These days, if a mother is told that her unborn baby is malpositioned (i.e. breech, transverse, face/brow) it is assumed that the safest course of action is a C-section. Although other options are available such as “External Cephalic Version” aka ECV by an obstetrician, there are risks involved that a C-section could avoid. This has resulted in over 30% of births being by C-section, 20% of which are due to malpresentation. As the rate of C-sections has risen, so has the rate of pregnancy-associated deaths.
In the 1970’s, chiropractor, Dr. Larry Webster, established an association between a sacral shift (pelvic misalignment) and fetal malposition. The presence of this shift may lead to ligament tension, which could result in uterine tension making it increasingly difficult for the fetus to achieve optimal position for birth. He discovered a simple way to determine the presence of, and provide chiropractic care for, this misalignment and resulting ligament tension or in-utero constraint. The result of the procedure was that many babies were naturally able to assume the normal vertex (head down) position.
In-utero constraint is just fancy jargon for when the uterus is being pulled on by muscles and ligaments thus causing an imbalance. Instead of the uterus sitting balanced in the pelvis it is being tugged on. The babe inside only has so many options when his/her home is constricted on one side or the other.
So, what is the webster technique? A chiropractic adjustment called the Webster Technique is a specific sacral adjustment to help facilitate the mother’s pelvic alignment and nerve system function. This in turn balances pelvic muscles and ligaments, reduces torsion to the uterus and offers a greater potential for optimal fetal positioning.
Dr.Cait uses Webster technique on all her pregnant patients to ensure baby and mom have the most balanced and comfortable pregnancy possible.
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