2020-06-01_Mother_&_Baby

motherandbaby.co.uk | June 2020 | 65

OUR EXPERTS ARE HERE TO SHARE THEIR ADVICE

Sinceabout

20 weeksof

pregnancy, I’ve

beensufferingfrom

painin my backand

pelvis. My midwife

hassuggestedseeing

anosteopath– how

might it help?

ChristinaWebb,Blackburn

It’sgreatthatyourmidwife hassuggested

os teopathy.Backandpelvicpainin pregnancy

is not normalandyoudon’t haveto ‘putup’ with

it. Painis anindicatorthatsomethingneeds

addressing,andit shouldalwaysbelistenedto.

Anosteopathcanhelpidentify theroot

causeof yourpainby doinga detailedcase

history,followedby a thoroughphysicalcheck.

Theymightdiscoverthatyourbodyis

alreadyoutof balance, andasit adapts to the

growthof youruterusandtheeffects of the

hormonerelaxin– whichhelps relaxligaments

in yourpelvisin preparationforchildbirth – it

maybestrugglingto cope.

Alternatively,heorshemay findthat your

bodyis restricted.Somewhere,tissues are

notmovingsufficientlyto allow yourbody to

compensateadequatelyforthechanges that

aregoingon.Thiscouldbefora number of

reasons,forinstance,asa resultof an old injury,

surgery,orfromposturaladaptations.

Or,yourbodymay beunderexcess stress

andholdingonto something.By looking at

subtleenergeticflow in thebody, osteopaths

canidentify possibleblocks to thatflow.

Bytreatingyouruniqueset of causes, an

osteopathcanmake a hugedifference to your

backandpelvicpainlevels,usuallywithin just a

coupleof sessions.By bringingyourbody into

balance,heorshemay helpalleviate pain and

alsoincreasethechancesof yourbaby being

in anoptimalfetalpositionlateronin your

pregnancy,whichin turncangoonto have

a positiveaffectondelivery.RD

RebeccaDavies

is anosteopathandHolistic

PelvicCare practitioner,

specialisingin pregnancy

and postpartum care;

rebeccadaviesost.com

the big question

KerrySecker

is aninfantsleepconsultant.

Here-course,BedtimeBasics

forunder18 months,is

av ailableatcareitout.com

Sleeping

DrGenevieve

vonLob

is a clinicalpsychologistand

authorofHappy Parent,

Happy Child(£9.99,Corgi);

drgenevieve.com

Behaviour

Anthonissa

Moger

is a midwife andfounderof

TheHypnobirthingMidwife;

thehypnobirthing

midwife.co

PREGNANCY

RanaConway

is a registerednutritionist

fromUniversityCollege

London,andauthorof

WeaningMadeEasy(£10.99,

White LadderPress)

EATING

THE BIG

QUESTION

WORDS CATHERINE BALL PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK

Here to help