The Genius of the Unborn Child

Permission to reproduce given by the ICPA & Kelly Hayford, C.N.C.

The same power that made your body has the ability to heal your body. Imagine if everybody in the world adopted and lived by this knowledge—wouldn’t the world’s diseased conditions and illness rates be very different?

No longer would we be putting synthetic formulas or tablets into our bodies, thinking they would improve our health. That practice is most harmful to our longevity on this planet.

I have chosen to be part of a profession which has a philosophy that teaches that health is expressed from the inside out. It is a philosophy and a way of life. Humankind’s ability to heal ourselves and express health is an innate knowing far greater than our educated minds. It suggests that we were born with a limitless potential to express health. Regaining, maintaining, growing and educating ourselves in health is our responsibility. We make choices for ourselves based on our knowledge and understanding, which, in turn, creates our reality. What’s important is that we respect the life and intelligence within our body, and realize how amazing it is.

Understanding life’s processes is crucial to respecting the internal intelligence that keeps us functioning every day of our lives. To increase that awareness and respect, let’s examine the intricate order of events that take place to make us who we are as physical beings.

Stage by Stage: The first step is the conception. During intercourse, the sperm know what to do—not just once, but time and time again. They swim and swim and swim, competing against each other for the right to penetrate the ovum wall. Provided there is no interference, sperm finds its way to the egg every time. Upon fertilization, there are now all the necessary cells to form a human being. Remarkable! Proteins, DNA codes, organs and nerves are ready to work harmoniously together to form a person. Provided there is no interference, this job shall be complete at the end of nine months.

After three weeks, the intricacies of the construction call for a governing system. At this stage, the brain and the nerve system form to help coordinate development. They do this job for the rest of our lives, provided there is no interference. The nerve system controls all the functions of the cells, tissues, organs and systems of the body, from the embryonic stage through adulthood. The nerve system is responsible for the homeostasis mechanism, enabling us to adapt to an ever-changing external environment based on our perceptions. A system like this needs no help—just no interference!

Around weeks five and six, the skeleton begins to grow. This continues until we are fully formed. Ever notice that we have two ears, situated on either side of our head? Or that our eyes are positioned just under our forehead in the orbital cavity, below our eyebrows? What enables this to happen? The internal wisdom of the body—the innateness of design, if you will—creates this without us consciously thinking about it. At only 11 weeks, all the systems of the body are in working order, with the muscles and nerves working together to create the first movements. The entire system is the size of our little finger. Only five weeks later, we are identifiable as a human being, with eyelids, ears, nose, mouth, fingernails, feet and organs. These are all coordinated to enable growth and development under the watchful eye of our innate intelligence, and governed by the nerve system.

At around 18 weeks, we can suck our thumbs. We now know the benefit to this: It’s preparation for breastfeeding upon birth. It also helps regulate the sacro-occipital motion and the pumping of the cerebrospinal fluid around the body, delivering nutrients to the nerve system and taking toxins away.

At this stage, fetuses develop personalities of their own. We’re able to grasp with our hands, swim, turn somersaults, cry, communicate and even punch—I’m sure many mothers have felt that! If there is no interference, we continue to grow into healthy human beings without assistance from external sources.

At 28 weeks, fetuses are considered "viable," which means we have everything we need to be able to live outside of our mothers. Hair begins to appear, not only on our head, but on our body and eyebrows. A beautiful, cheesy-looking vernix envelops us in order to protect our skin from drying.

Our sleeping patterns start to appear, and we will respond to sounds in frequencies too high or too low for adults to hear. In the next month, our eyelids open, our eye teeth emerge, our hand grip is strengthened and we learn to recognize our mother’s voice.

Once we’re born, we will see for the first time, experience temperature changes for the first time, experience gravity for the first time, and breathe using our lungs for the first time (inhaling just the right amount of oxygen)—all this outside of our stable environment. All our organs are prepared to function at 100 percent. Newborns will do this exactly right every time, provided there is no interference. Children have within themselves an endless supply of possibilities!

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Modified excerpt from: The Genius of the Unborn Child by Sarah Farrant, D.C. Read more in Pathways: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org

Chiropractic and Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy

Permission to reproduce given by the ICPA & Pathways

One problem that many pregnant women complain about is pubic pain. Yet doctors and midwives often dismiss this pain as either "inconsequential," "unfixable," or "just one of those pregnancy discomforts that have to be endured."

Occasionally, some uninformed doctors have even erroneously told women that such pubic pain means that they would need an elective cesarean section to avoid permanent damage to that area during birth, or as a result of prior damage to the area.

Yet none of this is true. Pubic pain in pregnancy is certainly not "inconsequential"; it can also be very difficult to deal with. Although many doctors and midwives do not know what causes it or how to fix it, many women are able to get improvement or relief with chiropractic adjustments or osteopathic manipulation. It is not something that you "just have to live with." And although extra care should be taken during labor and birth in order to prevent trauma, it absolutely does NOT mean that you must have a cesarean delivery.

Although not every provider has a name for this condition, it is most commonly called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (or SPD), especially in Britain. Other names for it include: pubic shear (an osteopathic term), symphyseal separation, pubic symphysis separation, separated symphysis, pelvic girdle relaxation of pregnancy, and pelvic joint syndrome.

The symptoms of SPD vary from person to person, but almost all women who have it experience substantial pubic pain. Tenderness and pain down low in the front is common, but often this pain feels as if it’s inside. The pubic area is generally very tender to the touch; many moms find it painful when the doctor or midwife pushes down on the pubic bone while measuring the fundal height of the uterus.

Any activity that involves lifting one leg at a time or parting the legs tends to be particularly painful. Lifting the leg to put on clothes, getting out of a car, bending over, sitting down or getting up, walking up stairs, standing on one leg, lifting heavy objects, and walking tend to be difficult at times. Many women report that moving or turning over in bed is especially excruciating.

Many movements become difficult when the pubic symphysis area is affected. Although the greatest pain is associated with movements of lifting one leg or parting the legs, some women experience a "freezing," where they get up out of bed and find it hard to get their bodies moving right away— the hip bone seems stuck in place and won’t move at first. Or they describe having to wait for it to "pop into place" before being able to walk. The range of hip movement is usually affected, and hip abduction is especially painful. Many women also report sciatica when pubic pain is present. SPD can also be associated with bladder dysfunction, especially when going from lying down (or squatting) to a standing position. Some women also feel a "clicking" when they walk or shift a certain way, or lots of pressure down low near the pubic area.

Many women with SPD also report very strong round ligament pain (pulling or tearing feelings in the abdomen when rolling over, moving suddenly, sneezing, coughing, getting up, etc.). Some chiropractors feel that round ligament pain can be an early symptom of SPD problems, and indicate the need for adjustments. Other providers consider round ligament pain normal, part of the body adjusting to the growing uterus. If experienced with pubic and/or low back pain, round ligament pain is probably associated with the SPD.

Indeed, although pubic pain often does go away after pregnancy, many women find that it sticks around afterward, usually diminished but still present. If the underlying causes are not treated, long-term pain usually sticks around. Anecdotally, this often seems to be associated with long-term low back pain or reduced flexibility in the hips. Even worse, if the mother is mishandled during the birth, the pubic symphysis can separate even more or be permanently damaged. This is called Diastasis Symphysis Pubis.

Although the best idea may be to resolve chronic SPD pain through realigning the pelvic girdle and soft tissues, most women have some residual pubic and low back discomfort sticking around during pregnancy and the early postpartum weeks because of hormones. Therefore, tips for coping with pubic pain tend to be a focus of many SPD websites.

Many of the suggestions include:

•  Use a pillow between your legs or under your "pregnancy bump" when sleeping 
•  Try to keep your legs and hips as parallel as possible when moving or turning in bed
• Some women report a waterbed mattress to be helpful and swimming may help relieve pressure on the joint
• Deep water aerobics or deep water running may be helpful as well.
• Keep your legs close together and move symmetrically
• When standing, stand symmetrically, with your weight evenly distributed through both legs
• Sit down to get dressed, especially when putting on underwear or pants
• Avoid "straddle" movements.
• An ice pack may feel soothing and help reduce inflammation in the pubic area

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Modified excerpt from: Pelvic Pain: Symphysis, Pubis, Dysfunction by Pamela Vireday. Read more in Pathways: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org