Prenatal Chiropractic Care in College Station, TX

Changes occur within your body before you start to show. The hormone relaxin relaxes ligaments in your pelvis to accommodate your growing baby, and affects ligaments and connective tissue all over your body, sometimes causing back pain in women who haven’t experienced it before.

As your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts forward, your back curves more, and your shoulders start to round. Around week 20 is when we start seeing these changes, and we see them every week here in College Station. During an exam for our pregnant patients we use an objective tool called the Insight Nervous System Scan, since tension and misalignment put pressure on the nerves that stop your body from functioning the way it was meant to.

The Webster Technique is a specific analysis and adjustment designed for pregnancy. It looks at the muscles and ligaments that support the uterus for any imbalances and uses a very specific and gentle adjustment to reduce tension. There is no twisting or forceful adjustment involved.

Not every chiropractor who says they offer prenatal care is specifically trained in this technique, many simply modify their normal adjustments and call it prenatal care. There is a real difference between the two.

Dr. Levi Hansen is Webster Technique certified by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). This is a certification that involves in-depth study of the changes that occur in the pelvis during pregnancy, not a weekend overview. Being certified does not mean we can guarantee the baby will turn or guarantee any particular outcome in labor, it means we have been trained in the anatomy of pregnancy so we can adjust with those changes, not against them.

Before making an appointment with any provider, ask if they are Webster Certified, and with whom.

What happens in a visit? We’ve designed it around the same three steps every patient goes through: Prime, Facilitate, and Integrate. That sequence matters even more during pregnancy, since your body is adapting quickly.

• Prime: We’ll start by guiding moms through some diaphragmatic breathing. This will begin to regulate and calm their system, and we will almost always notice their shoulders drop after just a minute or two.
• Facilitate: Dr. Hansen gives very gentle, specific adjustments. Adjustments during pregnancy often include Webster Technique as well as the Diversified technique, but are tailored to your changing shape and level of comfort.
• Integrate: Instead of rushing you out the door, we ease you back into movement. Your body continues adapting to the adjustment over the next day or two as you go about normal daily life.

Different stages of pregnancy call for different approaches. Hip pain in the third trimester requires a different approach than nausea in the first.

What about during pregnancy? Well, your body is changing from week-to-week. Posture is changing, ligaments are laxer, your center of gravity is changing. Pain can mask improvement, pain can mask problems. Scanning cuts through the confusion and shows us what’s going on. Here’s what that scanning actually does for you throughout pregnancy:

• Establishes a baseline at your first visit, so we know exactly where you’re starting from
• Tracks whether stress in your nervous system is reducing as care continues
• Helps us decide whether to adjust your visit frequency as you get closer to your due date
• Shows objective results instead of relying on how you say you feel, so progress can’t be faked or imagined

Mothers are always surprised when we show them their scans side by side. Seeing the changes is impactful, nothing like a verbal check-in.

Is it too late to start? The short answer is no. Some patients start as soon as they are eight weeks along, dealing with balance and nausea. Others don’t come in until the third trimester, dealing with achy hips and poor sleep. Any trimester is fine, though starting earlier gives your body more time to adapt before labor.

We never arbitrarily decide how often to see you. It’s based on the results of the examinations. In your first trimester we might see you every other week, but as you get closer to your due date, we’ll likely see you every week, based on the diagnosis and how you are doing.

Our goal is to work alongside your OB or midwife, not replace them. Here’s how that coordination works:

• Comply with all of your scheduled OB or midwife appointments, including tests and ultrasounds
• Tell your OB you’re getting adjustments so it can be noted in your chart
• Call your OB first if you have bleeding, severe pain, or decreased activity
• Let us know about any high-risk conditions before your first visit, so we can customize your care accordingly

I’m nervous about being adjusted while pregnant, what should I expect?

That’s a completely normal feeling, and it’s something we walk through together before anything happens. Nothing is done without your comfort and consent, and your care is modified for your stage of pregnancy and your specific body. We use gentle, specific techniques and positioning that avoid unnecessary pressure, and if anything comes up that makes chiropractic care inappropriate for you, we’ll screen for that and coordinate with your OB or midwife rather than proceed anyway.

What is the Webster Technique and why does certification matter?

The Webster Technique is a gentle, pregnancy-specific analysis and adjustment that reduces tension around the uterus. Certification matters because it means real training, not just a weekend course. Dr. Hansen is Webster Technique certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, which studies pelvic changes during pregnancy in depth. Ask your provider who certified them before your first visit.

How do you do the adjustments during pregnancy?

You won’t need to lie flat on your stomach or use a special drop-piece table. We use a pregnancy pillow that supports your belly and lets you lie comfortably, so positioning adapts to you rather than the other way around.

What happens during a prenatal chiropractic visit?

Your visit follows three steps: Prime, Facilitate, and Integrate. First, we guide you through diaphragmatic breathing to calm your nervous system, and most moms feel their shoulders drop within a minute or two. Next comes a gentle, specific adjustment tailored to your changing shape, often including the Webster Technique. Instead of rushing you out the door afterward, we ease you back into movement, and your body continues adapting to the adjustment over the next day or two as you go about normal daily life.

Do you see patients after birth, for postpartum care?

Yes, we welcome postpartum patients. Your body goes through another round of significant changes after delivery, and the same principles of gentle, specific care apply as it recovers and readjusts. If you’re postpartum and dealing with new aches, don’t assume it’s something you just have to live with.

Do I need a referral to see a prenatal chiropractor in College Station?

No, you don’t need a referral to book a visit with a prenatal chiropractor. You can call directly to schedule an exam, which includes the Insight Nervous System Scan to check how your spine and nervous system are handling pregnancy changes. Many moms in College Station come in on their own once they start noticing back pain, hip tightness, or posture changes around their second trimester.