Tag Archives: pregnancy

Mommy Brain, it exists and it’s a super power!

Happy Monday Tribe!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!.  Last week we talked about the importance of the tongue and it’s mobility effecting the brain.  If you missed it, don’t forget to catch the replay here:

https://www.drrachelhamel.com/blog-post/the-tongues-effect-on-your-brain/

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This week we are going to be talking about MOMMY BRAIN.

First of all, it’s probably best to chat about what mommy brain is, and if it exists right?

Many women who are pregnant claim that they feel like there are lots of things happening in their brains that they don’t understand.  Their memories get foggy so it’s hard to carry on a conversation or remember whether or not they put the an ingredient in the recipe.

Some researchers say there is no such thing as mommy brain, but still there are others and many women that would say otherwise.  The American Psychological Association concluded that 50-80% of women reported decreased concentration and memory while being pregnant.

However, we have learned that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Some researchers are saying that these symptoms actually are changes in the brain that may end up making the woman smarter and better equipped to keep her child healthy and safe. WHAT?!
This flood of reproductive hormones may actually prepare the brain for demands of being a mother.
This makes her more sensitive and a more effective caregiver, less irritated by stress and more in tune with the needs of a newborn.

Another doctor says this is why mothers can hear the babies stir, while the fathers are fast asleep. Also, when the fetus moves inside the womb of the mother, it can raise her heart rate and skin conductivity, all signs of an emotional response.  Meaning the mother will be better able to bond with her infant even before its born!

The placenta is a sac like membrane that is created to help feed and nourish the growing baby from the mother.  But fetal cells can also enter the mother’s bloodstream through the same means.  This could influence the changing of the brain preparing her for the needs and love of the infant. 

What about the actual brain size?

They have found through MRI scans that a woman’s brain may physically shrink 3-5% during the third trimester of pregnancy! 
BUT, the shrinking is not just a loss of brain cells as we might think, it’s actual do to changes in cellular metabolism that happen.  Brain circuits are being restructured to prepare for more connections that will be needed.  And some areas of the brain even grow larger when others are smaller.

After about 6 months postpartum, the brain goes back to its original size (the body is so cool), but with a better circuit system.  Women who’ve never had children don’t have this, meaning they aren’t as resistant to stress or enhanced memory and cognition (stinks for me).

But to the mother going through that change, that’s where the fogginess comes from .  It’s like a construction zone.  But once the infant is born, and those changes start to become organized, the brain is actually MORE efficient and focused.  

——-

Here’s another interesting change in the brain.  When a woman is early in her pregnancy, her sense of smell changes right?  She’s more aware of odors.  This is because it is a protective mechanism.  It makes her more sensitive to the smell of food that may be bad for her and her child.  It also makes her actually like the smells given off by her baby, part of the bonding process guided by the brain.

Other areas of the brain also change and grow after motherhood.  The hypothalamus, PFC and amygdala, the motivation and reward centers grow.  This highly motivates the mother to care for her child and makes her feel that sense of reward with interactions from the child. These areas of the brain are also crucial for planning and foresight, something that’s needed to anticipate the child’s needs “maternal instinct”.

The brain fog can also come from the fact that the brain is changing priorities.  Mother’s have better memories about things related to their infant.  Its important for them to remember what is really important and needed for them to remember at that time.

In the workplace this could also be a benefit!  More efficient, perceptive, motivated and empathetic.  No wonder there are so many mom entrepreneurs, as we know a lot of trade jobs are actually going out and will go out in the coming years.

So that being said, it seems there IS such thing as a mommy brain.  But it actually happens for a reason as we’ve seen and actually makes them more of a SUPERHERO!, benefitting her for her entire life.  A little fogginess may results in a new level of focus and attention.

Since the need is GREAT for your brain during this time in particular, it’s important that your brain is healthy to be able to create these new circuits. 

This means women should think BEFORE going into pregnancy different, and take care of themselves differently as well as during and post partum.  The demand is high for brain use, this means more focus needs to be put on enhancing it.  Just like how I talk about in children the biggest growth of their brain is 0-2 years old so we need to make sure we allow it to grow most effectively.

How do I prepare, or what should I do to enhance my brain for mommy brain?

1.  Get cranial care.  If there’s pressure on the brain, it will be less likely to be able to process new information when it can’t even handle it’s current load. We said the hypothalamus, PFC and amygdala all grow, so we need to be able to give them that space to do so. Craniopathy care helps dramatically take the stress off the brain, decrease inflammation and allow WAY less fogginess.

2. Proper nutrition.  Since your using a LOT of brain power you need to feed the brain.  Lots of good fats are needed, and supplementation is critical.  Supplement with a high grade OMEGA supplement is always warranted pre during and post partum.(not all supplements are created equal remember, some could be TOXIC, so please consult me before taking if you haven’t already).  Additionally, looking at the exact vitamin and mineral needs are also important.  This requires specific testing, as a one size fits all prenatal vitamin just doesn’t cut it anymore.

3.  Exercise.  Exercise helps the brain make more NRF2.  This enhances the brain function, reduces stress, builds stamina.  Just don’t get exhausted or breathless as that depletes oxygen from you and baby. Lots of hydration.  Being pregnant isn’t an illness, you can still exercise and need to.  Just don’t overdue it.

4. Watch cell phone use.  Exposing fetuses to cell phone radiation does in fact affect their behavior as adults, and changes brain structure for both.

5. Get plenty of rest.  Can’t sleep?  Thats what I’m here for!  Cranial care helps tremendously with sleep, and taking away the aches and pains that come with a growing child.

If you neglect these practices, you might find that you may be more foggy, or not recuperate as quickly after baby.  Your brain can only do what it can do!  If you enhance it, think of how amazing it would be after?!

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotlight this week is Balance!  Because what mom doesn’t need more of that?!

Created with the purpose of grounding emotions, doTERRA Balance is formulated with emotionally beneficial essential oils that work together to create a sense of calmness and well-being. doTERRA Balance essential oil blend has a variety of uses and benefits that can be obtained both aromatically and topically. When applied to the skin or diffused, doTERRA Balance can ease anxious feelings and create a soothing and calming environment—encouraging strong relaxation. The aroma of doTERRA Balance is sweet and woody and is the perfect fragrance for promoting feelings of balance and tranquility. Infused with Spruce, Ho Wood, Blue Tansy, Blue Chamomile, and Frankincense essential oils, doTERRA Balance is the perfect blend for stabilizing emotions.

doTERRA Balance Uses and Benefits

  1. Relaxing your body begins with the mind. Help your body relax by focusing on your emotions first. Use doTERRA Balance essential oil blend to help ground your emotions so that your whole body can feel completely at ease when you need it most. This emotionally balancing blend is a great oil to use during meditation or yoga practices.
  2. Start your day off right by putting a little doTERRA Balance into your step. After you wake up, apply one to two drops of doTERRA Balance to the bottom of your feet. This will help promote feelings of calmness and tranquility throughout the day. doTERRA Balance can also be applied to your feet throughout the day to help lessen feelings of stress.
  3. If a road trip is in your future, make sure to bring some doTERRA Balance. For those long hours of driving in a full car, diffusing doTERRA Balance will help create a calming and soothing environment. Once you experience the serene feelings of doTERRA Balance, you’ll wonder how you ever took long road trips without it.
  4. doTERRA Balance is one of the essential oils used in the AromaTouch® technique. doTERRA Balance essential oil blend is important to the AromaTouch experience because it helps produce emotional harmony and relaxation. Experience the enriching benefits of doTERRA Balance during an AromaTouch Hand Massage by either applying it to your own hands or having someone else perform the hand massage. The AromaTouch Hand Massage can also be performed on a grandparent to help them feel relaxed and calm.
  5. If you experience occasional feelings of anxiousness, apply doTERRA Balance to your wrists and neck. The topical application of doTERRA Balance essential oil blend will help ease anxious feelings when they arise.
  6. One of the main benefits of doTERRA Balance is its ability to evoke feelings of tranquility. When you feel overwhelmed emotionally, take a step back and give yourself the peace your mind needs. Diffuse doTERRA Balance or apply doTERRA Balance topically to create an environment of tranquility so that you can press forward feeling emotionally balanced and ready to take on the tasks ahead of you.
  7. Do you find yourself with little time to sit back and let your mind relax? For an emotionally grounding experience in a short amount of time, apply one or two drops of doTERRA Balance to your hands and cup them over your nose, breathing in deeply. The same results can be felt by simply uncapping the doTERRA Balance essential oil blend bottle and breathing deeply with the bottle of doTERRA Balance held a couple of inches from the nose.
  8. Before you go to bed, apply doTERRA Balance to the bottoms of your feet. This calming and soothing blend will encourage a restful night’s sleep.
  9. Promote a whole body relaxation by including doTERRA Balance in your bath. doTERRA Balance will help relax the body and provide a comforting and soothing experience. For those moments when you just need time to relax and recharge, add a couple drops of doTERRA Balance with some Epsom salts to your bath water. You will love how easily it evokes feelings of balance and tranquility.
  10. doTERRA Balance is a powerful blend of CPTG® oils designed to promote harmony in the mind and body and help balance emotions. When you have stressful events or meetings, make sure to use doTERRA Balance so that you can experience a sense of stability and relaxation during situations that are prone to anxious and stressful feelings.
  • Spruce Leaf
  • Ho Wood Leaf
  • Frankincense Resin
  • Blue Tansy Flower
  • Blue Chamomile Flower
  • Fractionated Coconut Oil

That is all for now,

 

Have a happy and healthy Week!!

Dr. Hamel

How Chiropractic BOOSTS Fertility (Men & Women)

How Chiropractic Boosts Fertility ( Men & Women)

Happy Monday Everyone!  Continuing on this week about Fertility, We are going to be diving in to each section of last week’s blog.  Natural options as to how we can BOOST fertility in men AND women.

In last week’s blog, we chatted about how Nervous System Health can boost fertility, and why it is part of my 120 day Fertility Program.But why is this so important, and how does Chiropractic help with this?!

I’m SOO Glad you asked! 🙂

Let’s do a little anatomy review here first:

The brain controls every function of our body.  It does so by sending “signals” to the rest of your body to control functions.  
Here is an example:
Your brain sends signals through nerves that go specifically to your heart, to signal it to beat.The same thing happens in your hormone regulation.

There is a gland in your brain called the pituitary gland….

(not my picture)

This gland sends signals to: for women, the ovaries, and men the testes.  (It also sends signals to other organs, but for the sake of this topic we will talk about this).

This gland sits in a bone in the head called the sphenoid bone.  Its like a little saddle that holds this gland in place.

However, this bone, the sphenoid is pretty much the center of all cranial bone movement.

This is a view from the inside of the skull (looking in)

(not my picture)

 

Because of it’s location, any slight disruption in the movement can cause pressure into the pituitary gland.

What disrupts it?

A few things can cause disruption within the movement of this bone:

1. Birth.  The birth process itself can put pressure on certain areas of the head, that aren’t “normal” .  Sometimes the body is able to adapt, and the bones will naturally move into their correct place, other times (for most of us), they need guiding to get back into their original position.  This is where craniopathy care comes in.

2.  Any head trauma.  Hitting your head as a child, concussions, even just rocking the head back and forth disrupts the movement.

3.  Clenching of the teeth.  Do you clench your teeth?  DO you know you clench your teeth?  A good majority of my patients had NO idea they were clenchers.  Even their dentists never told them or didn’t know.  Clenching is a sign that there is dysfunction in the cranial system and inflammation.  The more you clench the more stress on the cranial system and on that delicate pituitary gland.

4.  Emotional trauma.  This can cause disruption within the flow of these bones as well.  The cranial system is intricately connected to the emotional system.  Usually one affects the other.

5. Low back/pelvis injuries.  Since the body is connected low back injuries affect the upper regions as well and can make the body going into compensatory patterns, which put the cranial bones in abnormal positions.

So… If there is disruption, then the SIGNAL from the pituitary won’t get effectively to the sex organs, because the connection is poor.  It’s like someone tripped the breaker switch.

The same goes for nerves that actually stimulate the sex organs.  

The lumbar spine, which is your LOW BACK, has nerves that come directly out of the discs and canals in the vertebrae.  These nerves control the function of the organs.

(not my picture)

 

So if the nerve coming out of that vertebrae in the low back is not functioning properly, the organs that are innervated by that region will not function well either. 

How do the nerves in the low back get compromised?

In chiropractic we call it a “subluxation”, meaning the movement within that joint is not proper, which then affects the nerves. The abnormal movement makes the signaling compromised.
Some examples of how they get compromised:

-improper postures
-injuries
-stress
-sitting too much
-daily activities
-clenching
-pelvic floor dysfunction

These are all examples of what makes that low back area get dysfunctional.

In my practice, I have seen hormone cases where they have taken everything in the book for fertility.  And it’s just as simple as actually getting the nerves functioning through craniopathy specific chiropractic that makes the difference.

You see, you can give all the supplements in the world, but if the nerve signal isn’t getting to the organ, or your brain is inflamed, fertility will not be optimal.  The supplements you take probably won’t be as affective either.

Get the nervous system functioning first, and then fill in the gaps nutritionally and emotionally.

This is why chiropractic is #1 in my 120 day fertility program.

Heal the brain and nervous system, and see what the body can do!

This goes for men too.  When signaling isn’t proper, your sex organs and hormone regulation won’t be as great either, which means the genetics you are making for your child won’t be optimal either…

You didn’t know you can change your genes to create the healthiest baby?!  That’s for another day….

That is all for now.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.
Dr. Hamel

All About the F word… Fertility That is..

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend, and are surviving the heat! Whew!

This month will be all about Fertility, facts about fertility, myths, tips, natural options and success stories through chiropractic and nutritional care.

Sorry men, this month might not pertain to you, but….. If you know someone going through fertility issues, is planning to have a family, or you are planning to have a family one day, I HIGHLY suggest you still keep these emails or share them to those in need, as fertility involves BOTH individuals.

Lets start with some facts:

  • In the US, we rank 61 in the world for maternal health.  You are better off giving birth in Iraq, than in the US….  It seems for most health conditions the US is far behind, even though our “healthcare” is the highest costing.
  • 1 in 6 couples struggle with infertility!
  •  “infertility” is usually the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected sex, or 6 months after the age of 35
  • 40% of infertility is based on a “medical issue” with the women, 30% the man, and 20% both man and woman, 10% they just “don’t know”
  •  If women are “infertile”, then IVF is usually the route. The average cost of a medication-only cycle is $1,182, while the cost of one cycle of IVF is about $24,373. IVF with donor eggs cost even more, averaging $38,015. When looking at the cost of “successful” fertility treatments, the number grew higher. The average cost of successful medication-only treatment was $5,894 and $61,377 for IVF. Again, the cost of successful donor egg IVF was even higher, at $72,642. Women who chose cycle-based treatment received an average of 3.6 treatments!!!
  • The success rate of IVF? Live birth IVF success rate for women under 35 who start an IVF cycle is 40 percent. However, women over age 42 have a 4 percent success rate.
  •  In the US, it is “normal” to not have a period, it’s normal to NOT ovulate.  This we know is NOT true.
  • A healthy cycle which on average is about 28 days with about 50 mls of blood loss. No cramps, lots of clotting, acne, mood swings, these aren’t “normal”!
  • The normal amount of blood to lose per cycle is 50 mls, that’s it.  (regular tampons hold 5 mls, supers about 10mls).  Any more than that, there’s possible anemia.    A normal, regular cycle is a healthy woman!
  •  It’s also ‘normal” in the US for girls to start their period between 6 to 8 years old! WHAT?!  Yes… it keeps getting younger and younger because of hormones
  •  It takes about 120 days for eggs to mature.  This means if you’ve had a really “whacky” period, look back three months from that period.  Is it diet, or stress? it reflects three months ago.( This is also GOOD NEWS)  You should be able to see changes in cycle, hormones and fertility within this 120 days when you add in natural interventions:)
  • IVF, IUI and fertility drugs don’t address fertility issues which are often due to nutritional deficiencies, stress, toxins, nervous system involvement, ect…..
  • Lab work only looks at what is happening in that exact moment.  Thats why blood work isn’t a good measure for hormones. There are some other markers that are acceptable to look at in the blood, but for hormones, this testing is very poor.  The majority of hormones are in our tissues.

So, now that we know some facts, and we know that IVF and fertility drugs don’t actually address the actual issues, what causes infertility and how do we change it naturally?

Well how come it doesn’t address the issues?

Fertility drugs and treatments main focus is on creating more eggs.  Giving more and more hormones to produce more eggs.  The problem is almost all infertility problems are due to an inhabitable environment.  And fertility treatments cannot address this issue.

As I always tell my patients, if you are having trouble conceiving, there is always a reason!  Your body knows that the environment is not healthy to be able to grow and sustain a healthy baby.
So, what do we do??

We CREATE a healthy environment!  … Unless their is anatomical problems with infertility in the uterus or fallopian tubes. I can’t do much for this…. But this is rare in comparison to hormonal issues.

What disrupts the environment??

  • Most women that have fertility issues most likely had menstrual issues to begin with.  Things like cramping, mood swings, irregular periods, acne, heavy bleeding… ect.  These are not “normal” womanly symptoms.  In fact, you should not really have many symptoms with a normal cycle other than minor fluctuations.  But, we have accepted that all these are normal, and to use things to just mask the symptoms. It is also normal to have fluctuations in your period until the age of 25 when it fully matures.  So teens going on birth control for symptoms are really damaging the signal processes and ability to conceive later on, when there are natural options to help with the fluctuations that wont harm your fertility.
  • Birth control has created a HUGE problem for fertility.  The pill hides problems that we don’t want to deal with.  And when you take hormones, the actual organs that were producing the hormones go on vacation, because they no longer have to produce them.  The longer you’re on birth control the harder it will be to conceive. ( more on this subject in a subsequent blog)
  • Hormones are everywhere.  Not only birth control but food, plastic, even store receipts.  This causes imbalance over time.
  • Sleep imbalances.  Yes sleep and uninterrupted restful sleep.  This is how our body heals and replenishes.
  • Toxins are also everywhere which creates an unhealthy environment.  That’s why it’s important to check toxin levels, heavy metals, teeth health.
  • Stress causes so many hormone imbalances within the adrenal and thyroid.
  • We are all iodine deficient which causes thyroid dysfunction.
  • Allergies are now so common and create inflammation within the entire body.  Inflammation = not good environment.
  • THE NERVES that get to the hormone producing organs…. are they functioning well?  if not, there wont be strong signals to the organs.  (chiropractic and Cranial )  Hormones are signaled from the BRAIN.  I’ve had hormone issues correct just from proper cranial work.

Over the next month we will be going over topics from these points on how to increase your fertility through chiropractic care, nutrition, stress/emotional and exercise.

I will also be going over my 120 fertility program.  This not only works for fertility but also other hormone dys-regulation problems, post partum and other conditions.  That’s because you can change and get new cells and eggs in 120 days, and you can change hormone and environments in 120 days ( some might take longer depending on levels of toxins, ect.)

In 120 Days care includes:

1. Craniopathy Chiropractic care
2. 21 Day Detox program ( all about environment!)
3. prenatal vitamin ( whole food only)
4. omegas, fish oils ( whole food only)
5. Proper Sleep
6. Exercise
7. Acupuncture
8. Vitamin D
9. Proper hydration
10. immune support
11. iodine
12. adrenal support
13.  healthy mindset

If you do decide to do IVF, this protocol can also enhance it’s success, because again we are changing the environment.  Which would mean the eggs would harvest better.

More to come on this topic!

See you next week!

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotligth this week is DoTerra’s Clary sage.
Clary Sage Oil Product Description
Enriched with the organic chemical linalyl acetate, Clary Sage is known as one of the most relaxing, soothing, and balancing essential oils when used aromatically and internally. This herbaceous oil can be used for a variety of purposes both externally and internally. In the Middle Ages, Clary Sage was used for its benefits to the skin and has continued to be popular for its topical benefits. When applied topically, Clary Sage oil calms and soothes the skin. Clary Sage oil can also be applied to promote healthy-looking hair and scalp. If used aromatically, Clary Sage oil promotes feelings of relaxation in preparation for a restful night’s sleep.

Clary Sage Oil Uses and Benefits

  1. Hairdryers, flat irons, crimpers, and curling irons can all make your hair look glamourous, but for how long?  With frequent use of a heated styling tool, hair strands can begin to break and split, making hair look damaged and unhealthy. Keep your hair looking radiant with this do-it-yourself Heat Protectant Spray infused with Clary Sage oil and Geranium oil. Clary Sage is known for its ability to promote healthy-looking hair and is a perfect essential oil to keep your strands looking stronger, longer!
  2. During your menstrual cycle, bring relief to your abdomen by using Clary Sage essential oil. Simply apply Clary Sage to the needed area of your abdomen and rub for a soothing massage. The natural chemical components of Clary Sage oil are among the most soothing and calming compounds, making Clary Sage an ideal oil for a soothing abdominal massage during the menstruating time frame.  
  3. After a long day of working, running around with the kids, or studying for an exam, treat yourself to a soothing bath with Clary Sage and Lavender. This bath with essential oils will not only excite your smelling senses, it will also work to relieve stress. With both Clary Sage and Lavender containing linalyl acetate, these two oils are some of the most powerful soothing, relaxing, and calming oils available.
  4. Do you ever feel like you’re breathing in toxic chemicals when you use hairspray? Try this homemade Herbal Hairspray with essential oils, and avoid the thick, overpowering feeling of store bought hairspray. Using Clary Sage, GeraniumLavenderPeppermint, and Rosemary essential oils, this effective spray will hold your hair in place while reducing unwanted chemicals and enhancing your hair’s natural beauty.
  5. Why linger in stress mode when you can easily experience the relaxing and calming aromatic benefits of Clary Sage essential oil. For those off days, apply one to two drops of Clary Sage to the bottom of your feet or to your pulse points. Because Clary Sage has a powerful soothing aroma, applying the oil to these areas will promote feelings of balance and relaxation.
  6. Want to experience soft and silky hair without buying deep hair conditioning products or getting expensive conditioning treatments? Try making your own quality All-Natural Deep Hair Conditioner with this DIY recipe. You can choose a selection of your favorite essential oils to add to this recipe; however, we highly recommend using specific essential oils for hair use, especially Clary Sage due to its natural ability to promote healthy-looking hair. With this homemade conditioner, your locks will look, feel, and smell radiant.
  7. All too often, people get ready for bed, exhausted, ready to sleep the moment their head hits their pillow only to find that their mind wants to stay awake. Their heads suddenly fill with to do lists, activities of the day, or maybe even philosophical questions about the universe that cause them to stay awake or toss and turn all night. Sound familiar? Don’t let your thoughts eat into crucial sleeping time. Instead, relax your mind and body by using Clary Sage oil aromatically. Apply one to two drops of Clary Sage oil to your pillow to create a relaxing environment for a restful night’s sleep.
  8. Enhance your shampoo and conditioner with the addition of Clary Sage. For healthy-looking hair, add three to four drops of Clary Sage essential oil to your shampoo or conditioner. This herbal addition will leave your hair smelling naturally fresh and will help provide benefits that will leave your hair looking strong and beautiful.
  9. Combine the best of citrus and herbs with this uplifting diffuser blend. Add two drops of Clary Sage, two drops of Grapefruit, and 4 drops of Lime essential oils to your diffuser and experience a bright and sweet aroma. The strong citrus scent of Lime will promote feelings of balance and energy while helping lift the mood, while Grapefruit will provide a clarifying effect to the mind. The subtle hints of Clary Sage essential oil will aid in soothing and relaxing. Together, these essential oils provide a mood-boosting aroma that will relax and balance the mind and body.
  10. Clary Sage oil contains linalyl acetate, which is a powerful chemical component that contributes greatly to the oil’s relaxing, balancing, and soothing properties when used aromatically and internally. Try experimenting with Clary Sage to see how this relaxing and balancing oil can best meet your individual and family needs.

Plant Description
Clary Sage is a biennial or perennial herb that is fast growing. In the first year of growth, the base of the plant produces medium-green, course leaves. In its second year of growth, the Clary Sage plant yields flowers from stalks with upright spikes. These flowers are either violet or white in color. Clary Sage essential oil is extracted from the flower. The Clary Sage plant grows best in full sun and well-drained soil.1

Cautions
Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

Post-Partum Health, TMJ and Domains of Pelvic Health

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all enjoyed last month’s topics revolving around detoxing!  This month we are changing gears and talking all about Post partum health, since it is one of the most overlooked things I see in my practice with women’s care. We will be diving into many aspects of what this entails, but to start this week we will go over specifically what happens with the pelvic floor, its relationship to the jaw, and how to keep it healthy post birth.

Let start first with what is the pelvic floor?  The pelvic floor is a multitiered group of interweaving muscles that surround the lower openings of your body, and also serve as a shelf for your reproductive and digestive organs.

 
The first tier, makes sure sex and elimination are working optimally.  This group is important for birth, because the baby’s head stretches them considerably, and if they are too taut or don’t have enough time to adjust, they may not soften enough and may tear when your baby emerges.

The second tier, these make sure your organs stay in place.  When this tier gets strained or pulled, the organs start to slip below where they are meant to be, which causes sensations of heaviness and fullness.  

Almost all women who come in for care, are sure their pelvic floor is not strong enough, however most come in the middle between women who could use more support and those who need to let go and relax….

Horseback rider, runner, yoga practitioner, pilates or barre method junkie?  You’ll most likely have a very strong and tight pelvic floor…
While those that maybe aren’t as active, will have a weak pelvic floor.

——

How does the jaw come in?  Well in a popular book from a midwife of birth, Ina May says “open mouth, open cervix”.  This means relaxing the jaw to relax the pelvic floor.  Because of receptors in the jaw and the sacroiliac joint, they speak to one another as our centers of balance.

That meaning, if you are a clencher, or have jaw dsyfunction, you pelvis will not relax and heal.  And vice versa, if you have a pelvic injury ( like birth, or car accident, or yoga, or weight lifting), your jaw will not heal.  Clenching the jaw and tensing muscles are sympathetic nervous system fight responses.  Imagine a dog growling and defending its territory.
There’s many things you can do to relax the TMJ joint, but I find a lot of the work is temporary unless you actually fix the dysfunction in the joint, which will then allow the receptors and muscles to relax.  How do you fix the dysfunction?  
With advanced craniopathy and dentistry. 

——

During pregnancy, your uterus is stretched to more than five times its normal size, your organs were squeezed to the sides, and perineal skin stretched.  C-Section, you had at least 4 layers skin, connective tissue, muscle and organ cut through.  Anesthetic?  It takes time to leave your system, and then theres a dramatic flood or surging and dropping and rebalancing of hormones after birth. 

All across the board, there is agreement that women should spend the first 15 days after giving birth in total repose.  This allows for restoration at the deepest levels.  Pelvic fibers can reknit themselves and heal, internal organs can recalibrate and settle.  This means you will need help!  But the first step is just REST.

According to Kimberly Johnson, postpartum care expert, when it comes to pelvic health, there are 4 domains that hold the key to our healing.  You may feel great in 3 of the areas, but the one your haven’t considered could be the root cause of whatever your symptom is.  The four domains include Biomechanics, Biochemistry, Emotions and Scar Tissue.

1. Biomechanics.
Or posture and flexibility.  How you stand affects the position of your pelvic floor.  Pregnancy will usually exaggerate posture tendencies that you already once had.  When the spine has its natural curve, your pelvic organs have a little shelf on your pubic bones.  Large curve in your low back?  Your uterus may get pushed onto your bladder.  Tucking in your pelvis and flattening your buttocks, the bladder and uterus lose their shelf of support and this can contribute to pelvic floor dysfunction like prolapse and incontinence.
Some of this is genetic, but other parts can be helped through specific bodywork care, like what I provide in my office.  Pelvic sprains are huge after birth and need proper rehab.

2. Biochemistry.  
Or the internal environment of your body.  Mostly influence by diet and nutrition, but also by exposure to pollutants and what you take into your body through food, and how the food is absorbed.  Hydrated?  Is blood moving?  Anesthesia?  We will go more into the diet of postpartum women in another blog.

Biochemistry also includes hormones.  After delivering the placenta, there is a steep drop in progesterone and estrogen as the body shifts toward healing and break mild production.  Your ovaries now have to take over, and if you have hormonal imbalance prior, it will not just go back into regulation.  Proper hormonal testing is usually needed to see where levels are at. 

3. Emotions.
These play a huge role in healing most tangibly when women have had either preexisting trauma or birth trauma itself.  Women can use words like broken, damaged or even eviscerated to describe how they feel.  Because the injuries aren’t visible on the outside, they remain untreated but not unfelt.  Or maybe there’s shame seeking help or care for these injuries.  After all, you’re supposed to be a superhero after birth?  Or you don’t want to tell your partner so they won’t see you as damaged.  Disentangeling the emotion from the physical injury is often a key piece of healing, and is why working only with the biomechanics isn’t always effective.  I use NET in my office and refer for other work that is needed.

4. Scar tissue.
Fascia is the wrapping of the body.  Think of an orange, and peeling the rind off, the white layer underneath is symbolic of our fascia.  Cutting each layer of the orange you see how it is all connected as well.  If you remove our skin we are wrapped in a sheet of connective tissue.  These layers need to slide over each other.  Muscle “knots” are often wadded up fascia that is not sliding.  This tissue is made up of 7 kinds of fiber.  Over 80% of women come through childbirth with some kind of scar tissue in their pelvis.  You can also have preexisting scar tissue from gynecological procedures, surgeries, miscarriages, endometriosis, sexual abuse or abortion.  

A couple of ways I like to deal with scar tissue is using fascial tools for the outside of the body.  I used instrument assisted soft tissue work in my office, and also recommend using something like the fascia blaster at home all throughout the body and pelvic region.  Keep in mind the tissue works best when heated up as far as breaking up the scars.  If the scar is internal, you can soak an organic tampon in organic castor oil and place it inside for 20 minutes.  Then work internally after taking it out relaxing the tissue.  (pelvic floor specialists are better for this).  

Next week we will go into some of the medical realities, that happen post birth such as incontinence, diastasis, tearing and prolapse.