaxation. Relaxin (ironically named given the lack of relaxation in your life) is a hormone that floods your body.

It helps your ligaments to relax and allow the expansion of your body.

The side effect is that the ligaments are less able to help support your skeletal structure putting more stress on your spine.

Given all of these strains, a visit to the chiropractor can help greatly with a “realignment” of the pelvis and spinal adjustments.

A course of treatment could see your pain ease and the long-term health of your back improve.

Diastasis

Another benefit of visiting a chiropractor post-pregnancy is that they’ll help assess your body for diastasis.

Diastasis is a separation of the abdominal muscles following pregnancy. During pregnancy, these muscles need to separate to allow the growing baby some space to expand.

Most women find that their muscles naturally contract back after some time and eventually stitch back together again.

However, some women’s muscles don’t contract back enough and they’re left with a gap. This is known as diastasis.

Chiropractors can help you understand if you have the condition and can also help treat it if required.

Postnatal Depression

Even though postnatal depression is a mental condition, myriad factors contribute to it becoming a major issue. Sleep deprivation, dealing with a newborn, life stresses, and pain all contribute.

Chiropractors might not be able to help with many of those factors, but they can certainly assist with pain management.

Gentle easing, slight adjustments, and a welcoming pair of hands can work wonders, and may even help in the battle against depression.

Key Takeaways

There are a great number of benefits to visiting a chiropractor post-pregnancy. So, is it a good idea? It certainly seems to be!

Just make sure that you aren’t attempting too much too soon. Pregnancy and birth are the most intense physical activities that a human body can undertake.

Take it slow and recover steadily; when you’re ready, the chiropractor can help accelerate your return to normality.

How soon you can go to the chiropractor after delivery depends a lot on how you gave birth, but it will take longer after a C-section.

Chiropractors can help resolve both physical and mental strains you may be suffering.

Be ready to undertake multiple sessions; chiropractors may not be able to resolve all your issues in one session.

Post-Pregnancy Chiropractor Visits: Is It a Good Idea?
James Gross