Chiropractic care for back pain during pregnancy, breastfeeding and healthy baby.

Chiropractic care and pregnancy go hand in hand. A women’s body experiences dramatic transformations during pregnancy and back pain due to those rapid posture changes are not uncommon. In many cases women are reluctant to take any medication during their pregnancy, so using natural approaches can bring welcome relief. Regular chiropractic adjustments can help women deal successfully with all kinds of discomfort from headaches to back pain.

But how can chiropractic care help with breastfeeding and baby’s health? Sounds far fetched? Not at all.

“During delivery, a child goes through a lot of maneuvering.” – explains Dr. Donna J. Hedgepeth, DC, DACCP, who holds diplomate certification for Pregnancy and Pediatric Chiropractic Care. – “The natural pressure during contractions and the baby’s natural positioning changes help them descend through the birth canal. However, this does allow for potential times of stress on the child’s body.”

Some reasons to seek care or red flags that parents of a newborn must look at:

Poor latching during breastfeeding
Poor feeding
Grumpy, fussy child
Child who does not like particular positions or turning toward a particular side
Poor elimination
Colic or constant bellyache
Poor sleep pattern

“As a child grows there are also certain developmental times in which it could be a good idea to bring her in for a check-up. If the body has any hidden injuries present in the musculoskeletal system, then I will perform an adjustment to help. The baby will feed better, sleep better, and cry less. Parents are then better able to enjoy special time with their newborn more” – continues Dr. Hedgepeth, DC, DACCP.

Regular chiropractic care also helps to deal with many childhood issues like repeat fluid build up in the ears and histories of infections and frequent Colds.

“I strongly believe that patient and the family are active members of their wellness team. I teach my clients the lost art of self-treatment at home with simple home remedies like massage, ergonomic review, herbal teas, and essential oils. This knowledge used to be passed down from generation to generation. Unfortunately, we now have a gap.” –Dr. Hedgepeth is passionate about education.

She is very active with NC Breastfeeding Coalition and Triangle Breastfeeding Alliance: “Experts agree that breastfed babies are overall healthier than their formula fed counterparts. As a group we work with local businesses to educate them about the benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is good for business: moms are healthier, babies are healthier. Less sick days brings more productivity, not to mention potential tax perks for the company when they set up lactation rooms. We encourage businesses to set up these lactation rooms at work and the coalition then regularly prints a list of participating businesses in our press releases.”

Donna J. Hedgepeth always wanted to become a doctor despite her own health challenge: she had terrible headaches since her childhood and nobody could find the cause. By high school, she was taking 800 ml of Motrin almost daily. Then in college, her jaw was broken to help to ease the headaches but it did not work. She was told that she had run out of options and nothing else could be done.

But miracles do happen. She was about 24 when one of the doctors at the urgent care center where she worked suggested chiropractic care. It was an immediate relief. She finally got rid of her daily headaches and migraines. With such a great response to the care she knew she wanted to learn more. After working for a few years in the laboratories at UNC hospitals and Glaxo Wellcome, she returned back to school and the rest is history.

Dr. Hedgepeth wants people to know there are options for different types of treatments out there: “My goal is to build a healthier community through education, prevention and by caring for the whole family.”