Pregnancy and Postpartum
Chiropractic for pregnancy and postpartum mums
Gentle care for your body as it changes, before and after your baby arrives.
Pregnancy and the months after birth ask a lot of your body. Your posture shifts, your pelvis and ligaments soften and expand, sleep is disrupted, and stress and tiredness add up. At Spinal Somatics Lismore, upstairs at 89 Molesworth St, we offer gentle chiropractic care for mums-to-be and new mums.
Why gentle care suits pregnancy
Spinal Somatics is a gentle, precise approach to chiropractic that uses quite light, brief contacts to work with the tension your nervous system is holding. There are no forceful techniques involved, which many pregnant and postpartum mums prefer. We have specially designed pillows that let you lie face down comfortably as your pregnancy progresses. When that becomes uncomfortable, we modify our approach so it can be done sitting and/or lying on your back.
What we help with during pregnancy
People come to us with for help with:
Low back, hip and pelvic pain, including sciatica
Neck pain, headaches and tension in the shoulders
Rib, chest and breathing discomfort as baby grows
Trouble sleeping or getting comfortable
Tension, stress or feeling worn down
Maintaining pelvic alignment and movement to prepare for birth
Pelvic positioning and breech
If your baby is in a breech position, or your midwife or obstetrician has mentioned it, we can assess how your pelvis is positioned and moving. Pelvic tension and positioning are one of the things that may influence how a baby is lying. We can't promise that this will change your baby's position, but we can check whether pelvic tension is a factor and, if it is, work gently with it, alongside the rest of your care team.
After the birth
The weeks and months after birth bring their own strain: broken sleep, carrying and feeding your baby, and recovering from labour and birth, whether that is natural or with intervention. Postpartum care is gentle and unhurried. We look at how your back, pelvis, neck and shoulders are coping, and how you're holding tension. If something is better looked at by another part of your care team, we'll tell you or refer you for an opinion. We're happy to work alongside your midwife, obstetrician and GP.
What your first visit looks like
We start by listening: understanding how your pregnancy or recovery is going, anything that is concerning you, and other factors including sleep and stress. We check how your back, pelvis and neck are moving, then explain what we find and what we recommend. Your first visit is longer and we allow 1 hour. Regular visits are typically around 15 minutes.
Common questions
Is it safe during pregnancy? Yes, our contacts are light and brief, about the amount of pressure you would use to check if an avocado is ripe, and we adapt them where necessary as your pregnancy progresses. There are no forceful techniques used during pregnancy.
We have specially designed pillows so you can lie face down comfortably, and we change positions when you need us to. If you have any concerns we'll talk through these with you, and if you have a high-risk pregnancy or any complications, we'll also check in with your midwife or obstetrician.
Can I come in the first trimester? Yes, we regularly care for women at all stages of their pregnancy.
How soon after birth can I come? As soon as you are practically able. This varies depending on whether your birth had any complications or interventions (such as C-section surgery recovery).
Can I bring my baby? Yes of course, though it's easier if someone can hold your baby while you're on the table, unless they're sleeping or settled. If necessary we can always work while you hold your baby. We have a comfortable lounge should they need a feed.
Meet Dr Stephen Foster [here]