Pain in the bum!!!

At the moment, I am almost 26 weeks pregnant with my third child. Overall I feel quite energetic and healthy. In the last few weeks, I have been experiencing something that many other women who have been pregnant (including me in the past) have felt; pain on one side of the bum. After a long day on my feet or too much sitting, the muscles surrounding the pelvis are overworking and spasming due to the ligaments loosening to accomodate for the growth of the baby. The sacro-iliac joint can mis-align which can put pressure on the large sciatic nerve.

I found 3 things done in combination very effective in controlling the amount of pain and pressure on the area.

1) Stretching consistently (especially figure 4 stretch on a ball)
2) Having your alignment in your pelvis checked and adjusted by a chiropractor that focusses on pre-natal care is important. By using the Webster method/technique it is clearer to the practitioner if the pain is coming from the pelvis and if it is causing some uterine constraint as well.
3)Muscle work/ massage therapy is a very good compliment to the above two.

Oh and I better not forget another important point. Good supportive shoes is so important in decreasing the imbalances from the feet to the pelvis. Flat shoes with no arch supports can be a cause of pelvic dysfunction especially during pregnancy.

I have experienced first hand the benefits of sticking to a good regimen of the above. I am a happier camper when I am not uncomfortable. I'm sure some of you pregnant ladies out there may be able to relate and hopefully a few, atleast, can benefit from my experience.

Check up for baby after birth

Q. My child had a very difficult birth. The labour was very intense and the pushing stage was very long. Would he benefit from a spinal check up with a chiropractor?

A. As moms, we realize how beautiful and how traumatic the birth process can be for us and for the baby! That is generally true for a non-invasive natural birth. Imagine if there were complications and if the process was extremely long or difficult, there may be more of an impact on the baby's delicate spine and soft tissues. Many forms of birth trauma are evident within the first 24-48 hours after birth. The more subtle effects of the trauma during birth can go undetected or untreated for months or even years. Many times symptoms such as endless crying,holding head to one side only, improper latching,or general restlessness may be clues to if the baby's nervous system or spine is imbalanced or under some strain. In my experience, I have recognized that the sooner the spine is checked, the better the results.

Chiropractors who are trained to adjust children's spines consistently see evidence that spinal adjustments of infants, toddlers and pre-teens have many positive effects for a variety of conditions. These young spines may benefit from spinal check-ups during their key stages of development ie: holding head up, sitting up, crawling, walking, growth spurts (growing pains) etc.
Removal of irritation or pressure from the nervous system using specific, gentle, non-invasive adjustments has long term benefits in the developmental stages of their lives.

So, yes I do believe it is a good option to have a chiropractic spinal check up of your child after the birth process to identify any imbalances or irritations that may be present.