Pregnancy Resources

Pregnancy is the most demanding time in a woman's life. Preparing the body for hte demands of housing a fetus is critical for producing a healthy baby. With all teh chemical, physical, and emotional stressors places on our bodies, it is essential that women who either are or are planning to be pregnang get the following types of support. It it critical to have a woman's body in physical and nutritional balance and then to maintain that balance of good health during the growth and development of a fetus.

Chiropractic Adjustments

• Why get chiropractic adjustments?
  Chiropractic adjustments before conception, and during and after pregnancy are critical to maintaining a healthy nervous system for both mother and child. As the pregnant mother begins expanding to make room for the fetus, levels of relaxin in the tissue increase to allow for the expansion. Due to the relaxin the skeletal system (the bones of the spine in particular) are more susceptible to shift and "get out of place." Pregnant and lactating women are always out of alignment in their spines. It takes a while post-delivery for the body to go back to its original state. This mis-alignment of the spine causes a woman to experience poor body biomechanics which can ultimately exacerbate intra-uterine constraint on the fetus. Just as the uterus is attached to the sacrum, so is the sacrum attached to the spinal column at the L5-sacral junction (the lower region of the lumbar spine). Many pregnant women experience spinal pain both during and after delivery.
• What if my baby is breech?
  A chiropractic technique called the Webster Technique has been shown to be extremely effective in reducing intra-uterine constraint, ultimately allowing the baby to turn or become un-breeched on its own. It is recommended to get an ultrasound to determine the exact position of the baby prior to treatment. The sooner you know that your baby is breech - especially in the third trimester - the sooner chiropractic care can help to prevent intra-uterine constraint on the fetus.
• Why get adjusted after delivery?
  Just as the mother's body has grown and adapted to handle a growing fetus, so does the mother's body need to adapt back to its original pre-pregnancy state. Bones and ligaments in the human body need assistance to be placed back into proper alignment. With all of the physical stressors on the mother's body, it cannot make this transformation on its own. Often women who are five to ten years post-delivery have spinal-related complaints. We believe that a majority of these complaints could have been prevented with proper post-delivery chiropractic care.

Clinical Conditions

• Candida positive?
  Practitioners have found that women that have given birth have candida, or yeast infections. Most women discover this condition when the get a mastitis, or inflamed breast, while breastfeeding. The only clinically known bacterial strain that is known to combat and eliminate this condition - called bacillus lateropsorus BOD - is provided by Flora Balance. Patients still need to go through their practitioner to get this product, but they can use the Flora Balance Candida questionnaire to learn how they can better manage this condition.
• Post-partum depression?
  Lack of an essential fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a substrate of omega-3 has been linked to post-partum depression. DHA is also known to build your baby's brain. To learn more about omega-3 research relating to pregnancy, refer to these search results.
• Amniocentesis
  Is amnio right for you? Newsweek's Nov 20, 2006 article on this subject may provide some new viewpoints on this subject.

Fertility

• Fertility Website
  This free web site assists those trying to get pregnant in keeping track of their cycles and other information.

Nutrition

• Why is nutrition so important?
  I recommend that all women planning to conceive cleanse their bodies prior to conception. This helps to prevent toxins being transferred to the fetus and ensures that the mother's body is able to assimilate foods and naturally eliminate toxins appropriately. This also allows the mother's body to handle the increased nutritional demands of a growing fetus.
• Whole food vs. Synthetic prenatal vitamins
  Please review some general pregnancy nutritional recommendations, including the benefits of whole food supplementation to support pre-natal and post-natal nutrition. These guidelines are not specific to any one patient, and are only a guideline to follow. Please note that most pre-natal vitamin products are synthetic - not from whole foods - and will not have the same nutritional value. Synthetic supplements are also harder for the body to assimilate. (These two slides are included as a part of a larger presentation about general nutritional concerns with babies and children.
• Pregnancy Nutritional Protocols
  Patient note: Please consider the following whole food supplements as a nutritional foundation. With any kind of nutritional protocol, it is critical to consult with your healthcare provider prior to starting.
• • Pre-Natal Protocol
    
    • Standard Process: Catalyn (multivitamin), Calcium Lactate, Magnesium Lactate, SP Greenfood, Folic Acid B12, Ferrofood (only if not eating red meat on a daily basis), Linum B6 (for morning sickness only)
    • Nordic Naturals: Pro-Omega (higher concentration of DHA in liquid or capsule form)
    • Other dietary considerations: Eliminate food allergens (such as soy, pasteurized dairy, and wheat), add sea salt to diet, add good fats to diet (such as raw butter, coconut oil or butter, extra virgin olive oil). The Weston A. Price Foundation® is an excellent resource for these concerns.
  • Post-Natal Protocol
    
    • Standard Process: Same as pre-natal protocol above, adding in Thiamine (B1) if consuming alcohol, Niacinamide B6 (recommended 150-200mg per day due to potential of lowering lactation), and Cataplex D and Mammary PMG (to increase lactation if needed)
    • Nordic Naturals: It is recommended to increase dosage of Omega-3 depending on the severity of post-partum depression. Consult your healthcare provider for specific guidance.
    • Other dietary considerations: Same as pre-natal protocol above

Birth

• Believe In Your Birth
  An Ashburn, VA provider of classes on the Bradley Method® of a natural childbirth.
• Northern Virginia Homebirth Community
  A master resource list of midwives who provide at-home births.
• Transition Birth Doulas
  Transitions Birth Doulas work with moms and families in the DC Metro area who want to be involved, proactive participants in their birth. Contact Lori Cooper, CD (DONA) at lori (at) transitionbirthdoulas.com for more information.

Breastfeeding

• La Leche League
  A nationally-known breastfeeding organization.
• Local lactation consultants
  
  • Maureen Carey-Back, IBCLC, RLC: Sterling/Ashburn/Leesburg-area Board-Certified Lactation Consultant

Other

• Mothering Magazine
  A magazine for parents to learn about healthy alternatives for raising children. This magazine is always packed with lots of valuable information.
• Hip Bundles: Carriers for Hip-Huggin' Babies
  Hip Bundles strives to educate and support parents and caregivers of babies, through toddlerhood, in the beautiful art of wearing your baby.
• Mothers First
  A group of mothers across the northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC region dedicated to helping at-home mothers find a new balance in their lives.
• Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples
• Ecobaby
  Organic clothing options, including crib and child mattresses.
• Savvy Rest
  An organic mattress company local to Virginia and Maryland.

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