Breastfeeding and Bodywork
Breastfeeding is an innate and instinctive skill of a newborn, however, it can come with many difficulties. The birthing process places a great deal of stress on a newborn’s body, regardless of the type of delivery. Even if you had a smooth delivery, your baby may have been under physical stress due to poor positioning in-utero. This is why we encourage all parents to have a bodywork appointment for their baby. We often co-manage our cases with lactation consultants, pediatricians, physiotherapists, midwives, medical doctors and dentists.
A bodywork appointment involves a thorough assessment of the infant’s spine, hips, shoulders, neck and jaw. The appointment also involves a suck assessment to identify any issues related to the latch and/or swallowing mechanism of the infant. Our chiropractors are looking for subtle imbalances in these areas that may affect an infant’s ability to latch or feed properly. We also look at breastfeeding positions and treat the mother and baby as a unit. Subtle tweaks can make a world of a difference.
The treatment techniques that we use to treat infants are much different than those used on adults. We use very gentle touch and pressure to release joint restrictions and muscle tension. We often prescribe stretching and strengthening exercises that the parents can do with the infant to help them respond faster to treatment. Usually babies sleep during their entire appointment and also sleep very well after.
Our Women’s Health Team chiropractors treat a variety of conditions affecting the pre and postnatal mom. Our chiropractors practice within an evidence-based model of care where chiropractic adjustments are not the only tool utilized during treatment. Treatments last between 30-45 minutes and may include the following: soft tissue/myofascial release, joint manipulations/mobilizations, assisted stretching, acupuncture, cupping and the prescription of rehabilitation exercises.
It is our mission to empower women to continue to feel strong and confident during their pregnancies and beyond. We individualize our treatment programs by identifying the goals of the mother and catering our treatment plans to suit those needs. Goals and treatment programs can vary greatly from person to person. In some cases, our practitioners will do a lot of hands-on therapy to treat the muscles and joints in an area that may be causing a patient pain or discomfort. With some patients, we focus on flexibility, mobility, and strength training. In some instances, our focus may be on decreasing a mother’s stress levels via acupuncture, breathing techniques and meditation. Lastly, some of our patients come for maintenance care throughout their pregnancy to ensure their pelvis is balanced to help with an easier labour and decreasing their postpartum recovery period.
Education is fundamental to the treatment process as we truly feel that knowledge is power. We teach our patients how to carry-out their activities of daily living properly (i.e. sleeping postures, standing postures, carrying a car seat, breastfeeding positions, baby wearing etc.). We focus on posture, breathing and developing core and pelvic floor stability so that our patients have minimal pain and discomfort throughout their pregnancies.
Our chiropractors are trained in the Webster Technique, which is a gentle adjustment technique that helps balance the pelvis to ease pain and decrease strain on the pelvis and pelvic floor during labour. We also work with postnatal moms to help them recover from diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation) via restoring and retraining the core and pelvic floor musculature. Whatever the problem, we are here to help you find the solution.
