Osteopathic Treatment in Pregnancy
In this video Craig looks at the importance of good mobility of the spine during pregnancy.
Osteopathic treatment in Pregnancy can be very beneficial because of the ability to help improve nerve and blood supply to the low back, pelvis and all your organs. Think of nerve supply as the information pathways and blood as the nutrition feeding the uterus and baby. On top of this is the crucial role of drainage via the lymphatic pathways which is so important. If the sewers are blocked then you build up toxic residue. These factors are not considered under normal circumstances when discussing Osteopathy in pregnancy.
A tight upper back will influence the performance of the heart and lungs in a similiar fashion.
A healthy pregnancy consists of all your organs working efficiently. In this video we look at loosening up the Thoracic spine (rib cage) and Lumbar spine (low back). It is very important that tensions throughout the spine are relieved for good nerve and blood supply to your abdomen and pelvis because of the important organs within those regions. In pregnancy the abdomen is under more tension generally because the muscles have to work harder due to the extra weight and the ‘bump’ will shift the Mum’s centre of gravity. This shift leads to increased mechanical stress on the joints and muscles which is why back pain in pregnancy is so common. The liver and kidneys are having to filter the blood for Mum and Baby which is much greater than normal so they are working harder than ever. Good function of those crucial organs is extremely important. In Osteopathic treatment during pregnancy we stretch the ribs and you can imagine how important that is for Mum’s breathing and later on with breastfeeding.
Low back pain in pregnancy may be common but does not have to be the norm. With good management and a support team such as an Osteopath, massage therapist reflexologist, etc there is a good chance of avoiding that aggravation. You have enough on your plate to deal with. Low back pain in pregnancy or any aches and pains during pregnancy is just not useful. It is draining and adds further physical and emotional stress during your pregnancy. Create a good support team around you so you can minimise any problems and have a healthy pregnancy.
We talk about rhythm and human touch – how important that is, along with good circulation and drainage. The emotions are affected and that will make the body tense and tight. How to normalise good nerve and blood supply to the organs for a healthy pregnancy. We investigate how Osteopathic treatment can achieve that.
IVF Preparation
IVF brings its own group of challenges and it is important to understand a few facts. Firstly, if the body is having a challenge with getting pregnant there is something missing. That is a principle of life, not a theory. Think about it for one second, if everything was in place to make something happen then nature would do her thing. This is not rocket science is it?
My concern is that if we force a job onto the body for which it is not ready then are we asking it to do something it will struggle with. An example of this may be a nutritional deficiency. There are certain nutrients that the body needs for healthy eggs or sperm. There are also certain nutrients that the body needs for hormones, a healthy uterus etc. If we bake a cake we need specific ingredients in specific quantities so why do we think making a baby would be any different? Surely creating a baby is a little more complex than a cake! Notice I said complex not complicated. People often mistake the two. The human body is not complicated it is complex which means there are many facets to it. The body has to respond to natural laws which makes it much easier to understand. This is the reason IVF people need more support.
We have seen clients struggle with their treatment and yet with better preparation their results can often improve dramatically. Go to the Claudia Salazar video clip for more information.
Emotions in Pregnancy
The main point to realise is that emotions are based in motion. The word is made up of ‘E’ – expressed and ‘motion’ – movement. It is a call to action and needs to be heard. That does not mean ‘obeyed’, just listened to. If a two year old wants a chocolate it does not mean you have to give her one and yet that is the temptation – the quick fix. The body is made of three departments – physical, emotional and nutritional (or what we also call biochemical). This interactive dance is largely influenced by the brain and our emotions will have a significant impact on pregnancy and birth. People will explain their physical ailments and their nutritional intake (with diets etc) but most will shy away from work on their emotions. It is still a part of our body and yet we often ignore the areas that need the most work. Today’s lifestyle is busier and more stressful than at any other time in human evolution. A woman will find her emotions heightened during pregnancy because there is so much riding on the outcome. At Pregnancy and Preparation we suggest that you do some work in this area and we have some great tools for you to choose from. Motherhood and fatherhood is no easy task and being clear about your emotions will lower stress hormones during pregnancy and birth.
Why Water is so important in Pregnancy
Water is between 50-70% of our body depending on who you listen to. The fact that everyone agrees it is over half of your body shows that it must be the most important nutrient in pregnancy or while pregnant. We do not often think of water as a nutrient but it is. In fact every process in your body is dependent on good hydration levels. As a pregnant woman you do not want to be wasting energy simply because you are dehydrated. Water is an incredible component of life and truly underestimated – do not underestimate the importance of water in pregnancy. 
Why Prepare in Pregnancy?
What ripple do you send out from your pregnancy – disease or health? What would you choose?
What does it take to create a ripple of health to your baby, partner, family?
Do you need a good practitioner or good information?
What is a ripple of disease? What is a ripple of health?
Why prepare during pregnancy? The simple answer is that this is the foundation to parenting – your start to motherhood or fatherhood and most importantly this is your chance to give your baby the best start to life. Why wait until things go wrong? In practice we have seen that life, relationships, work and the joy of pregnancy are all diminished when there are health challenges during pregnancy. That does not always mean the mother to be. A Dad who is ill will put pressure and stress on a woman and that will impact everyone involved. In the last year we have seen Dads made redundant during a pregnancy and this can cause all sorts of fears and challenges to all concerned including the relationship. Good preparation in any endeavour creates confidence and understanding which makes all the difference to the final result.