As we all know pregnancy is very difficult on the body and it comes with a plethora of symptoms. We also know that some women seem to have these issues less severe than others or sometimes they never really have them at all. A lot of the symptoms of pregnancy are hormonal and can be eased by proper diet and exercise there is always the reality that hormonal shifts are not always pleasant to experience. There are also biomechanical issues that arise during pregnancy and that is where chiropractic care is able to help. When you are pregnant your center of gravity changes and you may become less mobile as it is harder to move. Though these symptoms may make you feel like you should be changing how you walk they should not be. We see many pregnant women even with small bellies still experiencing unnecessary hip and low back pain because they have adopted the "pregnancy waddle". This waddle that some women develop is due to the speed with which the weight is added to the belly and the sudden change in the center of gravity. There are many Americans suffering obesity that do not have this waddle even though they also have a center of gravity that is further forward than it should be. By keeping pregnant mothers adjusted we can help them ease into this new center of gravity and help reduce hip and lower back pain. 

Next we need to speak about relaxin. This is the hormone that relaxes the ligaments in the hips to allow them to widen and allow baby to be born. This is wonderful as it allows birthing to be much easier however it makes it harder for women to hold there adjustment during pregnancy. The plus side is that it makes pregnant women easier to adjust. For these reasons we tend to see pregnant women through the whole duration of the pregnancy to make sure they are ready to have baby when the time comes. Being well aligned can be the difference between a smooth birth and a long labor though it can never guarantee a easy labor. 

Lastly we need to speak about pregnancy and the brain body connection. During the pregnancy there is a lot going on in the body that the body has never had to go through before and the nervous system is the only way for the brain to communicate with the body and make sure that everything is being properly regulated. Since all the nerves in the body run through the spine if there is a spinal misalignment is can disrupt that nerve causing a lack of signal between the brain and body causing poor function of the body and this can affect all functions of the body including things like heartburn. 

Pregnancy is plenty hard on the body when it is properly lined up if you or someone you know is pregnant make sure they keep their spine in alignment they deserve it.