Mindset and Movement to Prepare for Labor as a Prenatal Chiropractor & Soon to Be Mom!
As a Prenatal chiropractor, I have been working in the "birth world" for over 4 years now! I've learned so much from different seminars, mentors, and first-hand experience watching other mamas go through their pregnancy while under care. I knew when I got pregnant, there were a few non-negotiables for me, as I wanted to have an empowered, informed, and pregnancy filled with ease (or as much as possible!). With that, I made sure I did a few things to prepare prior to even getting pregnant, but also many things I started early on into pregnancy. For mindset, this looked like hiring a homebirth midwife and doula, who have provided me with invaluable insight and information, spent hours chatting and answering any question under the sun, and providing me with different resources to get informed and prepared for my upcoming homebirth. I've listened to numerous podcasts that have positive stories of birth, redemptive stories of birth, and research that have given me great insight into what this experience can look like. Some podcasts I've loved include Evidence Based Birth Podcast, Happy Homebirth Podcast, and The Birthing Instincts Podcast.
I've also made movement and body work a priority my entire pregnancy. For me, this looks like 2 strength workouts a week, staying active as a chiropractor on the daily, and walks with my husband and dog, Beau. I also took a Spinning Babies Class, which provided many movements that I can do during pregnancy to help get baby in optimal position and help make me more comfortable. In addition, I've gotten adjusted weekly by a Prenatal and Webster Technique certified chiropractor, had my recommended acupuncture visits, and monthly prenatal massages. These three things alone have helped keep my body in optimal alignment, reduce tightness, and prepare my nervous system optimally. Mamas and their babies nervous systems are so interconnected, that having stress reducing and optimizing work done is so important in pregnancy and postpartum. Babies essentially are hijacking off of your nervous system energy, so make sure it is adapting well with chiropractic care!
So far, at almost 35 weeks I can say I have had an amazing pregnancy and truly enjoyed so much of this new season and experience in my life. I am so grateful to have the care team I have created, have the body work I am able to do, and stayed active! My goal as a Prenatal chiropractor continues to be that this is the experience for every mama under my care, that you can feel empowered, informed, and as comfortable and active in pregnancy as you desire, with an awesome team in place. Please reach out if you have any questions, or would like to learn more about prenatal chiropractic care!