Great pregnancy care comes in many different packages – including Chiropractic Care! One of those things we love at The WOMB is how chiropractic care looks after the WHOLE person – AND the little one that pregnant people are carrying! Sometimes, babies present in a bum or feet down position (called breech) instead of head down which is more typical and common (and easier to birth). There are many ways that The WOMB can help with a breech pregnancy and support a baby into a head down position. That chiropractic assessment and protocol is called Webster Technique.
WHAT IS WEBSTER TECHNIQUE?
Webster Technique is a gentle chiropractic technique designed for pregnant people and/or mamas-to-be that aligns the pelvis and includes a soft tissue release of the associated muscle groups. Chiropractors check mamas for pelvic subluxations that could be interfering with their baby’s ability to sit in an optimal positioning within the womb.
Misalignments and muscular/ligamentous tension may cause Intrauterine constraint, which may cause aches and pains for the pregnant person and possible challenges for baby like the inability to move into an ideal head down birth presentation. The goal of Webster Technique is therefore to reduce the effects of subluxations and dysfunction at the base of the spine and pelvis, and in doing so the function of the pelvis can be restored. Restoring function of the pelvis, often means, the baby will turn head down by themselves! In fact, studies show that Webster Technique has an 82% success rate!
Note** WE DO NOT “FLIP BABIES” – we just want to restore normal function for pregnant people and their baby by simply removing any tension and then optimizing alignment which allows the innate wisdom of mama and baby to do the rest!
WHAT ARE THE STATS?
In the most recent research (2002, JMPT), Webster’s Technique has a high rate (82%) of success in relieving the muscular and skeletal causes of intrauterine constraint AND is less invasive than External Cephalic Version (ECV) – a medical procedure used to turn babies from breech to head down. Alternatively, ECV has a 53.4% success rate in 2nd time birthing parents and between 20-30% in first time birthing parents (2021, ACGS)
WHAT TO EXPECT IN AN APPOINTMENT
Your chiropractor will check your entire spine with each prenatal visit to optimize all nerve flow to the body and uterus, and also focus on aligning your pelvic and sacral bones. Soft and gentle releases of ligaments such as the round ligaments (that can become stretched and tight as baby grows), can make a difference in your comfort. Theses releases also help to optimize the function of your uterus for birth and make space for baby to get into a great position!
FAQ:
Are we physically moving the baby in utero?
No. We are never directly attempting to move baby itself – we are only putting our hands on bones, muscles or ligaments of the pregnant person’s body. By aligning and releasing these structures, baby has the oppourtunity to get into optimal positioning within the womb.
It is safe?
Without a doubt. This technique has been around for a long while, and has been used extensively, as well as extensively researched over the years. It is a gentle, safe, and effective technique that is specifically designed for pregnancy – so there is no harm to baby or parent.
Thank you to Dr. Jessica Santos at The WOMB Burlington for putting together this information! Dr. Jess is a Webster Certified Chiropractor, a Certified Pre and Post Natal Coach (CPPC), and is certified and has extensive experience working with the PIPS (Pediatric Intraoral Palate Specific) technique and associated bodywork, which is intended to identify and treat suspected or confirmed intraoral dysfunction related to tethered oral tissues (such as tongue tie and lip tie), TMJD, and poor tongue function (both pre and post revision).