Acupuncture and Post-Partum   For all of the same reasons that it now so important to offer women extra care during pregnancy, it is equally important to provide extra support post partum (after the birth). The postnatal period refers to the 6 weeks directly following childbirth. The Chinese perspective has very firm ideas about the amount of care and rest that is appropriate during this time after childbirth. It is certainly a different perspective than we have here in our culture. It is very common in our western society to return to normal activities within a few weeks of birth. In many middle eastern cultures a new mother is given a 40 day rest period after birth, in which time she is expected to do nothing more than rest and care for the baby. Unfortunately we do not live in a society that is structured around the extended family which allows this kind of care to easily happen. There are not many blokes who would be happy to have their mother-in-law stay for up to 6 weeks!! The Chinese perspective asks that we look to this time as one of rest and healing. Doing too much too soon can be very depleting to a system that has just undergone a very taxing experience, especially if the mother has entered into labour from a deficient position. The kind of supplementation that acupuncture brings helps to promote the body's healing functions to their fullest potential. Having an acupuncturist treat you post partum will add to your understanding of how well you are recovering and may provide necessary cautions that will help prevent more serious disharmony further down the line. Emotionally the postnatal period can be very different from some mother's expectations. The first few days are often filled with both feelings of elation and depression, with many and varied swings between the two. It is thought that the hormonal fluctuations in the first week after birth contribute to these swings of emotion. These feelings are expected to subside after a few days, and very often do settle, often once the milk has come in. Some women experience more significant symptoms and for much longer than a few days. This will eventually lead to what is referred to as postnatal depression. Acupuncture post partum is very beneficial for balancing the hormones and will often help women to feel more stable in themselves, potentially avoiding a full scale drop into depression. Giving birth is a wonderful and rewarding experience but it is also physically demanding. It takes up to 6 weeks for your body to recover. Acupuncture helps to replenish and rebalance your body during this period. If post partum symptoms persist or develop after the initial recovery period acupuncture is particularly effective in treating the following conditions: Insufficient breast milk production Depression Insomnia Mastitis or blocked milk ducts Pain Fatigue

Chiropractic and Post-Partum    For Mom   During pregnancy a woman's body goes though many changes.  As baby grows, postural changes take place, and ligaments change and relax as a flood of hormones is released to prepare the body for birth.  As these changes occur, many women experience low back, pelvic, or sciatic pain. Regular chiropractic care can help to alleviate these low back and pelvic problems, and can help to optimize function by balancing bony pelvic structures, muscles, and ligaments.  In addition to relieving some of the aches and pains of pregnancy, researchers have found that regular chiropractic care during pregnancy can significantly reduce labor times, the need for medical interventions during labour, and recovery time.     For Baby   Chiropractic care helps to optimize the development of your baby by removing interference to the mother's nervous system thereby allowing baby the room it needs to develop and grow properly.  As well, chiropractic care allows the baby to obtain the proper positioning for labour, allowing both mom and baby to have a more efficient and less invasive labor.   The Webster Technique   The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment use to balance the muscles, ligaments, and bones of the pelvis, thereby reducing constraint in the woman's uterus allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.  This highly respected chiropractic technique is particularly effective when used in women who are carrying breech.  It is a completely safe, gentle procedure that facilitates the baby to turn itself back to its natural position.  Regular visits to a chiropractor throughout pregnancy helps to enhance nervous system function, providing greater health potential for both you and your baby.   Is Chiropractic Care Safe for me and my baby?   Absolutely! Spinal adjustments are especially gentle during pregnancy as far less force is required due to the increase in hormones causing significant muscle and ligamentous relaxation.       After birth   Chiropractic care can be continued for both mom and baby soon after the birth has taken place.  For mom this is a means of relieving the stress that labor has placed on her body, and regaining proper function and stability of the pelvis, supporting ligaments, and muscles. Baby can also be adjusted soon after birth.  The birthing process puts many stresses and strains on the nervous system, joints, muscles, and ligaments of the emerging infant.  Adjustments to newborns contain only ounces of force and are designed to facilitate health and remove nervous interference thus creating an optimal condition for the growth and development of your new baby.

Massage Therapy and Post-Partum   Post-partum massage can help a woman reconnect with her body after the fact. With all the demands of motherhood, it's important the new mother takes time to heal herself and massage is one way to find that relief. As the new mother's body starts to revert to its pre-pregnancy status, or even undergoes additional changes brought on by surgical recoveries or breastfeeding needs, women often begin disassociating with their physical self. Massage can bring them back to their body, allowing them to begin appreciating it and the hard work it's just been through. Massage during this time can also eliminate many of the aches and pains brought on by pregnancy and exacerbated by the traumas of childbirth. Rolfing and other forms of structural integration can greatly help "reorganize" the woman's body after birth. Abdominal massage is a modality that has ancient roots, but new uses for the post-partum woman. Mayan women, Filipino mothers -- and even until the 20th century -- European mothers, used abdominal massage to rub the womb back into shape and even help it find its proper location within the pelvic structure. Today, abdominal massage is said to mend the wounds left by a cesarean section and bring health back to a woman's uterus. Author and educator Rosita Arvigo says the uterus is a woman's "second brain" and the "spiritual center of her being." If the uterus is compromised by surgery, damaged uterine ligaments, long or difficult labor, or falls to the sacrum, a woman's entire health can be in jeopardy. Arvigo says by shifting the uterus back into place via massage, homeostasis is regained in the pelvis and surrounding organs, and the nutrients required to help tone tissue and balance hormones is returned to normal.