Unborn babies fully develop after an average of 40 weeks in the womb. However, only 4% of expectant mothers deliver on their due date. Most pregnant women may give birth either a few days after or before the calculated date.

Sometimes, your healthcare provider may need to induce labor before, at, or after your delivery date. Getting a professional chiropractor to help induce labor is an excellent natural option. Here is an overview of the different chiropractic treatment methods available at Reinhardt Chiropractic that may induce labor.

Inducing Labor at the Hospital

Labor induction is an artificial process doctors, and midwives use to help start muscle contractions needed for delivering your baby. Ideally, labor should happen instinctively when the baby is at full term. However, labor doesn’t always happen as expected, and different medical problems can arise, putting you or your baby in danger. Some of the conditions that call for labor induction are:

  • High blood pressure
  • Poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy
  • Too little amniotic fluid to support the baby
  • Uterine infections
  • Close to 2 weeks past your due date
  • Seizures during pregnancy
  • Rhesus factor incompatibility

Your doctor can use different medical methods to hasten the delivery process. For instance, drugs such as prostaglandins and Pitocin are popular in hospitals. Applying or depositing the prostaglandin in your birth canal helps to soften and ripen the cervix, preparing it for delivery.

Pitocin is a hormone that initiates uterine contraction. The doctor may inject you with a specific amount to kickstart labor. These drugs, however, can have side effects on you and the baby. They can intensify your contractions so much that they come quicker and closer together, resulting in serious pain. Intense contractions can also increase the baby’s heart rate.

Alternatively, your doctor can break your water artificially or perform membrane stripping. The healthcare provider uses a small plastic hook or gloved finger to open the amniotic sac. This procedure moves your unborn baby closer to the cervix, which may initiate labor.

In membrane stripping, the midwife sweeps the thin amniotic sac membrane with their sterile finger. This sweeping motion stimulates your body to produce prostaglandins that naturally induce labor. Initiating the birthing process with these methods comes with several risks. Membrane stripping and rupture of membrane increase the risk of infections. The umbilical cord can also slip out and end up being compressed, restricting blood flow to the baby.  

Because of this, most women want to induce naturally before the hospital visit. Fortunately, there are many ways to try and accomplish this. 

Chiropractic Methods to Induce Labor 

Pregnancy can be an exciting experience. However, the uncertainty surrounding when and in what conditions you’ll give birth may leave you distressed. With the delivery date fast approaching, you can opt to take charge of your situation by visiting a chiropractor to induce labor. A few of the chiropractic methods you can choose from include:

Massage

An experienced massage therapist can use induction massage to help initiate labor. This technique is ideal for expectant mothers experiencing stress, fatigue, and anxiety. Massage therapists perform deep tissue massages that involve pressing down into the muscles.

The therapist can also use long strokes to target painful areas like the lower back and joints. A well-executed induction massage relaxes the mind, relieves joint pain, reduces stress, and helps maintain a healthy pregnancy. Relaxation decreases stress hormones in your body while increasing oxytocin, which is key for natural labor induction.  

Fascial Stretch Therapy

Fascia is a rigid yet thin tissue covering that encases the different muscles in your body. Fascial stretch therapy is an interactive version of massage therapy. Instead of lying passively on the massage table, you follow specific commands your therapist issues throughout the session. This induction method allows you to relax and reprogram tense muscles fully.

The sessions also improve blood circulation, which can get quite sluggish since blood volume increases by 40 to 50% during pregnancy. Our Denver Chiropractic and Wellness Care team can customize the stretch therapy sessions based on your current physique to meet your unique needs.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is an art form that promotes natural body processes such as healing and labor on the expected delivery date. Pregnancy can be difficult for expectant mothers, with the body undergoing rapid changes to accommodate a growing baby. One common side effect of pregnancy is low back pain, which worsens as your belly grows and the ligaments offering spinal support become weaker.

Chiropractic care can restore balance to your pelvis by relieving tension in your muscles and ligaments. This treatment method promotes proper fetal positioning, allowing labor to progress normally.

Active Release Treatment

Active release treatment (ART) combines precise movements and manipulation that health care providers use to promote healing in soft tissue injuries. This therapy can effectively manage pain arising from scar tissue buildup. Scar tissue may be common in the uterine muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves of women that have had previous pregnancies. By promoting blood flow, ART relieves severe pain, encourages healing, and induces labor in term pregnancies.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few common questions expectant mothers may have when exploring chiropractic care:

Can a Chiropractor Help Start Labor?

Pregnancy comes with its fair share of worries, such as delayed labor. Using different techniques, a professional chiropractor can stimulate your body to release specific hormones needed to start labor. Chiropractic care also relaxes the mind and renews your energy in preparation for labor.

Should I Try to Induce Labor?

Labor is a naturally occurring process, but specific instances may compel you to consider induction. Discuss with your healthcare provider to understand how your pregnancy is progressing and prepare adequately for when it’s time to give birth.  

Can Chiropractic Care Make Labor Shorter?

Chiropractic care may help shorten labor. Regular pelvic and spinal adjustments during chiropractic sessions restore any misalignment that arises during pregnancy. Your pelvic muscles, tendons, and ligaments also gain relief from tightness or restrictions, enabling a faster birthing process.

Help Induce Labor With Reinhardt Chiropractic

Labor can be an unnerving experience for pregnant women. You’ll need extensive care and support to ensure the safe birth of your newborn. Chiropractic care can help speed up labor, relieve lower back pain, and manage stress. We at Reinhardt Chiropractic offer extensive chiropractic services to help you deal with the challenges of pregnancy. Contact us today to get professional chiropractic care.