THE PREMIER ADVISOR
The Official Monthly E-Zine of Premier Chiropractic
October 6th, 2014

 

6 Steps to Promote a Proactive & Healthy Pregnancy 

 

Every mom wants a healthy pregnancy. Here are 6 steps to help mom's body to create the best environment possible for herself and baby.

 

1. Reliable Support System

 

A support system is essential. Support system involves your birth team, friends, family, etc. An important piece is choosing a birth provider that you trust. Your pregnancy and labor are very intimate experiences, and to have confidence in those who are to be aiding you is very important. Birth support can drastically affect how your labor can go. Interview Ob/Gyns, hospitals, birthing centers, midwives and doulas, and ask questions! If you are wanting to avoid a c-section as much as possible, ask them what their c-section rate is. If you are wanting to be able to move around during labor, walk, be in water, etc, ask them what their policies are. If you are wanting to not be switched around from person to person, ask them how likely it is that they will be specifically the one to be there at your birth. What would be their reasons for inducing? If you are apprehensive of breastfeeding, ask for a referral for a lactation consultant, or if they have any on staff of where you are birthing. 

 

This is your birthing process, and asking these questions can help you find the support system and birth team that you desire. It is also important to consider who you want (partner, family, friends) to be at your birth, and to explain to them the support and your desire of how you wish to labor. If you find that you are lacking support and you do not have much of a say of where you can labor, interviewing doulas should be high on your list of things to do. Sure, it may not go as planned, but to have an attentive and understanding support system makes the "unplanned events" much easier to go through. Being proactive and asking questions and interviewing various birth providers help you feel better prepared and empowered. 

 

2. Pregnancy and Birthing Classes

Whether it is something that your birth team provides or an external class, pregnancy/birthing classes can be very beneficial. It is often a safe place to learn about your body and how capable it is of going through the changes of pregnancy and labor. Confidence in your body's ability to birth is so vital, and these classes can help address and put away fears. Local natural pregnancy/baby stores and doulas often have suggestions of various classes that are offered in your area.

3. Nutrition

We all know the big ones: no smoking, alcohol, sushi. Mom's nutrition becomes the baby's building blocks for their developing body. Be cautious of foods high in preservatives, chemicals, and aspartame (diet drinks), as these can have known neuro-toxins in them. Finding a good prenatal vitamin is important as well-it helps prevent deficiencies of vitamins that are essential to fetal growth and development.

4. Movement

Walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, running, etc. The biggest thing is to not push past whatever level you were at during your pregnancy. If you have not done a marathon before, this is not the time to start training for one. However, even if you have not had any level of physical activity before your pregnancy, walking is one of the best ways to keep your body moving, especially if your pelvis is properly aligned.

5. Early Chiropractic Care

Many women know to seek a chiropractor during pregnancy for 2 reasons: If their baby is breech, or if they have back pain/sciatica/ligament pain. While specific chiropractic adjustments and techniques may be beneficial in these circumstances, the benefits can be felt earlier on. Consistent chiropractic care throughout pregnancy can not only help mom's body, but the environment for their baby as well. Proper spinal and pelvic alignment throughout pregnancy is key, as the body is adapting to so many changes, beginning at conception. When the spinal shifts are corrected, secondary conditions become addressed and mom's nervous system has a chance to function optimally, which is especially important throughout pregnancy.

6. Relax

Yes, movement is important. And so is relaxing! The parasympathetic nervous system functions best when you are relaxed. It is the part of the nervous system responsible for resting, digesting and healing. Ideally, our bodies should be in the parasympathetic state 80% of the time. However, most of us are not even close to this number. This can have a drastic effect on health. Many moms find themselves "stuck" in sympathetic overload, especially when these other steps listed above are not being addressed. Take the time to do something that brings you happiness and comfort. 

 

 

Probiotics: What You Must Know

 

As consumers, we are lead to think that independent of the source, all probiotics are good for you. Yogurt with cultures of probiotics is the same as probiotics in capsules, correct? Actually, there are a LOT of differences. 

 

It is quite tempting to buy the first yogurt on the shelf that advertises its content of probiotics. Once the label is read and that you are sure the yogurt is not loaded in unnecessary additional sugar, viability of the bacteria strains and the research supporting the label's claims are the next things to look at. Are the strains sturdy enough to survive the production, packaging, transport and delivery process of the product? Most often they are not. Also, the research put together by those companies in order to prove the benefits of their products had test subjects eat yogurt a few times a day for weeks before they could see marked benefits in their intestinal health. If you are not going to eat that much yogurt, a carefully designed probiotic formula might be better for you.

 

Among those, so many are available on the market that it is hard to know which one is the best. The true answer to that is that the best probiotic depends from person to person depending on the pre-existing intestinal flora of the individual. The best advice is to look for a probiotic that offers preferably at least four different strains that are resistant to changing environmental conditions necessary for proper delivery to the GI tract. The strains Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are some examples. 

 

Not sure if you should pick the refrigerated one over the non-refrigerated one? Technology now allows us to keep the bacteria stable at room temperature for a certain period of time through a process called suspended animation. This process has its limitations, however, which is why it is advisable find a product that requires to be refrigerated once opened to preserve potency of the bacteria.

 

With so many different products available out there, you have to know what to look for. In our practice, we carry only the finest quality probiotics. Are they more expensive than your typical probiotic supplement available at the supermarket, department or supplement store? Yes. We do not apologize for the quality of what we carry.

 

 

Spotlight On... The Emmaus Special Entertainment Commission

On this past September 27th, we had the privilege to support an outdoor concert featuring Scott Marshall & The Hillbilly Souls. The event was organized by the Emmaus Special Entertainment Commission and was held in the beautiful Emmaus Community Park. The award-winning Lehigh Valley country band put on a good show with lively sounds and solid lyrics for all music lovers to enjoy. What will be most remembered from that evening however are all the efforts and energy put forth by Paulette Labenberg and her dedicated team of volunteers.

Chatting with her during intermissions and after the concert was over evidenced how much she loves contributing to making the Emmaus community an upbeat, energetic place to live. We already look forward to next summer's events to see what they have in store for us! 

If you would like to get involved and volunteer your time to this dynamic organization, or to simply learn more about the Emmaus Special Entertainment Commission, visit www.emmausent.com
Emmaus Special Entertainment Commission
Mrs. Paulette Labenberg and Dr. J-P
 

Experience the Neuro-Spinal Difference
STAY IN TOUCH  Like us on Facebook    Follow us on Twitter
184 Main Street, Emmaus, PA 610.628.2502

Copyright � 2014. All Rights Reserved.