Pregnancy is a very physical experience. The mother has to gradually adapt to carrying up to 20 lbs of baby, waters and placenta during the pregnancy. The whole body has to adapt to carrying this large mass, and it can impose quite a physical strain on all the organs and tissues around it.

Osteopathic treatment through the pregnancy is a wonderfully gentle way of helping the body adopt to changes which are taking place. The safety of the mother & baby is always the Osteopath’s first concern. After a thorough assessment, Osteopaths will use appropriate techniques that may help relieve the aches and pains caused by the growth in size of the baby and the accommodation of the mother to this.

Osteopathic treatment during pregnancy is not new. For many years, Osteopaths have used their various skills to help ladies during their pregnancy. Every pregnancy is special. Osteopaths focus on the mother as a person and take account of not only her physical condition, but also her emotional state and other lifestyle issues.

Osteopathy can help with:-

Ä Easing some of the physical discomforts of pregnancy
Ä Preparing for the demands of labour
Ä Helping the mother to recover from the birth
Ä Helping the baby to release the strain of birth

Discomforts of Pregnancy

Nausea and Vomiting – Osteopathy can help release debilitating physical strains caused by vomiting and so restore musculoskeletal harmony and balance. Treatment to help improve the circulation to and from the liver can also help decrease nausea.

Heartburn – As the uterus expands, it distorts the diaphragm contributing to heartburn. Osteopathic treatment can often reduce tension and relieve heartburn.

Breathing Difficulties – Postural changes through the lower ribs and spine can impede the action of the diaphragm and make breathing difficult. Osteopathic treatment to improve the function of the whole rib cage allows full use of available lung capacity.

Varicose Veins & Haemarrhoids – Tension within the pelvis or diaphragm area can increase resistance to the return of venous blood to the heart from the lower half of the body. In turn this can cause or aggravate varicose veins in the legs and haemorrhoids. Osteopathic treatment to release the tension in the pelvis and diaphragmatic regions is helpful in the prevention and treatment of these conditions.

Aches & Pains – are common during pregnancy, as the body changes shape to accommodate the increasing size and weight of the uterus. This involves considerable changes to posture. If the mother has existing back problems, or strains in her body from past accidents or trauma, it may be more difficult for her to adapt to these changes and she may suffer more discomfort as a result.
The ligaments of the whole body soften during pregnancy due to the action of hormones. This allows the bones of the pelvis to separate slightly during the delivery to facilitate the passage of the baby’s head through the pelvis. Unfortunately this softening affects the whole body and so makes it more vulnerable to strain during the pregnancy.

Poor posture may cause backache, neckache, headaches, aching legs and undue fatigue. Osteopathic treatment is helpful in assisting the body to make postural changes more easily and so makes the pregnancy much more comfortable.

Position of the Baby – As the baby grows and takes up more space within the abdomen there is less space for him/her to move about. The mother’s posture has to accommodate the position of the baby and if this conflicts with her own musculoskeletal demands, it may cause undue aches and pains. This is the reason why one pregnancy may be much more uncomfortable to carry than another.

Preparation for Labour

An important part of preparation for childbirth is to ensure that the mother’s pelvis is structurally balanced and so able to allow the passage of the baby down the birth canal.

Trauma to the pelvic bones, coccyx or sacrum at any time in a lady’s life can leave increased tension in muscles and strain within ligaments and bones of the pelvis. This can limit the ability of these bones to separate and move out of the way during labour, and thus reduce the potential size of the pelvic outlet. Osteopathic treatments is extremely effective at releasing old strains within the pelvis, thus giving the best chance of an easy, uncomplicated labour.

In most cases Osteopathic treatment to ensure that the pelvis and uterus are correctly balanced and aligned can help with the discomfort of later pregnancy, possibly help turn the baby into a better position and also help a ‘smooth’ labour.

Treatment After Birth

Birth can be traumatic for both mother & baby – Osteopathy can be effective at helping both to recover.

The mother’s pelvis is vulnerable to lasting strains from the forces involved during labour, particularly after a difficult delivery. After giving birth, the body not only has to recover from the changes it made during pregnancy, but also from the effects of the delivery. All this while doing the very physically and mentally demanding job of caring for a new baby. Caring for a baby can place enormous strain on the back during every day activities such as nursing, lifting car seats, reaching over the cot or carrying the baby on one hip.

Unresolved childbirth stresses in the mother can contribute to ongoing back problems, stress incontinence, constipation, headache and more. Osteopathic treatment can help the mother return to normal physically & mentally after birth by releasing stains from both the pregnancy and the labour. This allows the mother’s body to relax and enjoy her new baby.

The baby can suffer long lasting effects from the moulding process during the birth, and cranial osteopathy can help release these pressures. In turn this helps prevent problems occurring later in life.

Is Osteopathy Safe During Pregnancy?

Osteopaths are highly skilled and undergo a minimum of 4 years training. Gentle Osteopathic techniques are very beneficial and perfectly safe at all stages of pregnancy.