Pregnant women can find support for a healthy pregnancy in an integrative care network that can include a chiropractor, midwife, doula and birth team who work with them to help provide the best birth outcomes.
What are the benefits of having an integrative care team during pregnancy?
Dr. Gregg Rubinstein: I think it’s a really great idea. I think birthing today, especially in New York City where we’re located, is an extremely stressful time for a lot of the moms. What’s happening is the OB-GYNs, particularly with older or what they call geriatric pregnancies. And to be honest with you, most of my moms are in their mid-30s. It’s extremely rare that I get moms in their 20s. Moms in their 20s are younger, they’re fitter, they’re more prepared, they’re in their prime when they’re ready to really give birth. So, when they’re older, there’s a lot more things that the OB-GYNs start talking to their clients about, really about health and safety, and because they’re older, that they want to do things differently.
When you have an integrative care team, when you’re working with a midwife or a doula and you’re working with a chiropractor and you’re working with pelvic floor specialists, each individual person has a much more detailed body of knowledge in focusing on the expecting mom. So, what you’re getting is, you’re getting the medical opinion, you’re also getting the opinion of a doula or a chiropractor who are much more holistically minded. And when you listen to multiple experts about what to do, you glean the things that are most important to you, you get the information, and you make the decisions that are right for your pregnancy, your birth, and your family. It shouldn’t be dictated by one person or another. And the more information you have, I feel, you can make better decisions.
So the benefit is just having multiple opinions about how to deal with the same situation. And you might see different opinions varying greatly from your OB-GYN to your birth doula, but you want to listen to all things and then formulate your own opinions. And that, I think, is the biggest benefit of having that information and having an integrated team.
Who else should be considered as part of a prenatal integrative care team besides chiropractor, midwife, doula, OB, and birth team?
Dr. Gregg Rubinstein: Well, you named a lot of the key players, but for some people, psychologists are really important. There are a lot of psychologists out there that work with pre and postpartum. They work closely with midwives and doulas. And when moms are really stressed out, it’s important for them to keep a cool mind and make sure that they know what’s coming in, that they’re prepared not only for the delivery, but also to be a parent. There’s a lot of anxiety for first-time parents, especially first-time moms when they’re expecting. So, there are a lot of things that can go on, but we always recommend perinatal care for the mind, body, and the spirit.
There’s prenatal yoga, which I think is really important because it keeps moms moving, and they’re just a great, supportive team. We’re kind of partial to the Prenatal Yoga Center over on 72nd Street. We have a long history of sharing patients with them, and they are just the most amazing, loving group. Their Facebook page also has tons of support, from lactation specialists to pelvic floor specialists, chiropractors, midwives, massage. There’s just so much information.
And it really takes a village to get people through. And there’s great Upper West Side moms groups and things that we’re involved with. So, it really takes a village. People need to meet the birth professionals in their area and decide who they want to work with. I also feel that there are just so many different people out there, and people need to be exposed and pick their team based on what they can afford and what their specific birthing goals are.
Do you have a strong referral network in your area? I know you just mentioned the Yoga Center, but what is the referral process like?
Dr. Gregg Rubinstein: So, we help people find their preferred providers. A lot of people have different ideas of how they want to have their birth. Some people want to have a more natural birth, they don’t want any intervention. Some people are proud and excited that they scheduled it and they’re not going to miss any work. So, it really depends on the individual.
And yes, we have a strong referral network. We have midwives, we have doulas, we have OB-GYNs that are more on the natural side of things. We also are partnered with some great OB-GYNs that are great for when things are more complicated in the pregnancy. We’ve connected with those groups. And the longer I’ve been doing the birth work, the more people I’ve come in contact with, from lactation specialists, massage, people who specialize in pre and post, people who work with infants and children, with wryneck physical therapists.
We have all the people on the team covered. And there are times where everyone is important, where someone might need a physical therapist more than they need a chiropractor in that immediate moment, or they might need a psychologist or a psychiatrist dealing with postpartum depression. So, we have all the resources in place. Anyone who pretty much has anything that falls outside the scope of our practice, we’re going to help them find the right practitioner.
We’re proud of all the connections that we’ve made. We have a great network of people that we’ve built over the past 35 years in New York City, and we have a lot of confidence in everyone that we refer to. And we get a lot of referrals that come back to us because of our relationships that we’ve made in the community.
If your patients are planning and hoping for a natural birth or VBAC, in what ways can chiropractic care support them in their birth plan?
Dr. Gregg Rubinstein: Well, the biggest thing that chiropractic provides there is number one, providing a clear connected nerve system through regular traditional chiropractic care. And also, again, focusing on the Webster technique. The Webster technique, even after a cesarean section, can improve the outcomes and increase likelihood of having a VBAC or a vaginal birth after the C-section.
Chiropractic supports them, very simple. We also talk about having a birth plan. We also recommend that they speak to midwives and doulas, someone who’s going to instill confidence that they got this. The body is designed to deliver those kids, and it’s part of natural expression. It’s the only way our species gets to go on. So birthing is the most beautiful natural process that’s been going on forever, but it is so important to make sure that you have a proper team. And integrated prenatal care will improve the outcome for the mother and the baby. And it’s also going to help you have a smooth transition and keep your eye on the prize, because people get so nervous and scared, they get so tense. So, all the research is out there, and we can absolutely help these moms.
And as a matter of fact, I just posted some stuff out on Facebook on a research paper, which I’m going to repost again because it’s so important that they see that there is tons of research that shows support of the vaginal birth after cesarean section with chiropractic and the progression through care with Webster technique.
From your experience, how does integrated prenatal care improve outcomes for mother and baby during delivery?
Dr. Gregg Rubinstein: Well, I kind of covered that before, but integrated prenatal care is going to make sure that you have all the right eyes on the mom and everyone’s going to give you different advice. Some people, like I said, want to have a more natural outcome. They want to push, and they want to try and have a vaginal delivery even after a cesarean section.
So, when people are looking for those outcomes, we’re going to make sure that we integrate and send them to the right people that are going to support their desire to have that type of birth.
Now, that does not always happen. There are times where we get disappointed, but the one thing I know for sure, the end result of every time is always going to be that beautiful, healthy baby. How they come into the world, it does matter. And we stack the deck in their favor to make sure that they come into the world in the most natural, supported way.
And that’s what we hope for when we use an integrated approach, where we call in the midwife, the doula, or whoever it might be, to support that particular mom based on their individual needs. Every mom is different, every birth is different, but when an integrated team is looking at it, you get information from all sides, and that helps you make the best decisions for you and your family. And that’s what we want at 57th Street Chiropractic. We want to give you the tools, give you the information, and connect you to the right people so you can have the birth that you want. Not one that I think you should have, but the one that you want.
Learn More
To speak with Dr. Gregg Rubinstein, visit www.ChiropractorMidtown.com or call (212) 977-7094 to schedule an appointment.
Click here to receive more information & to schedule your consultation.
