All the kings horses and all the kings men
Filed Under Tips & Tricks | March 19, 2008
One of our goals here at yoyomama is to help make your lives less yoyo-like. And one huge facet of that is taking care of yourself. We’re pleased to introduce a new column on caring for your body. The physical stresses and strains of pregnancy and motherhood can throw everything out of whack, and we’ve got some ideas for putting it all back together again.
We’re also pleased to welcome Dr. Stephanie Bonn of Bonn Chiropractic, who will be covering prenatal chiropractic wellness in our first column, as well as becoming a regular contributor:
Congratulations, you’re pregnant! For the next nine months your body will go through many incredible physical and emotional changes. As your baby and belly grows, you will be amazed by the first flutter of movement in the first few months to the somersaults of the third trimester. Not so amazing are the aches, pains and strains that commonly occur in pregnancy.
Most of us have – or will – experience many of the common symptoms of pregnancy: low back pain; headaches; nausea; pelvic and pubic discomfort; rib strain; fatigue and carpal tunnel syndrome. Everyday wear and tear from sitting in front of a computer or catching up with your active toddler can cause imbalances in the spine and pelvis even before pregnancy. Once pregnant, your body may not be able to compensate for these imbalances and then ouch!
Spinal stress may also torque the uterus and prevent the baby from moving into the best position for labour. If your baby is posterior or breech at or following 32 weeks of pregnancy, the chiropractic Webster Technique is a reliable way to relieve your pelvic tension and help naturally turn the baby into the occiput anterior position. It can also increase the effectiveness of an external version and reduce trauma to the baby. If the baby is already heading in the right direction, the chiropractic adjustments will balance your pelvis for an easier labour and birth.
Your chiropractor can also help with exercise prescription, proper ergonomics, pillow support and nutritional recommendations. When’s the best time to consult a chiropractor for prenatal care? As soon you find out you are pregnant. Your chiropractor will be able to assist and support you through all three trimesters for a healthy pregnancy and a happy baby.
Visit yoyomama.ca for specific tips from Dr. Bonn for keeping your body on an even keel during pregnancy.
Dr. Stephanie Bonn is a mother of two and owner of Bonn Chiropractic, a great resource for prenatal chiropractic care: www.bonnchiropractic.com. Further studies and research can be found on the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association’s website www.icpa4kids.org.
We just found out about one more great Easter event we had to share -on Monday, March 24th the UBC Farm is having and Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt. Bring your own eggs to decorate, make fun crafts and scavenge for chocolate. Space is limited, so register by March 21st by emailing friendsoftheubcfarm@gmail.com. And if you’re on campus, look for the UBC Farm and Sprouts table in the SUB today and tomorrow from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm for the very first fresh local veg of the year.
Chiropractic Tips:
- An exercise ball is an invaluable investment for relieving back tension in pregnancy, supporting your birthing muscles during labour, and even soothing colicky babies with its bouncing movement.
- If you’re sitting at a desk a lot make sure your knees and elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
- A pillow between your knees while you sleep minimizes strain in the pubic joint. (We’re particularly fond of YOU pillows).
- Icing therapy reduces spinal and pelvic inflammation, so do Epsom salt baths and topical Arnica.
- Ginger tea soothes nausea, liquid calcium helps heartburn, and B vitamins calm pain and numbness in the hands.
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Let us know what you think or share your great finds with us so we can share them with other Vancouver mothers!
I have been seeing Stephanie for about 5 years. She helped my son’s nursing problems as a newborn, and has helped my nursing hunchback from getting too bad/painful. Our whole family looks forward to our once a month visit.