Modern medical advances like Cesarean sections have been necessary to save the lives of mothers and babies across the world. However, like any medical tool, they can often be misused and overused in a way that causes health concerns and risks for babies and mothers. This is why many people opt to avoid interventions whenever possible during the birth process – whether that be surgical intervention or tools like vacuums and forceps. In preparing for a low-intervention birth, many expectant mothers have success through the care of a Billings chiropractor like Dr. Thomas Keogh.
Why Interventions Should Be Avoided
A recent study out of Australia shed new light on the safety of birth interventions for many children. By looking at 500,000 women with healthy and low-risk pregnancies between 2000 and 2008, researchers were able to gain insight into the effect of birth interventions in the first 28 days of life. The interventions they looked at included induced labor, hormones used to induce labor, vacuum and forceps delivery, and Cesarean sections.
Babies born with any one of these interventions were shown to have more feeding problems and jaundice in the first 28 days when compared to those born vaginally. Other short-term concerns included babies born by C-section having low temperatures.
In addition to these short-term complications, the babies also experienced long-term problems in some cases. For children born via C-section, the study found that there were higher rates of diabetes and obesity by age 5. Children born with any intervention displayed higher rates of respiratory infection, like bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as diabetes, obesity, and eczema. Not all birth interventions can be avoided, and in some cases, they can be lifesaving, but it is important to balance this with the potential risks.
Proactively Avoiding Interventions
If you are looking to avoid birth interventions, you can begin from the moment you become pregnant. Preparing the body for birth and labor includes everything from a healthy diet to getting enough rest to keep yourself and baby safe. But you can also utilize chiropractic care to help prevent the need for interventions.
Chiropractic adjustments, especially those using the Webster technique, can not only reduce pain and discomfort during pregnancy. They are also well known to help position the baby in your pelvis appropriately, which can make labor faster, easier, and less likely to have complications.
Prenatal Adjustments at Bare Chiropractic
Visiting a Billings chiropractor like Dr. Thomas Keogh is a great way to seek safe, effective care throughout your pregnancy. Whether you are looking to relieve pain, get better sleep, or proactively avoid birth interventions, you will find many benefits to care at Bare Chiropractic. Our team is dedicated to keeping you and your baby safe, comfortable, and well-prepared for birth.
When you schedule your first appointment, let us know that you are expecting. We will take special care to ensure you have the proper adjustment table and that we work towards your specific goals, including a healthy and intervention-free delivery.
Sources
Borggren, C.L. “Pregnancy and Chiropractic: A Narrative Review of the Literature.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 2007 Spring; 6(2): 70-74. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647084/.
Choahan, N. “Birth Interventions ‘Negatively Impact Child’s Long-Term Health.’” The Sydney Morning Herald, 2018 Mar. https://www.smh.com.au/national/birth-interventions-negatively-impact-child-s-long-term-health-20180325-p4z66i.html.
