This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend an amazing seminar put on my Jeanne Ohm. She is the head of the ICPA, International Chiropractic Pediatrics Association. I have decided to do a fellowship in Pediatrics and between now and next December 2012, will have 15 weekends of seminars filled with information from conception to age 12.
This first weekend I was certified in the Webster Technique. A lot of people mistakenly talk about this technique as a way to turn breech babies. While it can be an asset to that situation, what we are really doing is restoring neuro and biomechanical balance to the pelvis and body. This then allows the baby to move into optimal labor position. This position, however, can be done on anyone, men, children, non pregnant women, etc. It’s an amazing adjustment that supports the premise of chiropractic – restoring normal function to the body so that it can reach its highest potential.
One thing that really stood out to me this weekend is how many choices the mother actually has during the birth process. There are midwives, doulas and ob/gyns that can help through this process. It can be natural, on their back, on all fours or squatting. There can be medication, or no medication, acupuncture, adjustments, massage, or electrical stimulation. There can be c sections or not, ultrasounds or not and circumcision or not. The bottom line is that there are many choices that aren’t always offered. We are led to believe that the “normal” way is the correct way.
I feel like I have a bit of an advantageous position because of the field that I am in. I receive a lot of information on alternatives to the medical world. This weekend made me realize how many times we make a choice because it’s the popular one as opposed to the one that makes the most sense to us. We’ve had a lot of interesting discussions on vaccines and the flu shot recently in the office and I feel that this also falls into that category.
It’s not my place to make the decision for you, but I am making it my place to make sure that you have access to all of the options and the research supporting that. I’m looking forward to sharing all of the information that I am exposed to over the next year and beyond. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what option you choose as long as you feel that you were able to have all sides available to make the best choice for you!