Pregnancy, Postural Changes and the 7 Stages of Birth

Why women are the stronger gender

Throughout history, women have possessed the wisdom and strength to bring life into the world. A successful natural birth leaves a woman with a profound sense of empowerment that lasts a lifetime.

By its nature, birth is overwhelming, unpredictable, and inevitable. Birth is the most intense and perilous experience we all undergo in our lifetime, demanding every bit of our adaptive potential for survival.  It challenges a woman to confront her deepest fears in a way nothing else can. Yet, paradoxically, the key to navigating this seemingly insurmountable journey lies within her own body—it simply requires surrender. Trusting her body gives her to access the innate guidance and resilience needed for the process.

A successful birth can give a woman an unshakable confidence in herself and the natural power of her body, making her the stronger gender.

Postural Changes during Pregnancy

The body goes through some confusing changes during pregnancy. Initially, as the belly expands, pressure is placed on the muscles. Subsequently pressure is placed on both the ligaments and the joints of the pelvic girdle and the whole spine. 

One of the secrets of a pain-free pregnancy is a symmetrically balanced pelvis. If this is achieved and maintained through the pregnancy, the weight of the upper body will translate evenly through the pelvic girdle into the legs, and the pelvis remains the optimal oval shape required for a successful, natural birth.

The sacroiliac joints of the pelvic girdle and the associated ligaments paradoxically soften as the weight they handle increases. The expanding tummy shifts the centre of gravity forward, impacting the spinal curves, which can lead to low back pain, pubic symphysis pain, and sciatica, as well as neck pain. These changes are driven by hormones and their aim a flexible pelvic girdle  capable of birthing. 

A fully functioning nervous system successfully balances all these complexities. Our chiropractic  care during pregnancy supports optimal brain-body communication, so your body can successfully juggle all the moving parts and do what it is designed to do.

Pregnancy and Chiropractic

We offer skilled chiropractic care designed to navigate all these postural changes, resolve your  emotional challenges and address the nutritional requirements of your pregnancy.  The goal is for you to go into childbirth fully prepared and reap the reward of a successful natural birth. 

The 7 Stages of Birth

• 1) Last few days before labour. Characterised by Braxton-Hicks contractions

and acute, sharp cervix pains, this is the time to express anxieties.

• 2) Pre-labour. Sometimes involving a clear or discoloured ‘show’, this is the time to relax and get some rest.
• 3) Early first stage. Exemplified by regular, wave-like contractions that are strong, but not all-consuming, this is the time to walk, do yoga, and distract yourself.
• 4) Late first stage. Embodied by contractions 1-4 minutes apart, lasting 40-90 seconds, this is the time to keep upright and apply heat to the back and tummy.
• 5) Transition. Relentless and overwhelming contractions require you ‘re-centre’, trust the process and stay grounded. You’re approaching the eye of the storm. Fully express your emotions and resist the urge to push.
• 6) Second stage. Around 30-90 minutes long, this is birth. All consuming contractions combined with stretching and stinging feelings will require all your resources. Let your body do what it is built to do. Once born, hold your baby.
• 7) Third stage. The placenta gets delivered 20-30 minutes after birth. There is no need to hurry and is a process encouraged by your baby suckling on your breast

Things to consider

Going full term is like downloading a file. The last stage is critical. Even at a 100% download we often still have to wait before we can open the file. The importance of waiting until birth starts naturally is due to the hormonal signals to the baby. Those hormones prepare it for what is about to happen, getting the nervous system ready. Not caught off guard, the nervous system can change into the required adaptive state and engage all the resources needed to get through birth intact. This final signal that birth is starting comes via contractions or broken waters. 

Once birth has started, mother's feeling of safety is of upmost importance. Most women naturally move into the parasympathetic state of safety and will gravitate toward environments that foster safety. Not feeling safe will hinder surrendering. Without surrender the birth stalls.  Self-determination is critical. Any outside stipulation on how things should be or how they should progress can undermine feeling safe. A clock ticking toward an end point guarantees unsettlement. The answer to feeling safe comes from preparation. A birthing plan is vital. A partner who is fully present, protects the mother and put her needs first also goes a long way.

Separation between mother and bay, although never unnecessary, can create a lot of issues  From the baby's point of view, mother's heart beat is the anchor. If that sound disappears for more than a few minutes, baby will move into a sense of isolation. Luckily, Dad's presence can breach this gap. If separation disconnects baby from both mum and dad, then this experience has to be healed purposefully upon reunion. Mostly achieved via skin-on-skin contact between mother and baby, breast feeding facilitates this healing beautifully.