Power, Passage & Passenger

These are the 3 “P’s” that we are addressing with prenatal chiropractic care.

The #1 cause of a difficult birth and unplanned C-section is “failure to progress” or “ineffective labor”. This can be due to baby malpositioning, decrease in baby’s heart rate, failure of the uterus and cervix to contract and expand normally or a variety of other reasons. While a C section can be life-saving and totally necessary in some instances, there are measures that can be taken to prepare for birth that will decrease the chances of that needing to happen. Chiropractic care is one of them!

When a pregnant mom comes to see me we are addressing not only the alignment of her body but the amount of tension she is holding in specific ligaments, muscles and joints. By helping her body come back to a state of ease and alignment her entire system becomes more adaptable, resilient and ready to give birth.

Let’s break down these 3 P’s: Power, Passage & Passenger.

Power - This refers to the expulsive forces produced by the mom’s body to effectively push baby out. If the uterine contractions are not strong enough or not coordinated effectively she will have a much harder time getting baby out, if she can at all. At the hospital they will likely intervene with Pitosin to strengthen the contractions which can put stress on the baby, causing their heart rate to drop and may lead to further interventions such as an emergency C section.

Chiropractic helps with the Power because every chiropractic adjustment improves the nerve signals being sent between the brain and the body and the function of the uterus is dependent on its nerve supply. Chiropractic helps the mom’s uterus have full nerve supply which will allow her uterus to produce strong, effective contractions without needing extra assistance.

Passage - This plainly refers to mom’s structure and positioning. You want the pelvis to be as aligned as possible so that baby has an easier time making its way through the birth canal. When the pelvis is misaligned the diameter of the women’s pelvis is decreased and it may be more challenging for the baby to move through. This is simple biomechanics and can majorly impact the outcome of the birth.

Passenger - This piece if the puzzle refers to the baby’s positioning in the womb and as they descend down the birth canal. You might be wondering, how does chiropractic effect the baby’s positioning?

In short, if the sacrum is misaligned it creates pelvic imbalance, tension in the muscles and ligaments and therefore aberrant tension in the uterus which can affect baby positioning. The goal of adjusting the pelvis during pregnancy is to allow movement to happen freely. The movement of the mothers spine and pelvis impacts the positioning of her internal organs, particularly her uterus. If her body is carrying too much tension on one side or is not able to move freely the uterus might become restricted and the baby might not have enough space to get into the best position for birth.

Overall, pregnancy care is very safe, gentle and effective. There are specific bones, ligaments and muscles that I check to make sure that the mom’s body is balanced. This in turn helps baby get into optimal position and supports a faster, easier birth. There are many factors that go into a woman’s birth experience. Chiropractic care addresses the 3 P’s to empower the mom and baby to work together during this wild ride.

P.S. In addition to being an amazing tool for navigating pregnancy, chiropractic is also incredible for newborns! You can read more about that in my blog posts Chiropractic and Babies and 3 Ways Chiropractic Can Help with Breastfeeding.