Introducing Jasmine Latimer, our new chiropractic recruit at Luck’s Yard.
Here she explains what Chiropractic care offered her whilst being pregnant.
We would like to welcome Jasmine Latimer to join our team at Luck’s Yard Clinic, after recently being away on maternity leave. We would love to share her experience of pregnancy and chiropractic. Jasmine is an experienced chiropractor with many years of working in chiropractic both in the UK and abroad. We are delighted for her to share some of her experiences of being pregnant and also how receiving chiropractic herself helped in her own pregnancy. We hope this might help any women out there who might be in the same situation.
Jasmine lives in the Godalming community and is very involved in the local NCT group.
Did you suffer from any pregnancy aches or pains?
From the onset I had low back pain, and hip pain to the point where my midwife sent me to see an NHS practitioner. I was diagnosed with Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) and Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) and given a pelvic belt that hardly improved me at all. In hindsight I should have visited one of my chiropractic colleagues sooner. I had to get over the fact that I was the patient and not the practitioner! Receiving treatment made all the difference to me.
How did you feel about receiving chiropractic yourself in pregnancy?
After helping hundreds of pregnant women and seeing their positive results, I felt confident in receiving care myself. Chiropractic treatment while I was pregnant was a blessing. I believe that it was the reason that I was able to carry on standing all day, adjusting and treating others until 4 weeks of giving birth.
How does chiropractic help back pain and hip pain?
During pregnancy several physiological changes occur such as increasing the curve of the low back, altering pelvic alignment and many other changing postural adaptations. Chiropractors are trained to diagnosed and assess these mechanical changes as well as giving advice on how to improve your posture during the day and whilst sleeping, in order to reduce postural strain on the body.
Did you feel any changes with your baby with the advice you were given?
I believe that I did feel an improvement with the baby. With some gentle breathing techniques and changes in my posture during the day, I felt that the baby had more space inside of me. I felt the changes almost immediately and my ribs were very thankful for being less stressed! Being aware of posture is a blessing.
Did you receive any other help aside from getting chiropractic adjustments?
I did a lot of breath work alongside specific stretches based on yoga moves. I am a trained yoga teacher myself so this came in handy when I was pregnant. Thankfully Luck’s Yard Clinic also has a stretch app called The ChiroMoves Collection, showcasing stretches for the whole body that are easily to follow for any ages.
Did the chiropractic advice and support affect your baby’s delivery?
My entire labour from start to finish lasted under 6 hours and was done without any painkillers. I felt confident during labour believing in the chiropractic advice that I had received. I knew that with my aligned pelvis, it would be easier for me to be in a good and supportive posture for the birth. My yoga training also prepared me for birth as it gave me a better body awareness and ability to relax into the birth instead of being tense and worried.
Any final advice for others?
Pregnancy is both an exciting and a trying time. Be kind to yourself and get help if you need it. Luck’s Yard offers free 15-minute, non-obligatory consultations where you can discuss your situation whatever age you are. They want to make sure you have the right information before you book your first appointment. To make use of this call their friendly reception team at 01483-527945 or see their website on www.lucksyardclinic.com
Jasmine Latimer will join the Luck’s Yard team in June 2016 and we are delighted to make her part of our expanding group of therapists and team.
