As a pregnant mom, you probably have spent at least some time worrying that your birth may not go smoothly. While difficult births do happen and cannot be 100% prevented, there are some things you can do to decrease your chances of complications and difficulty during birth. One of these things is visiting your chiropractor. He or she can use a specific technique called the Webster Technique to make sure your pelvis is properly aligned for an easier birth.

What is the Webster Technique?

The Webster Technique is quite simply a process by which a chiropractor adjusts the alignment of the SI joints, or sacral-pelvic joints. These are the joints where your pelvis meets your sacrum, which is the near-final portion of your spine. By adjusting these joints, your chiropractor assures that strain is evenly distributed between the ligaments and tendons associated with your pelvis. The adjustment also relieves tension in the muscles throughout this region, improving flexibility.

What specific effects does the Webster Technique have?

The Webster Technique opens up your pelvic area, which serves two purposes. First, it makes it easier for the baby to turn around into the head-first birth position, so you are less likely to have the baby present breech. Second, it improves your flexibility in the pelvic region, which will make pushing easier and less strenuous. You may even experience less pain and discomfort during labor since the soft tissues in your pelvic area will be bearing the strain evenly, rather than in an uneven manner as they would if your pelvis were to remain misaligned.

How do you find a chiropractor who can perform the Webster Technique?

Chiropractors who specialize in maternal care are experts in this technique, since it is one of the hallmarks of treating pregnant women. If your general chiropractor does not regularly treat pregnant women, ask him or her to recommend another practitioner who does. Note that it is best to visit the chiropractor on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy so that your spine and pelvis can be kept in alignment as your body grows and changes. A single visit several weeks before birth is better than nothing, but ongoing treatment is best.

Nobody wants to go through a tough labor. With chiropractic care, and especially the Webster Technique, you can safely and easily decrease your chances of a breech baby and of some other common birth struggles.   

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