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Prenatal Chiropractic Care

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Pregnancy is a time of constant and exciting change in a woman’s physiology and overall life as her body prepares for the athletic event of birth. It is important for expecting moms to assemble a birth team to help guide them through these changes and optimize their experience.

In addition to choosing their birth provider, doula, lactation consultant and birth preparation classes, many women are realizing the importance of prenatal chiropractic care. Prenatal chiropractic care addresses the neuro-biomechanics of your pregnancy, which is essential for your body to be able to organically adapt to the physical and functional changes during every stage of this beautiful and natural process.

What does this mean for you?

Chiropractic checkups and adjustments, when necessary, can…

  • Balance the body and soft tissues of the pelvis, preparing your pelvis for an easier birth.
  • Align your pelvis to ensure that it is moving properly.
  • Reduce torsion and tension on the uterus and its supporting ligaments.
  • Allow for the pelvis to open wider during birth.
  • Ensure optimum nerve function.

Your nervous system controls the function of every cell in your body, including your uterus and pelvic muscles – the main muscles of labor.

Chiropractic care during pregnancy can also benefit your baby. The nervous system is the first system that forms in your baby during the 3rd week after conception. Since your nervous system communicates with your baby’s nervous system, proper function can contribute to better development. Balancing your pelvis also allows your baby the chance to have the most room to develop without physical restrictions to the growth of their cranium, spine and other skeletal structures. Also, this can help the baby move into the best possible birth position when it is their time to arrive.

All of these factors can contribute to a more natural birth as well as a significant decrease in dystocia and birth trauma caused by interventions.

Chiropractic care can help make your pregnancy and birth experience healthier and more enjoyable while helping to minimize the risk. No wonder millions of women include chiropractors as a vital member of their birth team.

Schedule an appointment for your family today.

Contributed by Dr. Emily Plasker, 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate Chiropractor in Bend, Oregon

Preparing for a Healthy Pregnancy

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Give Your Baby a Healthy Start

Planning a family is an exciting time for any couple. There are books to read, videos to watch and doting relatives all too willing to share their stories. With the possibility that your baby could live to be 80, 90, 100 years and beyond, soon-to-be parents need to understand their choices and how those choices will affect your baby for a lifetime.

The best thing you can do for your baby is to give him or her a good head start in life by having a healthy pregnancy. But did you know that having a healthy pregnancy can actually begin before conception? Healthy lifestyle habits prior to conception will better your chances of providing the best developmental environment for your child while they are in the womb.

Risky behaviors should be avoided, such as using drugs, over-indulging in alcohol, and exposure to tobacco products. Just as important as the list of “what not to do when planning a baby” is the list of “things to start doing.” This includes proper nutrition, prenatal vitamins, exercise and stress reduction.

Proper Nutrition is Vital

Proper nutrition is vitally important to the health of your baby. The food you eat becomes the building blocks your baby’s Innate Intelligence will use to develop their eyes, ears, lungs, heart, muscles, skin and brain. There are many ways to determine which foods are most beneficial and why, but to keep things simple, follow this guideline: If it grows, eat it. If it comes in a package with an ingredient list of more than 5-6 items, choose something else. Foods that have been processed the least usually offer more nutrients, are more readily digested and are healthier than those foods that are highly processed and contain chemicals.
In addition to eating healthy, prenatal vitamins can ensure that Moms receive adequate amounts of Vitamins A, B-1, B-2, Niacin, B-6, B-12, C, D and E, as well as Folic Acid, Calcium, Iron and usually Zinc. Prenatal vitamins should be considered 6 weeks before conception. Choose vitamins from a trusted source that don’t include fillers and chemicals. Check the ingredient list to see if your vitamins were derived from a whole food source, or if they were engineered in a chemical factory. Remember, what you put in your body directly affects your unborn child.

Get Your ESS in Shape

Exercise is beneficial to both Mom and baby. Studies show that a Mom who exercises through the duration of her pregnancy may experience little to no morning sickness, nausea, back pain, swelling and other irritations sometimes seen in pregnancy. All 3 components of The 100 Year Lifestyle Workout should be a part of your fitness plan. So wherever you are on your journey toward motherhood, the time has come to Get Your ESS in Shape – Endurance, Strength and Structure (your spine and nervous system).

Moms should take all steps necessary to lessen stress before and during pregnancy. Stress takes a toll on the mother’s body and can adversely affect her ability to adapt. Chiropractic adjustments relieve the effects of stress on the nervous system, allowing the body to function and adapt at higher levels.

The lifestyle choices you make now will have an effect on your baby from the moment of conception until their very last breath 80, 90 and maybe even 100 years down the road. Take the steps necessary to start enjoying a healthy active life while providing your baby the foundations for theirs.

Learn more at www.educatedpregnancy.com

© 2012. TFP, Inc. and www.100yearlifestyle.com. All Rights Reserved.

Natural Fertility Support

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Starting or expanding your family may be an important component of your 100 Year Lifestyle. Fertility challenges can be discouraging and frustrating. To increase your chances for an easy conception and pregnancy, keep your spine and nervous system healthy with Lifestyle Care and try some of these healthy tips!

AVOID – MicroNutrient deficiencies which can result from stress, smoking, toxins, poor diet, and prescription medications including certain contraceptives.

TRY – A good whole food multivitamin and probiotic, during and after birth control use, to prevent nutritional deficiency and restore already depleted levels.

AVOID – Having an abnormal body mass index. Being underweight or overweight can affect fertility in both males and females. In a person who is underweight, the body naturally panics and shuts down many important bodily processes and literally turns down reproduction.

With obesity, adiponectin (a protein released by fat cells that assists in burning up fat) decreases. Adiponectin would normally help to make the body more sensitive to insulin (which enhances ovulation). Without sufficient adiponectin, the body becomes resistant to insulin and fertility is compromised.

TRY – Normalizing weight before trying to conceive. Good nutrition helps to create a “clean slate” within the body that helps it to respond and utilize other natural remedies better. Try “cleaning and greening” your life before trying to conceive. Be sure that you are eating adequate amounts of foods such as dark leafy greens, sesame seeds, seaweed, almonds, quinoa, chia, and bone broth to maintain proper hormone production.

AVOID – Oxidative stress. This is heavily linked with many chronic diseases and fertility challenges. When we are exposed to environmental stress such as pollution, radiation, toxins in the home and work place, caffeine, smoking and drugs, the body accumulates oxidative stress. This may result in significant damage to cell structures, sperm cell development and ovary function, decreasing chances of fertilization and increasing the chance of miscarriage. Hundreds of synthetic chemicals found in our environment are now identified as hormone disruptors for ovulation, fertilization and implantation of the embryo.

TRY – Natural products for household cleaning, body care, pest and weed control and building materials.

AVOID – Spinal subluxations which occur when there are misalignments of the spine or pelvis. This results in altered joint motion and nerve irritation which can lessen organ function and general health. Both the severity of the subluxation and the length of time it has been left uncorrected dictate the impact on fertility.

TRY – Living “free and clear” so proper nerve messages that initiate and sustain reproduction can do their job. Don’t wait for a crisis to get started under chiropractic care. Make the critical transition to Lifestyle Care to optimize the function of your nervous system, which can contribute to the likelihood of conceiving.

Whether you are planning to conceive or not quite yet, these tips will help you live healthier and prepare you for parenting.

Contributed by Dr. Kendra Becker

Healthier Pregnancy, Healthier Life

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New longevity research declares that babies born today could routinely live to 100-120 years and beyond. Parents need to know how their lifestyle will affect their baby today, tomorrow and for a lifetime.

It’s wise for pregnant moms to reduce and avoid stress.
Stress affects longevity by shortening telomeres, the caps on chromosomes. They are considered the timekeepers of the cell and telomere shortening can happen at any age. When umbilical cord blood is drawn from newborns, the babies whose mothers experienced more stress during pregnancy showed shorter telomeres than those moms who experienced easier or less stressful pregnancies.(1)

If conditions during pregnancy were not ideal, then embracing a healthy lifestyle now with good nutrition, exercise and a balanced spine and nervous system are vital for mom and child, to preserve and optimize their longevity potential while also reducing the risk of degenerative diseases.

The science of epigenetics empowers us with the knowledge that we have greater control over our own and our baby’s destiny than we may have thought. Depending on the research you read, between five to 30 percent of disease development is determined by your genetics while 70 percent or more being related to your lifestyle choices, how we take care of ourselves today. This is a game changer for making the extra effort to create the healthiest pregnancy, delivery and environment for mom and baby. A vitalistic, less stressful pre and post-natal phase can set the stage for health.

The old saying “you are what you eat” is especially true during pregnancy and quality prenatal supplementation plus eating nutritious whole food is important. Include protein sources rich in omega 3 fatty acids and free from hormones and antibiotics. Eliminate exposure to toxins, pesticides and estrogen mimickers commonly found in plastics, sunscreens, cleaning agents and insecticides. Pesticide exposure can be reduced swiftly by switching to organic foods.

Regular exercise like walking, swimming and stretching prepares the body well for labor. Building strength will prepare mom for the endurance needed during delivery and the weeks following birth.

The structure of the mom’s pelvis can determine her ability to carry and deliver her baby in a healthier way. Lifestyle chiropractic care can align her pelvis and contribute to a delivery with less stress on her and her baby. If mom’s pelvis and/or sacrum are misaligned, abnormal tension can occur in her nerve system leading to unnecessary complications such as breach or transverse presentation, back pain, sciatica or severe ‘back labor’.

Women receiving chiropractic adjustments report shorter labor times and better delivery experiences. Offering the gift of a chiropractic checkup to an expectant mother can be the highlight gift at every baby shower. Proper spinal alignment before, during and after pregnancy sets the stage for mom and baby to live their ideal 100 Year Lifestyle.

1. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Feb;208(2):134.e1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2012.11.033. Epub 2012 Nov 27.

Contributed by Drs. David and Lorraine Melendez, A 100 Year Lifestyle Affiliate in Cardiff by the Sea, CA

Pregnancy, Posture & Fitness

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Every pregnant woman wants to bring a healthy and vibrant child into this world. Making healthy choices during pregnancy is a critical component to handling the physical, mental and emotional demands of pregnancy while ensuring a safe birth and long, vitalistic life for both you and your baby.

Women’s bodies were innately designed to give birth. When pregnant the hormone Relaxin is produced to relax the muscles, ligaments and tendons to accommodate for the growing baby. As a woman approaches the end of the first trimester, increased weight in the belly creates a pelvic tilt forward creating a more exaggerated curve in the lumbar spine. Oxytocin, another hormone, helps create effective contractions while simultaneously acting as the body’s natural pain reliever and preventing bleeding after labor. These changes create more space, protection and stability for the growing baby.

A fitness regimen throughout the pregnancy and post-partum period supports the desire for an uncomplicated pregnancy and birth. Unfortunately, recent research shows that only 1 out of every 6 pregnant women exercise a light to moderate intensity most days of the week (Fieril).

As a mother’s weight increases, her center of gravity shifts outward and postural changes such as instability in the spine and pelvis occur (Ohm). Some of the instability in the spine and pelvis comes from a weakened pelvic floor and core thus creating less intra-abdominal pressure.

Fortunately, poor posture has been perceived as being improved through fitness and chiropractic care during pregnancy (Fieril). One study revealed that urinary incontinence as a result of weakened pelvic floor is a common condition in pregnancy and in the post-partum period. Chiropractic care has been shown to effectively improve the muscular tone and restoration of the articular function twice as much as no care at all (Roy).

Staying active while pregnant has been reported and described by women as “enjoying using their muscles during exercise” which leads to a “psychological boost”. Chiropractic care at the core of a healthy lifestyle, in conjunction with physical fitness during pregnancy, helps mom achieve optimal health and peak performance so that her body can better adapt to the demands of the birth process. A healthy nervous system ensures a healthier growing baby during pregnancy, a safer pregnancy for mom and full life expression for both today and throughout a lifetime.

Pregnancy is an empowering and natural experience that should be looked upon as something other than a disorder to be monitored. Do you have questions on where to start for your fitness routine during pregnancy? Ask your 100 Year Lifestyle chiropractor today to learn how to keep your spine and nervous system healthy throughout pregnancy. Lifestyle chiropractic care along with physical activity during pregnancy prepares mom for the endurance, strength and structure needed during labor and birth.

Take charge of your body and the decisions made prenatal, perinatal and post-partum to support you and your newborn’s 100 Year Lifestyle.

Contributed by Heather Kimbley, BA, AAS, PTA

Fieril KP., Olsen MF., Glantz A., Larsson M. Experiences of Exercise During Pregnancy Among Women Who Perform Regular Resistance Training: A Qualitative Study. Phys Ther 2014; 94 (8): 1135-1143. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20120432

Roy, AM. Pelvic muscle floor training in a case of postpartum urinary incontinence. JCCP. 13; 2, 1017-124. December 2012. http://jccponline.com/jccp_v13_n2.pdf

Ohm, J. Chiropractic care for an easier pregnancy and safer birth. PathWays to Family Wellness magazine, Dec. 1st, #24 http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/Pregnancy-Birth/chiropractic-care-for-an-easier-pregnancy-and-safer-birth.html