Keep Trying

To learn how to set new habits for the New Year call 309-689-6200 to reserve your seat at our New Year New You Workshop on Monday January 12th at 6pm!

Keep Trying

You only fail when you stop trying. 

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Live Your Best Life

Move. Nourish. Believe. Start living your best life. It's not too late!

Live Your Best Life

Move. Nourish. Believe. Start living your best life. It's not too late! 

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Iphone6

Iphone6

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Everything Is Possible With Perfect Alignment

Everything Is Possible With Perfect Alignment

With perfect alignment, everything is possible.

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Heachaches

Heachaches

Chiropractic care has been proven to be extremely effective in treating migraine and tension headaches as well as neck pain and stiffness.

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53% less

53% less

Chiropractic care may reduce your intake of medications up to 53%.

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Open The Door To Chiropractic Healing

Open The Door To Chiropractic Healing

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First Point of Contact

First Point of Contact

See your chiropractor first! 

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Take A Walk

Even as little as ten to fifteen minutes of exercise per day has been shown to improve your health, regulate mood, and help maintain your weight.

Take A Walk

Even as little as ten to fifteen minutes of exercise per day has been shown to improve your health, regulate mood, and help maintain your weight.

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Allergy Medicine May Be Making Your Allergies WORSE

Allergies affect approximately 60 million Americans every year which is roughly 1 in 5 people.

Allergies are an overreaction by the immune system to an allergen such as indoors/outdoors, food and drugs, latex or other skin allergies, and eye allergies. Many allergy sufferers tend to deal with their symptoms of stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, eye itching, congestion, and even sinus headaches (YES sinus headaches can be a result of allergies!!!) until it becomes unbearable and they take an allergy medication or talk to their doctor about ways to help relieve their symptoms.

So how do these medicines work?

Anti-histamines: These work by waiting until your immune system reacts to an allergen and your mast cells release an inflammatory chemical called histamine. Histamine will bind to blood vessels in your body to allow them to enlarge and cause swelling but histamine is also responsible for allowing redness, itching, and even changes in mucus secretions that can lead to other symptoms such as congestion. Anti-histamines work by blocking histamine from being used in the body however they don't stop other inflammatory chemicals and can still leave you with symptoms of congestion, dry mucus linings, headaches, aching, and even drowsiness.

Decongestants: Decongestants work by shrinking swollen nasal tissues and blood vessels to reduce swelling, redness, mucus production, and slowing congestion. However decongestants do have some side effects like raising blood pressure and they can also cause irritability and difficulty sleeping.

Steroids aka Corticosteriods: These work by suppressing your immune system response to all allergies including seasonal, food, and other allergens. These medications can take one to two weeks to take effect and must be taken even when you don't have allergy symptoms to be effective. They also have many short and long term side effects including: cough, hoarseness, fungal infections of mouth, weight gain, fluid retention, high blood pressure, growth suppression, diabetes, cataracts, bone thinning or osteoporosis, and muscle weakness.

Bronchodilators: These are an inhaled medicine, usually a steriod with similar side effects to the above, that will act chemically to relax the muscles around the bronchiols in the lungs to open up airways when asthma symptoms are present. These are strong medications that can be overused to cause high blood pressure and a racing heart.

Mast Cell Stabilizers: These can be used to prevent mild to moderate allergy inflammation symptoms or before exercise to prevent some mild asthma symptoms. These medications can take up to a few weeks to see effects and like any medication will also have some side effects such as: throat irritation, skin rashes, bad taste, burning/stinging/blurred vision depending on where they are administered.

Since these medications just cover up symptoms rather than treating the immune system hyperactivity, in many cases your allergies may seem to get worse over time with more complications and the need for more or stronger medications to control your allergy symptoms. A better solution to allergies may exist in understanding why your body is over reacting to an allergen and how to take control of your allergy symptoms when they do occur.

Your immune system is designed to protect you from "foreign invaders" and potential pathogens that you may be exposed to over your lifetime. However in some cases our immune system is so overworked that it begins to attack things in our environment such as pollen that don't really fall in those categories. This can be a result of an immune system that is on high alert from chronic systemic inflammation from pain or chronic injury, medications, disease, or unknown food sensitivities.

So how can you take control without medications?

1) Reduce pain and get help for your chronic injury. This will reduce the amount of inflammation you have and will help to calm your immune system so you don't have severe of a response to seasonal allergens.

2) Research your medications and talk to your doctor. Many medications cause inflammation in the body so the more medications you are taking the higher the risk or interactions and inflammation in the body. I would research the medications you are currently taking and talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your medications or natural ways to treat the conditions rather than dealing with a host of side effects from the medication.

3) Take a natural supplement to support allergy symptoms. Aller-aid is a pharmaceutical grade nutrient that will stop mast cells from releasing inflammatory chemicals, reduce nasal and sinus congestion, support healthy mucus linings, and battle fungal infections that were found by Mayo Clinic to be responsible for chronic sinus congestion in 93% of cases. Click here for more info on Aller-aid or to purchase. Got kids? We've got a children's version that's SAFE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 6!

4) Test yourself or get tested for food allergies. When your body is constantly being bombarded by food allergies or sensitivity there will be systemic inflammation that will put the immune system on high alert plus when your gut is inflamed it will be harder to absorb nutrients your body needs to keep a strong immune system. In many cases I've seen food sensitivity cause so much inflammation that the intestinal lining is damaged and can leak out undigested food particles into the blood stream to cause FURTHER food sensitivites and increased allergy response overall. It has been estimated by experts that when you decreased your exposure to food sensitivities your allergy response will reduce by 10x!!!!

To start, I'd recommend cutting out the two most common allergens I see in my office: cow's milk and gluten. If you can cut these out for a minimum of 2-4 weeks you may see a huge decrease in your allergy symptoms. For the gold standard of testing and quick results, an LRA blood test will be your best option, this test allows the lab to test your white blood cells specifically to see how they react to many allergens. In my office I test for response to 144 different allergens including food, mold, chemicals, and food additives and dyes.

Want more information? Call 309-689-6200 to setup an appointment or phone consultation to discuss ways to reduce your allergy symptoms naturally.

TRUTH!

TRUTH!

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What will you do?

What will you do?

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Disease is a disturbed condition...

Disease is a disturbed condition...

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Show Some Enthusiasm!

"There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." Norman Vincent Peale

Show Some Enthusiasm!

"There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." Norman Vincent Peale

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Just A Thought

Think twice before taking medication.... a natural option is the safest way to heal!

Just A Thought

"Health" is a state of the body. Wellness is a state of being.

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An Autism Treatment You Haven't Tried

Autism is plaguing the children of our society today and interfering with school work, social relationships, family relationships, health, and even our children's self confidence. Traditional medical doctors may hold off on making a diagnosis of autism or even a mild autism spectrum disorder until a certain age has been reached even if your child is showing the signs of delayed development or processing disorders! This can be tragic because during development your child's brain can make 250,000 new nerve cells every minute which means that EACH MINUTE of delayed treatment can cost nerve cells and connections that can help to improve the children's symptoms and their entire development.

Autism and autism spectrum disorder are a group of complex brain development disorders are characterized by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors. Children suffering with these disorders may have an intellectual disability, motor coordination difficulty, attention difficulties, and even physical health issues such as sleeping disorders or gastrointestinal disturbances. Many of these children may excel in visual skills, music, math or art despite exhibiting signs of autism disorders. Autism appears to have roots in early brain development however the most obvious signs and symptoms of autism emerge between the ages of 2-3 years old.

Typical medical treatment for autism can involve behavioral treatments, medications, dietary restrictions, or both. It is not unusual to find autistic children today that are on multiple medication for several physical health issues as well as autism medication. A single medication can have serious side effects for our children, but in combination can cause other serious life threatening combinations and parental concerns for a "normal childhood". I have also seen highly restrictive diets in young children which is a huge concern for myself as a parent as well as a doctor who sees these children in my office because these diets can literally starve our children's bodies of essential nutrients during the time of highest need.

In my experience, I have found that with a combination of brain development assessment, home brain development exercises, nutritional guidance, and chiropractic care can yield great results for autistic children. If I am able to perform a consultation about your child's specific needs and developmental delays we can uncover multiple factors such as brain crossover communication issues, delayed synapse formation in specific brain regions, dietary and hormonal factors, and even birth trauma that may precede and contribute to their autistic symptoms. Brain development is a delicate process that begins to form based on sensory input from our environment, optimum nerve function, and proper nutrition to allow our brain and nerves to flourish. If any one of these factors is disturbed, we can begin to see symptoms of autism and developmental delays at ANY AGE. Finding the TRUE CAUSE of autism rather than just masking symptoms is way to truly manage and gain footholds in improving your child's overall health.

A recent study published in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research found that chiropractic care can help to reverse autism symptoms and other issues related to the autism spectrum. In this study a 3 year old girl with abnormal behavior and multiple autism diagnoses underwent chiropractic care for one month and experienced a complete resolution of headaches, acid reflux, vomiting, and sleep issues and significant improvements with calm and happier behavior, improved attitude, increased eye contact, increased focus and attention, and speech initiation. Her mother also reports that her daughter was also able to get off all of her medications and see improvements in occupational and speech therapy, academics, and communication. Here's the link to learn more.

If your child is suffering from autism, autism spectrum disorder, or other developmental delays I would advise you to visit a chiropractic office for a full examination and consultation to determine if there could be a neurologic factor contributing to their disorder. If you are close to an AlignLife office, a full integrated and comprehensive natural health center, I would strongly suggest you bring your child in for a free consultation to discuss how we might be able to help your child with their development and their overall health. Click on "Find a Clinic" to find a clinic near you.

Make Your Years Count

Your life is important so make sure that you live it to the fullest.

Make Your Years Count

Your life is important so make sure that you live it to the fullest.

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What you focus on is what will be growing in...

Focus on the sunny positives every day and you won't focus to the shadows!!1

What you focus on is what will be growing in...

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Focus On The Positive

You can choose your attitude. Focus on the positive things in your life.

Focus On The Positive

You can choose your attitude. Focus on the positive things in your life.

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Share Chiropractic

Do you love your chiropractor? Don't keep it to yourself. Share this and help your friends reach their full potential!

Share Chiropractic

Do you love your chiropractor? Don't keep it to yourself. Share this and help your friends reach their full potential!

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Spine Face

You have to maintain your spine if you want to stay HEALTHY!!!!

Spine Face

People take batter care of their teeth than of their spine, yet there are no implants or fillings for you spine, which is essential for your body to function optimally.

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I Leave Pain Behind

What do you want to leave behind? Call 689-6200 to setup a free healthy consultation to get out of pain, lose weight or find out how to reduce your medication NATURALLY!!!

I Leave Pain Behind

One step at a time and I become whole and healthy.

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Keep It Simple

You shouldn't have to struggle to understand the problem or the solution. Your body heals itself but sometimes YOU need a little guidance.

Keep It Simple

If you haven't tried Chiropractic, you haven't tried EVERYTHING.

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Health

It's time to take care of yourself. We can help you find the tools to achieve a healthy life. Call 309-689-6200 to schedule a free consultation today. Don't you DESERVE to be healthy, happy, and active?

Health

It's time to take care of yourself. We can help you find the tools to achieve a healthy life.

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Add Healthy Behaviors

The road to health and fitness isn't always easy, but keep focusing on adding healthy behaviors to your routine. You'll get there!

Add Healthy Behaviors

The road to health and fitness isn't always easy, but keep focusing on adding healthy behaviors to your routine. You'll get there!

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3 Reasons Why You Should See a Chiropractor...

Have you been in a car accident or know someone that has?? Even a small accident that occurs under 10 mph can still cause damage and pain. Since ALL insurance companies are required to cover medical costs associated with a car accident no matter who is at fault, it is best to get it checked out sooner rather than later! Call 689-6200 to schedule your free consultation today!

3 Reasons Why You Should See a Chiropractor...

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Eat Your Colors

Do you need some help planning what you are going to eat? Call AlignLife at 309-689-6200 to setup a consultation to discuss healthy eating habits.

Eat Your Colors

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One Step At A Time

Whatever you do, don't give up on your health and wellness goals because they seem to be out of reach. Focus on your next steps.

One Step At A Time

Whatever you do, don't give up on your health and wellness goals because they seem to be out of reach. Focus on your next steps.

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Recipe: Coconut Date Rolls

It's summer. It's hot and I don't like to put a whole lot of effort into snacks in the kitchen. So here's a crowd pleaser that is tremenous!!





Ingredients:

12 dates
3 tbsp hot water
shredded coconut

1) Bring water to a boil.
2) Let dates soak for 10 minutes.
3) Place in food processor and blend until smooth.
4) Roll into balls or rolls with hands and then coat in shredded coconut.
5) Refridgerate for 2 hours to let them set.

Note: you can keep them in the fridge so they stay fresh longer but they also are find at room temp but might be slightly softer.

Treat the Cause

Symptoms are not the cause of sickness, but a manifestation. By removing the symptoms, are you leaving the sickness to advance?

Treat the Cause

Symptoms are not the cause of sickness, but a manifestation. By removing the symptoms, are you leaving the sickness to advance?

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Pregnancy Update: Consuming Nuts Does Not Raise Your Child's Allergy Risk

Peanut allergies affect about 2% of the population in the United States and many of our schools are bumping up nut restrictions to help protect the children who are deathly allergic. Parents want to know what they can do to reduce their child's risk of a nut allergy and with the conflicting information out there you can be left in confusion. Women were once told by their doctor to avoid nuts in pregnancy to avoid triggering allergies while others said that avoiding nuts during pregnancy might increase your child's risk of being allergic. So who's right?

New research published in the JAMA Pediatrics found that children whose mothers ate nuts during pregnancy at least five times per month were 69% less likely to have nut allergies than the moms that rarely ate nuts. This study involved more than 8000 children born to female nurses.

According to Dr. Ruchi Gupta of Northwestern University, the results support the advice that women should not restrict their diets in pregnancy unless they are allergic to nuts. Peanuts are a good source of protein and folic acid, which can help prevent certain birth defects. "Mothers-to-be should feel free to curb their cravings with a dollop of peanut butter!", he advises.

Dr. Michael Young, a pediatrician at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston, who led the study reports that even though allergies can be inherited, the maternal component seems to be more relevant than the father's gene's.

So what should you do?

1) Don't avoid foods during pregnancy but instead expose baby to many different flavors and tastes to broaden the palate. This may come in handy when you introduce new solid foods as well :)

2) If the family is not allergic, try some new ways to use peanut butter. Add it on apple slices or slather some in the middle of a celery stick. (Ants on a log, anyone?)

Why Should Your Doctor Treat Back Pain Differently in Women?

They say that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, so why do doctors treat their back pain Journal of Pain study release in January 2012, women reported pain levels that were 20% higher on average than men with almost every condition.

the same? Women and men visit the doctor at approximately the same rate when it comes to back pain however new research suggests that women feel pain more intensely than men do. In a

In addition, women’s gait pattern differs from men’s in the fact we swing our hips while walking to add a “sashay” to our walk while men’s hips primarily move up and down. This additional hip movement in women puts a higher demand on our joints and muscles which can cause more complex pain that is harder to treat. Back pain in women is more about the delicate balance of joint motion and muscle stability during motion which, when out of balance, can cause increased pain, muscle spasms, and sciatica (pain into the buttocks or leg). To make matters even more complex, women’s fluctuating hormone levels can also cause joint laxity and increased swelling in joints that aren’t moving properly.

At AlignLife, we customize our treatments to target your specific problem and we pride ourselves on educating you so that you can set health goals and partner with us to meet those goals. I am always excited to see the results of our integrative treatment and love when patients are able to return to an activity they have been missing. My goal is always to reduce your pain and get your body stable so you don’t have the same condition occurring over and over again.

When you have back pain, it can interfere not only with your work and recreational activities but it can affect your relationship with your kids and your husband as well. I’ve seen many women in my office who suffer with pain at work and then come home with such exhaustion from dealing with the chronic pain that they can’t play with their kids or even hold a conversation with their husband. This is no way to live!

I had a patient who was a mother of two and a stay at home mom who had such severe back pain she wasn’t able to pick up her 18 month old daughter or play with her 6 year old son. Her health goal was to not only get rid of her back pain but to play in the backyard with her kids. With a treatment combination of chiropractic care for pain relief, home exercises to strengthen muscles, and nutrition enhancement to improve healing, we were able to get her pain free in 2 weeks and playing soccer with her son in just 6 weeks!

If you’re suffering from back pain, even if it comes and goes, or dealing with pelvic floor issues such as pain during intercourse, incontinence, or even organ prolapse, then you need to call AlignLife to setup a consultation to find out what you can start doing today to get your body back in order.

Resources:
1) Smith et al. "Gender Differences in Pelvic Motions and Center of Mass Displacement During Walking: sterotypes quantified." Journal of Women's Health Gender Based Medicine. June 2002 11(5):453-8
2) Hunt et al. "Do Women Consult more than men? A review of gender and consultation for back pain and headache." Journal of Health Services Res & Policy. April 2011 16 (2): 108-117
3) Maserejian et al. "Disparities in physicians interpretations of heart disease symptoms by patient gender: results of a video vignette factorial experiment." Journal of Women's Health Oct 2009 18(10): 1661-7

Andrea Schnowske, D.C. is a local chiropractor at AlignLife that specializes in family wellness with a specific interest in women. AlignLife is a chiropractic and natural health center that has been serving the community since 2007 and has locations in seven states. They are located at the corner of Glen Ave and Sheridan Rd in Peoria IL and are open six days a week including Saturdays. 

Plastic is Poisoning Your Kids

There have been whispers about the harms of plastic and BPA for children for years but a recent study published in Pediatrics journal shows the direct harm to children specifically. Many families have already switched to bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate free products and are avoiding plastic wraps like the plague but you need to take more steps than just that! Read on to learn how to protect your family and reduce your risk for many health problems they create.

BPA and phthalates such as Di-2-ethylphthalate (DEHP) are chemicals used in most plastics products and can also be found at high levels in processed foods. They are responsible for that "plastic-like" smell of new car, new carpet, new toys, new bottle, and even new pacifiers. Many of the plastic wraps or tupperware containers that you place on your food can also pass these chemicals on. These chemicals are endocrine disrupting chemicals that can alter your hormones and even be stored inside the body to cause long lasting toxic effects. It is very important to reduce your family's exposure so that these chemicals don't permanently alter hormone levels or effect development for children.

The study I mentioned above in Pediatrics has linked phthalates to insulin resistance which is a sugar balance disorder that causes blood sugar to be unstable. This can cause issues with mood, hormones, and can also lead to diabetes and heart problems in ALL family members, not just kids. The study also found a link between BPA and obesity where body fat and waistlines were larger in children with higher BPA exposure levels.

So how can you protect your family?

1.  Don't heat your food while it is in plastic containers or covered with plastic wrap. Switch it over to a microwave safe plate or use a paper towel to protect from spatter.

2.  Switch to glass tupperware or look for containers that are labeled BPA and melamine-free.

3. Pack your lunch and your childrens in a traditional paper bag or stainless steel lunch box. Make sure you also look for those reusable BPA-free sandwich and snack wrappers.

4. Avoid buying highly processed foods as they will increase your family's exposure. Try to encourage the whole family to eat fresh foods that grow from the ground as a snack instead of those chips and candy.

5. Check your children's pacifiers and toys for warnings (most toys are required to be labeled with a phthalate warning in California) about phthalate exposure especially if they are toys for children under 3 who are more likely to put them in their mouth. I also recommend airing out and washing plastic toys after they've been removed from their plastic so you can decrease the amount of phthalates that will pass onto your kids. (You can also avoid plastic toys all together by switching to great wooden products from companies such as Melissa & Doug. These are a favorite at my house.)

Resource:
Trasande et al. "Urinary Phthalates and Increased Insulin Resistance in Adolescents" Pediatrics. August 19 2013

How To Reduce Your Risk of Induction and C-section Without Medication

I meet soon-to-be-mothers all the time and they are always worried about one thing, delivering their baby

safely. With the rates of Caesarean section (C-section) on the rise over the past 15 years, they have every right to be concerned with reducing their risk factors. According to a study from the  World Health Organization, when a country's rate of C-section rises over 15% so does the maternal death rate. This means that our current C-section rate in the US (32%) is causing unnecessary death in women and it can be calculated that 45% of all maternal death is associated with C-section.

So what can you do to prevent C-section for your delivery? It's very important that you stay informed on ways to prevent pelvic misalignment that can cause delivery issues, the risks of induction, and natural methods to keep your labor progressing to prevent the need for an epidural. For natural methods of labor progression, talk to your provider about labor and breathing techniques, stretching, herbs and essential oils, and massage or setup a consultation in my office to discuss techniques you may not be familiar with. I can also help refer you to a great doula near you that can help make your birth experience amazing.

Pelvic misalignment can cause serious issues for the progression of labor because the uterus is attached to the bones of the lumbar spine, the ilium (hip bones), and the sacrum (tail bone); this means that if there is any misalignment of the pelvis or the lumbar vertebra the uterus can twist which can cause intrauterine constriction and make it hard for mom to push baby in the right direction. It is HIGHLY important for all soon-to-be-mothers to get their spine and pelvis checked by a chiropractor who is trained to treat pregnant women and to engage in regular pelvic and hip stretching exercises to keep the pelvis open. To the left find a picture detailing the small spaces in the pelvis outlet, as you can see the smallest misalignment of these bones can cause the pelvic opening to become oval shape which can cause issues with baby exiting the pelvis during delivery. If you'd like a handout of some great pelvic stretches to keep your pelvis open and aligned, shoot me an email at aschnowske@alignlife.com and I can make some recommendations and help you keep things moving in the right direction.

 The second prevention step I mentioned above is knowing risks of induction. In many cases today I see pregnant women coerced and forced into having an induction to speed things up for two reasons:
1) baby may be too big to fit through the pelvis
2) they are overdue and doctor is worried the placenta is aging
This makes me so angry, because in most cases these women don't need an induction and inducing labor when baby and mom aren't ready can increase risk of injury to mom and baby and can also increase risk of C-section.

To address the first we have to refer back to the pelvic picture above, see that little pink colored tissue between the bones at the top of the pelvis? This is called your pubis symphysis, it's a piece of cartilage which loosens with delivery hormones and allows the pelvis opening to expand a minimum of 3mm to allow for bigger babies to pass. Your body is designed to expand to allow baby to pass through! However if a women's pelvis is misaligned and does not allow for this tissue to expand as needed or in the case of induction when those hormones may not be at the right levels to allow this tissue to stretch, then there may be issues with baby getting hung up in the pelvis and causing baby's heart rate to drop. THIS is a case when C-section may be indicated so no injury is caused to baby, however I've also seen laboring women be adjusted by a chiropractor to realign these bones and get labor progressing along naturally again. Another issue that I find with telling mom that baby will be too big is the fact that ultrasound CAN NOT, I will repeat CAN NOT estimate your baby's weight and can be off by 2 lbs or MORE. So I empower you to be informed and talk to you provider about your concerns of induction if this is the reason they cite

To address the second, let's talk about the placenta. The placenta is designed to nourish baby throughout the pregnancy and keep the fluids inside at the correct level so baby can move around. Your due date is an estimate that can be off about 2 weeks, so in fact your placenta may have 2 weeks left of life after you reach your due date! One really great way to find out if your placenta is still on track, is to look at fluid levels on the ultrasound. If the fluid levels are in the normal range before or after your due date, changes are high that baby is still getting everything they need and still waiting to time their appearance for when they are good and ready. In rare cases there are some genetic factors that cause the placenta to deteriorate sooner than it is supposed to, but in these times not only will fluid levels be out of range but usually baby's growth with slow and your provider will let you know of the risks. This is a time when induction (provided baby's heart rate is ok) or C-section can be a viable option to keep baby safe.

So what is induction and what should you expect? When labor is induced, either the placental fluids are forcefully broken and/or a medication is given to force strong contractions to begin. When the placental fluids are broken, bacteria can be introduced into the womb which can increase risk of infection for baby and also take away the fluid cushion that can prevent head trauma to baby if they get stuck in the pelvis during labor. If medication is used, this causes abnormally strong contractions that first of all don't allow for mom's tissues to expand naturally and can increase the risk of pain and tearing for mom and these contractions can also occur so quickly that it doesn't allow baby to get into the right position to pass safely through the pelvis which can increase the risk for head trauma for baby.

These factors together can severely increase the risk of the need for C-section after labor induction. In fact a study from the women's health research unit at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, found that out of 281 pregnancies of 36 weeks or greater that had labor induced, 83% of these mothers received an epidural (this numbs the body from the waist down and if given too much medication can make it impossible for women to feel when to push or push effectively). They found that the C-section rate for these 223 women that received an epidural was 30% compared to 8% for the 48 that didn't receive an epidural. In addition, they found that the timing of the epidural, early (before 4 cm dilation) or late (after 4 cm dilation) was also a great indicator if mom would need a C-section. According to Ms. Rincon, a senior research assistant involved in the study, after adjusting effects of age, race, BMI, parity, and Bishop score, the risk for C-section was DOUBLED with early vs late epidural.

So what can we take from all this information? Well first of all, I am not trying to scare you into not getting an induction or having an epidural or avoiding C-section like a plague and putting yourself or your baby at risk. I am merely trying to give you information to understand when an induction or C-section may be indicated and ways you can get involved in INFORMED DECISION when it comes to your birth. If you aren't sure or don't understand explanations or procedures your provider is recommending, you need to ask questions until you feel comfortable to tell your provider if you want to proceed with this procedures. If your provider isn't willing to answer your questions or gets angry that you aren't following their recommendation, then you may need to question if you need to find a different provider that is willing to support you through your pregnancy and guide you to make the best and most informed decisions for your family. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me by email aschnowke@alignlife.com or call 309-689-6200 to setup a consultation (phone consultations are also an option) to discuss your concerns.

Have a great and healthy day!!