Embracing Pregnancy: The Benefits of Prenatal Chiropractic Care and the Webster Technique
Updated: Sep 14
With Dr. Mallory, one of our Prenatal Chiropractors
Pregnancy is a journey filled with excitement, wonder, and sometimes discomfort. As your baby grows, your body undergoes remarkable changes. Your centre of gravity shifts, your posture changes, and your muscles adapt to new demands. It’s a beautiful process, but it can also lead to questions like, “Why does my hip hurt when I roll over in bed?” or “How did putting on my pants become a full-body workout?”
That’s where prenatal chiropractic care comes into play.
At Frame Fidelity, we take a holistic approach to pregnancy care. We examine how your spine, pelvis, hips, muscles, and movement work together. One of the tools we may use is the Webster Technique, which supports pelvic function and helps your body navigate the physical changes of pregnancy.
Understanding the Webster Technique
The Webster Technique is a specialized chiropractic method designed to assess and enhance the biomechanics of the pelvis during pregnancy. Chiropractors certified in this technique undergo additional training through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). As your pregnancy progresses, your weight distribution, posture, and movement patterns naturally change. Your pelvis plays a crucial role in supporting your growing uterus while allowing you to walk, exercise, sit, stand, and sleep comfortably.
Webster care focuses on the structures surrounding the pelvis, including the sacrum, muscles, and ligaments. Depending on your body’s needs, treatment may involve gentle chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue techniques.
The goal? To support comfortable movement and balanced pelvic biomechanics while your body adapts to the incredible changes of pregnancy.
Does the Webster Technique Turn a Breech Baby?
This is a common question we encounter. The short answer is: No.
The Webster Technique is not intended to manually turn a baby. A chiropractor does not physically move or “flip” your baby during treatment. Instead, Webster care focuses on the pregnant person's body.
Your uterus is supported within your pelvis by muscles, ligaments, and surrounding structures. As your pregnancy advances, changes in the pelvis and surrounding tissues can create areas of tension or altered movement. Webster care aims to address these areas and support pelvic and sacral function. If your baby is breech, the goal of Webster care is not to force your baby into a specific position. Rather, it’s about supporting your body and promoting comfortable movement and balance within the pelvis.
Some individuals choose Webster-certified chiropractic care when their baby is breech or in another position later in pregnancy. It can be part of a broader approach to care, but it should always complement the guidance of your midwife, obstetrician, or other prenatal healthcare provider.
Why Is Your Pelvis So Important During Pregnancy?
Your pelvis is doing significant work during pregnancy. It supports your growing uterus, transfers forces between your upper and lower body, and collaborates with your hips, spine, pelvic floor, and surrounding muscles every time you move.
As the demands of pregnancy increase, you may notice:
Low back discomfort
Pelvic girdle or pubic symphysis discomfort
Hip or gluteal tension
Sacroiliac joint discomfort
Difficulty getting comfortable in bed
Discomfort while walking or exercising
Pain or stiffness when changing positions
Increased tension through your hips, low back, or pelvis
But here's an important reminder from your Frame Fidelity team: prenatal chiropractic care
Some individuals come in because they feel discomfort. Others seek help to remain mobile, active, and comfortable as their bodies change. Both reasons are completely valid.
How Can Prenatal Chiropractic Care Support You?
At Frame Fidelity, we believe in addressing the whole body rather than chasing symptoms one area at a time. Your hip doesn’t exist in isolation, nor does your pelvis, low back, or rib cage. Pregnancy alters the way your entire body moves, so we aim to understand the bigger picture.
Your prenatal chiropractic appointment is tailored to your unique needs, considering factors such as:
How far along you are in your pregnancy
How you are feeling
Your health and pregnancy history
Your activity level
Your movement patterns
Your goals for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
Depending on your needs, your visit may include gentle chiropractic adjustments, soft tissue therapy, mobility work, exercise recommendations, and/or the Webster Technique.
We may work with your low back, pelvis, hips, mid-back, or surrounding muscles—not because anything is necessarily “out of place,” but because your body is adapting to a constantly changing set of demands. We also modify your positioning and treatment approach as your belly grows. Your comfort is our priority.
Do You Need Chiropractic Care Throughout Your Entire Pregnancy?
There isn’t a magic number of appointments or a specific schedule that fits everyone. Some individuals see us regularly throughout their pregnancy, while others come in when something starts bothering them. Some continue care for ongoing support as their bodies change.
The key is that your care evolves with you.
What your body needs at 20 weeks may differ from what it requires at 32 or 38 weeks. Regular visits allow us to reassess what’s changing and adjust your care accordingly.
Prenatal chiropractic care may help support:
Comfortable movement as your belly grows
Pelvic, hip, and spinal mobility
Management of pregnancy-related aches and tension
Adaptation to changing posture and biomechanics
Continued participation in appropriate exercise and daily activities
Preparation for the physical demands of labour and birth
Your transition into postpartum recovery
Our goal is to equip you with tools you can take with you—movement strategies, exercises, education, and simple changes that can help you feel more confident in your changing body.
When Should You Start Using the Webster Technique?
There isn’t a specific “right” week to begin. Some individuals start chiropractic care early in pregnancy because they were already receiving care or want support to stay active and comfortable. Others come in during the second or third trimester when their bodies start feeling very different. Some discover the Webster Technique after finding out their baby is breech.
There’s no need to wait until something feels wrong. If you’re curious about prenatal chiropractic care, that’s a valid reason to come in and discuss what your body needs right now.
Pregnancy Is an Adaptation—Your Care Should Be Too
At Frame Fidelity, we celebrate the adaptations that life in a body brings—pregnancy is one of the most significant adaptations of all.
Your body changes every week. Your centre of gravity shifts. Your joints and muscles adapt. Your baby grows. And somehow, you’re still expected to function like a regular human being. We understand.
Our prenatal chiropractic care is designed to meet you where you are, whether you’re dealing with pelvic or low back discomfort, trying to stay active, exploring the Webster Technique, navigating a breech presentation, or simply seeking extra support as your pregnancy progresses.
As Webster-certified chiropractors focused on perinatal and family care, we consider the whole picture—not just the area that hurts. Pregnancy care isn’t about “fixing” a pregnant body. It’s about supporting a body that’s doing something incredible.
Curious if prenatal chiropractic care or the Webster Technique is right for you?
Book an assessment and let’s chat! We’ll discuss what’s going on, assess how you’re moving, answer your questions, and create a care plan that aligns with your body, your pregnancy, and your goals.
Your body is changing. Your care should change with it.
Dr. Mallory Samuels, D.C.
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