Anyone that has been in the practice lately would notice we have two very pregnant women in our office. Kim our chiropractic assistant is due in early February and I am due a week later. After the jokes of don’t drink the water or sit on the seats in this place a lot of people have now starting commenting on how unusually well we look and seem to be coping for women in their third trimester.

This has led to many great discussions on how society views pregnancy, which is almost like a sickness. We all know someone that has had a nightmare time of it, but when we read the many books and go online we are inundated with ‘what to expect pregnancy symptoms’ like;

• Feeling nauseas

• Fatigue

• Cravings

• Weight gain

• Back pain

• Hip pain

• Leg cramps

• Indigestion

It’s no wonder this makes many of us sure that these nine months are going to be difficult, uncomfortable and unenjoyable but for me and many of the pregnant women I have cared for over the years this couldn’t be further from the truth.

I think sometimes people don’t want to talk about their positive pregnancy experience out of fear for making ones that have a negative one feel bad. I do however think it is important that people know that it doesn’t have to be all bad and there are some active steps you can take to get you moving and feeling better during this time.

My tips and recommendations;

• Get adjusted- With ABC™ we focus on upright posture and correcting misalignments that are pulling us forward. In pregnancy we can be fighting a losing battle if we have lots of these misalignments and then add the weight of a pregnant belly and baby to this. As a consequence we start to see this forward posture accentuated presenting with back pain, pubic pain, leg cramps and a “pregnant waddle.” With these things going on exercise doesn’t sound very appealing and we end up doing more sitting, which further increases the problem.

I would encourage all expecting women and all women planning on getting pregnant soon to come in and get their spine checked. I know it has made a huge difference to the ease of my pregnancy.

• Exercise- with the aches and pains under control (because your getting adjusted) keeping active is a key part of keeping strong and mobile during pregnancy. Most people are horrified that I am still doing CrossFit 3 times a week at CrossFit CBD. And although I don’t advocate starting an intense exercise regime like CrossFit when you are pregnant, continuing a modified version of what you do pre pregnancy has been shown to improve pregnancies and labour.

If you’re looking for something a little easier but hugely beneficial I would recommend Pilates. I have been doing a weekly Pilates session with Ben at Align for Life Pilates throughout my pregnancy and feel its a great adjunct to support my changing body.

• Sleep- although Kim loves her pregnancy pillow and many women do, I have not felt the need for extra support. I have found having the right sleep set up is key to having a good night sleep while pregnant. Now, more than ever having a firm supportive mattress and pillow height specifically set for you for side sleeping is important for keeping you comfortable at night. This will mean less tossing and turning and although won’t stop the need for multiple trips to the bathroom will mean you wake as well rested as possible. If you have not been to a sitting, sleeping standing class please come along to learn these principals or ask your chiropractor at your next appointment.

There is no need to put up with pain any longer

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Schedule your first appointment with our expert ABC™ Chiropractors and get back to doing what you love