Your Body Has Been Through a Lot. Give It Some Support.
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Postpartum Chiropractor
Pregnancy changes your body in a big way. Then comes labor and delivery, followed by a newborn who needs to be fed, carried, rocked, changed, and somehow kept happy while you are running on very little sleep.
Even after your baby arrives, your body is still adjusting to everything it just went through. You may notice low back pain that wasn’t there before, pelvic or hip discomfort, neck and shoulder tension, or just a general feeling that your body isn’t moving quite the way it used to.
That’s where postpartum chiropractic care can help.
At McCarthy Chiropractic Inc. in Temecula, Dr. Cheyenne McCarthy, DC, MSc takes a movement-focused approach to postpartum care. Instead of looking only at the spot that hurts, we look at how your spine, pelvis, joints, muscles, and movement patterns are working together.
The goal is simple: help you move better, feel more comfortable, and get back to doing the things that matter to you.
What Changes After Pregnancy and Birth?
Your body doesn’t simply go back to its pre-pregnancy state the day your baby is born.
During pregnancy, your center of gravity changes as your baby grows. Your posture adapts. Your abdominal and pelvic muscles have spent months accommodating those changes. Hormones such as relaxin also play a role in changes to connective tissue and joint stability during pregnancy.
Then your baby arrives and the physical demands change again.
Suddenly, you’re spending hours feeding, lifting, carrying, bending over a changing table, getting up and down from the floor, and trying to find a comfortable position for sleep.
All of those little things add up.
Postpartum chiropractic care looks at the ways pregnancy, delivery, and your new daily routine may be affecting how you move.
Postpartum Back and Pelvic Pain
Low back and pelvic discomfort are common reasons women seek care after pregnancy.
Your pelvis includes the two sacroiliac joints and the pubic symphysis. These joints work together to transfer forces between your upper and lower body. Changes in movement, muscle tension, joint mobility, and the demands of pregnancy and delivery can all contribute to discomfort in this area.
You may notice pain or stiffness when:
- Getting in and out of the car
- Walking up stairs
- Rolling over in bed
- Standing on one leg to get dressed
- Picking up your baby
- Bending over
- Sitting for long periods
- Returning to exercise
Postpartum pelvic pain can have many causes, so the first step is figuring out what is actually contributing to your symptoms.
If your symptoms involve significant pelvic pressure, urinary or bowel changes, pelvic floor dysfunction, or other concerns outside the scope of chiropractic care, we may also recommend working with a pelvic floor physical therapist or another appropriate provider.
Relaxin and Postpartum Joint Changes
Relaxin is a hormone that increases during pregnancy and helps prepare the body for childbirth by affecting the ligaments and joints around the pelvis. Relaxin levels change throughout pregnancy and gradually decline after birth, but the timing can vary from person to person.
If your joints feel different after pregnancy, that does not automatically mean relaxin is the only reason. Your posture, muscle strength, movement habits, delivery experience, sleep, activity level, and the repetitive demands of caring for a baby can all play a role.
Rather than trying to blame everything on one hormone, we look at the whole picture.
Postpartum Posture and Nursing Strain
Feeding your baby can be one of the most repetitive things you do all day.
Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, you may spend a lot of time sitting in the same position with your arms supporting your baby and your head tilted forward. Add pumping, rocking, burping, and carrying your little one, and your neck, shoulders, and upper back can start to feel the difference.
A few small changes can make feeding more comfortable:
- Bring your baby to you instead of bringing your body to your baby.
- A supportive nursing pillow can take some of the work off your arms. A pillow behind your lower back can provide additional support. And every so often, look up, change positions, or simply take a breath and let your shoulders relax.
- You don’t have to sit perfectly for every feeding. You just want to avoid spending hours in the same uncomfortable position.
At McCarthy Chiropractic, we can also look at the movement patterns contributing to your neck, shoulder, and upper back discomfort and help you find ways to move more comfortably throughout the day.
Carrying, Lifting and Life With a New Baby
Your baby may be small, but your new routine can put a surprising amount of demand on your body.
Carrying your baby on one hip, picking up a car seat, leaning over the crib, lifting from the floor, and repeatedly getting in and out of different positions can all contribute to muscle tension and joint stiffness.
If you notice that one side of your body is doing most of the work, that’s worth paying attention to.
Postpartum care isn’t just about what happens in the office. We want to help you understand how your body is handling your everyday activities, too.
That might mean looking at how you’re lifting, carrying, sitting, feeding, sleeping, or getting back into exercise.
What Does a Postpartum Chiropractic Visit Look Like?
Your first visit starts with a conversation. We want to know about your pregnancy, your delivery, what you’re feeling now, and what you want to be able to do comfortably.
We’ll look at how you move and assess areas that may be contributing to your symptoms. Depending on what we find, your care may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Manual therapy
- Myofascial release
- Green/violet laser therapy
- Red light therapy
- Therapeutic exercise
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Movement and posture recommendations
There isn’t one postpartum adjustment that works for everyone.
Your treatment should make sense for your body, your symptoms, and where you are in your recovery.
When Can You See a Chiropractor After Giving Birth?
How soon after birth can you see a chiropractor?
There isn’t a single postpartum timeline that applies to every parent.
Your delivery, recovery, symptoms, medical history, and the type of care you’re considering all matter. Someone recovering from an uncomplicated vaginal delivery may have different considerations than someone recovering from a C-section or a complicated delivery.
If you have recently given birth, let us know about your delivery and any guidance you’ve received from your OB or other healthcare provider. We can take that information into account when determining whether an evaluation and treatment are appropriate.
You also do not have to be a brand-new parent to benefit from postpartum care. If you had a baby months or even years ago and still don’t feel like your body is moving the way you’d like, you’re not necessarily “too late.”
Postpartum Chiropractic Care After a C-Section
A C-section is a major abdominal surgery, and your recovery deserves to be treated accordingly.
Your care can be modified around your healing process and comfort level. We do not assume that every postpartum patient should receive the same treatment.
If you’ve had a C-section, tell Dr. McCarthy about your delivery and any restrictions or recommendations from your medical provider. We can take those factors into account when evaluating your movement and determining what types of care may be appropriate.
If you are experiencing complications or symptoms that require medical attention, those should be addressed with your healthcare provider first.
Do I Need to Have Been a Prenatal Chiropractic Patient?
No.
If you received prenatal chiropractic care, your postpartum visits can build on what you’ve already been working on. But you don’t need to have been a prenatal patient to come in after giving birth.
Your body has changed. Your routine has changed. We start by figuring out what’s going on now.
What About Breastfeeding?
You can still receive care while breastfeeding. If nursing or pumping is causing neck, shoulder, or back strain, we can evaluate your posture and movement patterns to help you find more comfortable positions.
If breastfeeding itself is painful, or if you’re experiencing latch issues or concerns about milk supply, it’s best to consult your OB, pediatrician, or a lactation consultant. Chiropractic care can be a great addition to your postpartum support system, but it doesn’t replace specialized care for infant feeding. When you need support outside of chiropractic care, Dr. McCarthy can connect you with trusted local specialists to ensure you get the right help.
Can You Check My Baby, Too? Yes!
We are always happy to evaluate and support new babies.
Dr. McCarthy uses gentle, lightweight pressure—no more than you’d use to check if a peach is ripe—to evaluate your baby’s physical comfort and movement. During a baby evaluation, we look at:
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Movement & Alignment: Spotting tightness or neck stiffness from labor or position in the womb.
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Feeding Comfort: Checking for physical tension that might make latching or turning their head to one side difficult.
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General Ease: Looking into structural tension that could be linked to gas, fussiness, or trouble settling down to sleep.
Whether you just want peace of mind or need help easing your baby’s discomfort, we’re here to help both of you feel better.
Postpartum Care in Temecula That Meets You Where You Are
There is no prize for bouncing back the fastest.
Your body just spent months adapting to pregnancy and then went through labor and delivery. Now you’re carrying a growing baby, feeding around the clock, sleeping differently, and figuring out an entirely new routine.
Give yourself some room to recover.
At McCarthy Chiropractic Inc., we look at how your body is moving now and build care around what you need. Whether you’re dealing with postpartum back pain, pelvic discomfort, nursing-related neck tension, or you’re simply ready to start moving more comfortably again, Dr. Cheyenne McCarthy can help you understand what may be contributing to the problem and what you can do about it.
