Two Ways a Chiropractor can see "Is Baby Ready Yet?" - DMV Birth Doulas, LLC

Congratulations! You've made it to your third trimester and you're anxious to meet your new bundle of joy. You're curious about the signs your body will give to let you know the baby is ready to make its entrance through the birth canal. Well, in today's blog we're going to discuss ways a chiropractor can see that your baby is in the ideal position and ready for labor/birth.

So, what does a perinatal chiropractor see? It is the same thing most

moms are looking for when they are taking cute bathroom selfies as

they watch their baby bump grow. Beginning at 32 weeks, a perinatal

chiropractor can visually measure the umbilicus-trochanter (UT line)

line (see image). This line is fairly straightforward to approximate.

All you need is a camera or protractor app on your phone or tablet.

The first “dot” is on the umbilicus and the second is just behind the

seam of your pants. This line in connection with a straight horizontal

line from the ground creates an angle. After 32 weeks of pregnancy,

this angle should ideally measure between 20-30 degrees. 1

If the angle is within the ideal range—well baby is most likely

engaging with mom’s pelvic bones! Baby is getting ready! YAY!

Now, if the angle created by the UT line is greater than 30 degrees

for a mommy-to-be who is further than 32 weeks along in her

pregnancy, there is some work to be done to help mom and baby

prepare for delivery!

In this event, a perinatal chiropractor will gently support the movement of joints along the sacrum, lower back, and pelvis to create more room to welcome the baby into the mom’s pelvis. Here’s the secret! It’s not just

about the joints—there is a huge focus on the fascia in these cases! Your perinatal specialist will help to remove fascial restrictions along the ribs, diaphragm, round ligament, inguinal ligament, sacrospinous

ligament, and much more! These external movements make a huge difference inside mom’s belly! While many birth providers examine and provide care to pregnant persons based on their symptoms

and/or an internal examination. A perinatal chiropractor analyzes and cares for moms-to-be through visual examinations coupled with light and gentle touches of mom’s muscles, joints, and ligaments. Oh, and get

this! Most moms thoroughly love the visit because no internal exam is needed.

DMV Birth Doulas has partnered with Dream Chiropractic & Wellness Boutique to provide top-notch chiropractor care to clients of DMV Birth Doulas. In next week's blog, we will discuss the benefits of chiropractic care and some exercises you can do at home to help you prepare your body for labor and birth.