Are you pregnant? Do you know someone who is pregnant?
Read on, you might find something in this blog to help with the forever changing environment that is your body

Every week of pregnancy from conception to delivery your body is growing, developing and adapting to the changes placed upon it as part of this amazing journey.
From hormones, to blood volume, muscle stretching to skin stretching, joint laxity to swelling.. Although at times troublesome it is ALL important and part of your body adapting.
Every new symptom is a little whisper from your body, its definitely worth a listen. So what could these little whispers mean?

S W E L L I N G
My feet are swollen, things to consider.. Have I drunk enough water today? It's true, dehydration can cause water retention.. Aim for 2-3 litres per day, or more in this summer heat! Maybe you need to take 5 and put your feet up if you've been rushing around? Or perhaps a gentle walk and some stretching is what your body calls for. I encourage you to not brush these little whispers off as "annoying" or "ugh silly pregnancy symptoms" a better thought is, hey what have I been doing today? Could I do something different to improve? Try the above tips if this sounds familiar to you. Symptoms like this although can be more medically induced and need further care from your LMC or GP, your first thought should always come back to your actions of the day / previous day

C R A M P I N G
I'm sure by now someone would have said to you, "Ohh it's just round ligament pain" or "Yeah, calf cramps, they suck but they're normal when your pregnant"..
Well, yes, to an extent these things are more common when your pregnant but you don’t HAVE to put up with it, they are little whispers that mean something too.
Let's do a little anatomy review on this topic first.
Round Ligaments are the ligaments that sit at the front of your uterus and they grow and stretch as your bubby and uterus grow and develop. THEY CAN HURT! Like a devil.. When they're stretching.. The sharp pulls or restricting aches that you feel at the front of your pelvis are most likely from these guys. As they are a ligament, they respond very well to heat and a little massage / gentle pressure release.
So how do you find yours?
I like to start checking on my patients round ligaments from about 20 weeks, by then the uterus has lifted to approx the height of your belly button so the ligaments are easy-peasy to find.
To locate, find your belly button with one hand and with the other place your hand onto the most pointy part of the front of your hip bone. Now you've got 2 landmarks, you want to trace an imaginary line between the 2 of them. The halfway mark is about where you can expect to find tension. I like to explain it as a little marble or pea type feeling under your skin, this is the sweet spot, or point of the ligament that when massaged gently or light pressure is applied can be tender initially but will then dissipate nicely and create a great release in the ligaments. Both sides should be checked and released if tight / sore. Heat can also be applied to this area using a hotty or wheat bag.
From a Chiropractors perspective we see more tension in these when there is misalignment issues in the pelvis, see below for further discussion of this.

CALF CRAMPS
These little beauties like to sneak up on you, like at night when you are trying to sneakily (as sneaky as you can anyway when you feel like some form of large animal) roll out of bed and shuffle to the loo for the 3rd time in 3 hours, then BAM the back of your leg is in full spasm and wont let go! If this is the first time its happened you might even let out a little whelp or "what the **!".. By now your partner is awake, your fighting back tears and still busting to pee for the 50 millionth time that day.. Yeap this one, maybe not so little, is a whisper that your lacking a few key minerals in your body, the most notable one is Magnesium. You have a few options, magnesium tissue salts or a magnesium supplement that is safe during pregnancy, either can be taken daily and will help to replenish your mineral stores in the muscles and before you know it, bye bye pesky cramps, restless legs and it helps those round ligament pains too. You are welcome

P E L V I S P A I N
Pelvic alignment changes tremendously during pregnancy. From as early as 1st trimester your body is under the influence of the lovely relaxin hormone. This hormone in a nutshell is designed to allow your joints and ligaments to relax and expand as baby grows, it plays a crucial role in delivery of baby allowing the pelvis to shift and move as baby passes thru the birth canal.
With all the changes and preparation for the arrival of baby our pelvis can suffer, at times we find this is exaggerated when alignment is restricted, this is where your friendly Chiropractor comes in. Simple adjustments help to create ease in your body. We (Chiropractors) can ensure that your body is aligned and in balance, we ensure that there is no restriction in your pelvis that can effect the room baby has to grow and develop. We check your ligaments and ensure the nerve supply to your ever growing uterus is in tip top shape. Just to name a few important areas that benefit from being adjusted while pregnant.

If you are pregnant and any of the above sounds familiar I encourage you to meet with your local chiropractor if you haven't already to discuss how they can support you through this exciting stage in your life.

Enjoy this journey and all the best for your next life chapter.
Smiles,
Dr. Anna