Perinatal Chiropractic Care
"Chiropractic care during pregnancy can help create balance in the pelvis, making both baby and mama more comfortable."
Dr. Susan Barrett-Naccarato
Pregnancy is an amazing time in a woman’s life. Her body is going through many changes physically, emotionally, and mentally. Chiropractic care can help decrease discomfort and prepare the pelvis for delivery.
Early in pregnancy, the body produces the hormone relaxin, which loosens the ligaments of the body to prepare the pelvis for delivery. Often this laxity can lead to instability of the sacrum and pelvis as well as any other joint in the body, causing discomfort and pain.
Chiropractic care during pregnancy can help with:
Backache
Neck pain
Headache
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Pubic Symphysis Pain
Round ligament pain
Maintaining a healthier pregnancy
Dr. Barrett is also Webster Technique Certified, which allows for balancing of the pelvis which can affect fetal positioning and labor and delivery.
What To Expect With An Infants First Visit
If you are considering seeking chiropractic care for your infant, you most likely have a lot of questions. We get it! Dr. Susan considers it an honor and privilege to be trusted to care for your baby. Your baby may be having feeding and/or latch challenges, reflux, ‘colic’, or maybe your baby’s head is tilted or turned to one side or your baby is holding a lot of tension in his body. Dr. Susan can help!
Dr. Susan begins each new patient visit with a detailed history of what challenges you and your baby are facing. She is interested in your pregnancy, labor, delivery, how your baby is feeding, and your baby’s overall state of being to name a few.
After the history and consultation, Dr. Susan will do an examination starting with a visual inspection, looking for facial symmetry, head-turning preference, and overall tone of the facial muscles. She is also looking for body curvature and body symmetry and assessing the cranial bones. All these things can affect how a baby feels and its ability to feed efficiently.
Next is a gentle examination. Dr. Susan will gently palpate (using the amount of pressure you would use to test a ripe tomato) and assess neck movement, sacral movement, and spinal movement. She will examine your baby’s head for possible flat spots or limitations of cranial movement. Because of where the nerves that supply the tongue and swallowing exit the skull, proper upper neck, and cranial movement are essential for your baby to feed efficiently. Dr. Susan will also assess your baby’s suck and assess tongue function and jaw mobility.
With your permission, Dr. Susan will next proceed to adjust your baby if examination findings indicate the need for an adjustment. Again, the pressure to work on infants is about the pressure you would use to test a tomato. There is NO popping or cracking. She may use an instrument called an Activator to adjust your baby. The Activator has ten settings and she uses the gentlest setting and often through her finger when adjusting infants. Most babies relax and often will sleep through an adjustment, it’s that gentle! You will be with your baby for the entirety of the appointment.