In this article we will continue our discussion of how to help your babies build the healthiest brain possible. A healthy brain helps make a happy baby. Your baby's brain starts growing and developing in the womb. The goal is to minimize negative stress during pregnancy to promote that optimal environment for baby brain development. In the 1st part of this article we shared a study done during the Great Ice Storm of 1998 https://www.brightstartchiropractic.com/blog/3-reasons-why-your-baby-will-thank-you-for-going-to-a-chiropractor-while-you-are-pregnant-part-1 The children born of the mothers who were under stress showed far more health challenges. As I have read and heard many times baby experiences everything mom experiences. This article we will discuss the 2nd benefit to using Chiropractic while pregnant.
Stress more common than we think
As stated in the previous article back pain can affect up to 70% of pregnant women. That is a lot. Pain is stressful, annoying and we do our best to avoid it. Most pregnant women choose not to take pain medication because of the possible effects it can have on baby. Since they do not take medication they have to deal with the pain. This is a problem because pain affects every area of our life. We have less patience for those little annoyances in life. We can not move the way we want to. We have a hard time finding a comfortable position to sleep in. I am sure you can think of other challenges not included here. Pain becomes a source of negative stress.
A few months ago a pregnant woman in her last week came to me. She was having back pain and her biggest complaint was not being able to sleep comfortably. Every 2 hours she had to get up and move around for 30 minutes before she could lie down to sleep again. She was very tired. She had to deal with back pain and sleep deprivation.
Not an ideal situation.
I evaluated her and found several areas in her back that were not working normally. When I say not working normally I mean the joints in her back did not move normally. As I have talked about in previous posts joints not moving is bad. https://www.brightstartchiropractic.com/blog/why-does-my-baby-need-a-baby-chiropractor That joint that doesn't move triggers alarm bells to go off in our brain. Our brain hears the warning and starts changing what hormones it tells the body to make. The body starts making more stress hormones. Which triggers the brain to be in a more high alert state which triggers the release of more stress hormones. This cycle self perpetuates on itself. Here is the crazy part most of time this goes on and we are not aware of it. It is all subconscious but still affecting us.
Negative Cycle
The woman I mentioned earlier. She most likely had those poorly working joints for months if not more. They sent signals that pushed her brain to be on alert. She is a first time mom and is concerned about the delivery. Her brain is already on alert and now her concern turns into a big worry. How? Because her brain is already in an anxious state and then her thoughts go down paths she would prefer they didn't. It is hard for her to refocus because there is a problem with her body she is not even aware of.
Now all those stress hormones that her body is releasing the baby is experiencing. Baby's brain starts to be on more alert. It starts to wire itself for life outside the womb being hard and stressful. The stress hormones are literally changing how baby's genes are expressing themselves. These changes as we saw with the Great Ice Storm are often not advantageous for baby. It can affect their immune system, energy metabolism, attention, and many other things.
Positive Cycle
I did gentle adjustments to those bad joints so they could move normally again. She immediately noticed a difference in how easily she could move. She commented she could breath better. She also reported that she felt more relaxed. I checked in with her the next day and she slept better than she had in months. Do you think it was easier for her to redirect her mind towards positive thoughts about her delivery? Of course. Everyone of you has experienced the power a good nights sleep can have.
Now her baby perceives the change that things are better on the outside and starts to adapt to "life is good". Now the way baby's immune system, metabolism, attention, etc. start to develop is positive. Baby's brain is receiving happy hormones which primes the brain for thriving. We can expect a happier baby, more confident, more willing to take risks and many other benefits.
While back pain is common in pregnancy it is not normal. It causes stress and that affects your baby. Find a Chiropractor in your area. Ideally before you even become pregnant. Don't wait to have problems. Be proactive. Remember those bad joints can be there and you don't feel them. Just because you don't feel them doesn't mean all is well. Those bad joints are still setting off alarm bells in your brain. Your baby will thank you for the happy hormone bath after you take care of yourself.