10/04/2022 by Dr. Goldi Jacques-Maynes

Prenatal Chiropractic Care by Trimester

Moms-to-be should feel confident in their ability to carry and birth their baby just as they want to. It's your body and your baby. At Golden Chiropractic, we see our role as members of your support team—helping you have a healthy and successful pregnancy and birth.

Basing our prenatal recommendations on clinical experience and research, we treat the three most important components of a pain-free, uber-healthy pregnancy and successful birth:

Health of Mom and Baby
Mental Preparation
Physical Preparation

Chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, ergonomic adjustments, and nutrition support optimal health and ease throughout your pregnancy, and beyond. Below you’ll find our general recommendations for your prenatal and postpartum pregnancy stages.

First Trimester Chiropractic Care

Goals:

Setting you up for success
Establishing your prenatal team: OBGYN, midwife, doula, chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist, CST

Care plan:

Chiropractic care begins
- Wellness treatment every 2-4 weeks
Massage
- 1-2x per month
Begin prenatal vitamins
Light exercise: walking, prenatal yoga, etc.

Second Trimester Chiropractic Care

Goals:

Preventing pain
Maintaining pelvic alignment
Preventing baby positioning issues
Maintaining health & fitness
Easing stress

Care plan:

Chiropractic care
- Webster Technique or Spinning Babies for optimal fetal positioning
- Every 2 weeks
Prenatal massage
- Ease mental and physical tension
- Every 2-4 weeks
Continue with prenatal vitamins and exercise
Begin birthing classes and other educational workshops to help prepare

Third Trimester Chiropractic Care

Goals:

Preparing for labor, delivery, and beyond

Care plan:

Webster Technique or Spinning Babies for optimal fetal positioning
- Every 1-2 weeks
Focus on preparation for labor and delivery
- Birth plan
- Goals
- Postpartum questions
Prenatal massage to ease mental and physical tension
- Every 2 weeks
Acupuncture
- 1-4 treatments to prepare the uterus for labor and delivery
- could include induction and optimal fetal positioning
Continue exercise as able

Fourth Trimester/Postpartum

Goals:

Setting you up for success
Establishing your postpartum routine

Care plan:

Home care: a collection of advice from moms, doulas, and our doctors for the first 2 weeks after the baby is born:

Stay home with the baby
Focus only on nursing/feeding, eating, sleeping, and showering
No shopping, no laundry, no cooking
Limit home visitors if you are feeling overwhelmed or unsure
- Be very clear about how long they should stay, and what you want help with
Ask for help when you need it (ie. playdates for older siblings, food prep)

Nutrition & Fitness

Hydrate: drink about 100oz of water daily
Eat frequent, nutritionally-balanced foods and snacks
Continue prenatal vitamins, including Calcium, Magnesium, and Omegas, while nursing
Start baby on Vitamin D (400-1000 units/day), especially if nursing
Check with your Chiropractor and Midwife or OB before you begin to exercise
Plan to begin with gentle stretching and walks with baby

Chiropractic & Massage

Schedule your first postpartum appointment
- 2 weeks after the baby’s birth
- We check you for any aches and pains related to labor/delivery/nursing, etc
- Once weekly for 4 weeks, tapering to every other week until fully immersed in regular fitness / home routine
- Resume chiropractic adjustments as needed, every 3-4 weeks
Schedule first appointment for baby: meet and greet and visual examination
- 2 weeks after the baby’s birth
- As needed for tongue tie analysis or colic treatment
- Bring baby for regular chiropractic treatments as recommended
- Schedule 1-2 postpartum massages

Pregnancy can be an anxious and very uncomfortable time. The best way to manage pregnancy-related concerns is to have a good plan and a good care team on your side. Our chiropractors in Aptos specialize in prenatal care.

Keeping you out of pain and easing your anxiety and discomfort will help you have an optimal pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum experience. If you're ready to begin prenatal or postpartum care, you can schedule with us online at this link.

Curious about issues you may see with pregnancy?

Check out these blog posts on pregnancy related conditions:

Feed