During pregnancy, your body ramps up production of a certain ligament- and joint-loosening hormone called relaxin that paves the way for baby to make an exit. 

But relaxin, combined with your bigger belly, can leave you loose-limbed, wobbly and a bit clumsy. Your body is growing fast, and sometimes your ligaments and muscles have trouble keeping up. And all of that combined can do quite a number on your back and spine. 

Enter prenatal chiropractic care, or the process of adjusting and realigning your spinal column (and the ligaments and muscles around it) in order to ease the discomfort that goes along with being pregnant. Think an adjustment is in order? Here’s what you need to know first.

What is a prenatal chiropractor?

Prenatal chiropractors are practitioners trained in techniques of stretching, applying controlled pressure and making specific joint manipulations.  

With expecting patients, they may use the Webster Technique, a method specifically developed for pregnant women. It’s supposed to ensure your baby has enough room to move around and, in the later stages of pregnancy, to possibly help turn breech babies. The thought is that if your baby can move around more easily, then she’s more likely to end up in the head-down position. 

The technique usually involves some adjustments to the sacrum (a large bone at the base of the spine) and a short, gentle massage of the round ligament at the center of your growing belly. Relieving tension along the round ligament may help make space so gravity can pull your baby downward when it’s time for labor. 

Some research has shown that spinal adjustments may also alleviate tension in the ligaments surrounding the pelvis as well as any lower back pain associated with your growing belly. 

Prenatal chiropractic visits range in cost from around $65 to $100, and insurance often covers the cost of visits. 

Is it safe to go to a chiropractor during pregnancy?

You should talk to your provider before visiting a chiropractor to ensure it’s safe for you and your baby. Make sure that any chiropractor you choose is licensed by your state and has been trained specifically to work on pregnant women. 

You’ll also want him or her to use an adjustable table designed to keep pressure off your stomach during treatments. Once you’re in the third trimester, it’s also not a good idea to lie on your back during a chiropractic session. 

Prenatal chiropractic adjustments are generally considered safe during pregnancy and studies have not linked them to an increased risk of miscarriage. But more research still needs to be done.. 

What are the benefits of seeing a chiropractor while pregnant?

It's thought that chiropractic care may help soothe the muscles and ligaments that change as your body grows, which in turn may pave the way for  a smoother delivery. But many of those claims are unproven.

Still, enthusiasts contend that seeing a chiropractor while pregnant may reduce a host of pregnancy concerns including: 

  • Low back pain
  • Ligament pain
  • Morning sickness
  • Breech babies
  • Pelvis and sacrum pain
  • Length of labor

How often should you go to a chiropractor while pregnant?

While there is no set schedule for visiting a chiropractor while pregnant, practitioners recommend regular visits — around once a month throughout pregnancy for optimal alignment of the spine. If you have a particular discomfort that you’d like addressed, you may require more routine visits. 

Talk to your doctor and make sure it’s safe for you to start treatments, especially if you’re considered a high-risk pregnancy. While the Webster Technique is designed for use in  the third trimester, manipulation of the sacrum may soothe the back and ligament pain that ails you during the earlier stages of pregnancy too.

So if your loose limbs and growing belly are throwing you out of alignment, getting an adjustment might help ease the discomforts that are weighing you down. And who knows? going to a chiropractor later in pregnancy might even help get your baby ready to nose-dive down into the birth canal.