The connection between prenatal stress and your baby

The connection between prenatal stress and your baby: Interview with Drs. Rachel and Nicole Wong-Homer of Sprout Family Chiropractic

It’s no secret that growing a new human can trigger stress - and understandably so! Physically, mentally, emotionally, and logistically, most people go through big changes across those 9 months as they prepare to birth a baby. 

What we know about maternal stress is that it is inevitable. We also know that stress during pregnancy not only affects the pregnant person, but the baby as well. 

We are fascinated by this topic and are so lucky to know and partner with Drs. Rachel and Nicole Wong-Homer of Sprout Family Chiropractic who understand this topic intimately. I interviewed them to learn more about what the research says and what we can do to help reduce the impact stress has on the nervous system and beyond. 

Let’s begin!

First of all, what are the different kinds of stressors that can show up in pregnancy?

In our office we talk about the 3 primary stressors that everyone experiences: physical, chemical, and emotional. Those same stressors show up in pregnancy, but magnified! Physical stress is the one that usually gets the most focus since there are so many physical changes happening in those 9 months. It is important to remember, however, that along with those physical changes, there are also a lot of chemical, emotional, and neurological changes as well. 

What does the evidence say about maternal stress and impact on the baby? 

The science on maternal stress and it's impact on baby is extensive and the body of evidence seems to be growing everyday. During pregnancy, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is responsible for involuntary actions, plays a crucial role. The ANS consists of two branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS is what comes to life when you are under duress and experiencing stress. You might have heard it referred to as "fight or flight". The PNS is the branch that helps us calm down, relax, and function once again after the stress has passed. This wildly important parasympathetic side of the nervous system is not just responsible for rest and relaxation though; it’s in charge of growth and development as well, making it perhaps the single most important system to pay attention to during the prenatal period (and postpartum as well). If mom’s nervous system is not in optimal growth and development mode, how can baby’s be?

Every stressful event (external and internal) that mom experiences transfers and imprints onto their baby’s stress response system (their ANS). In other words, “maternal stress alters fetal ANS by entraining fetal HR with maternal HR.” And because baby and mom are connected, fetal distress gets relayed back to mom which alarms her nervous system that something is wrong which in turn puts more stress back on mom. On top of that research has shown a baby in utero will neurologically remember being in distress (“fetal stress memory”) which can cause baby to continue to be in a fight or flight/protective state after birth. A stressed baby, especially preterm newborns, can experience difficulties in regulating growth and development. Increased stress, especially for prolonged periods of time, causes an imbalance between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems and a decreased ANS tone; all of which can have short and long term effects on baby. 

Your practice takes a neurological approach to chiropractic care. Tell us in simple terms, what exactly does that mean?

We love this question! Our neurologically-focused approach to chiropractic care means our primary focus is finding and addressing stress and tension stuck in your nervous system. When we experience ongoing or overwhelming stress, the entire nervous system shifts into an excessive sympathetic dominant state, increasing the tension on nerves and muscles, as well as organs, glands, the digestive system, and more. What we do is find out where, and how much, stress is stuck in your nervous system and then we use a variety of gentle and specific chiropractic techniques to address those areas of stress and restore the nervous system’s communication pathway.

As neurologically-focused prenatal chiropractors, we focus on rebalancing the two branches of the nervous system by assessing for and correcting subluxations (built up stress and tension in the nervous system). We use a variety of gentle and specific chiropractic techniques for our pregnant patients to restore the nervous system’s communication pathway.

Ok, amazing! Help us connect the dots - how can your approach to chiropractic care help with maternal stress?

The mother’s nervous system, which processes all her mental, emotional, and physical experiences including stress, provides a baseline resonance frequency for the child to connect with throughout his/her development. The growing nervous system imitates and bonds to the mother’s nervous system which helps to guide its future growth. 

In order to know how your nervous system is functioning, we need to measure it. We do so by utilizing an amazing piece of technology in our office called HRV, which stands for Heart Rate Variability. It is an absolutely essential exam for all pregnant women to take on a regular basis because it provides valuable insights into the health and function of their autonomic nervous system (ANS) and overall health. HRV scans give us a window into how a patient’s vagus nerve, the major relayer for the autonomic nervous system, is functioning at a deeper neurological level.

Can you tell us more about your practice in general? What are the most common reasons people come to you during pregnancy and postpartum? Do you work with newborns?

We specialize in pediatrics and pregnancy and our practice is a place designed specifically for the whole family. You’ll notice that right away when you walk in that there are toys everywhere for the kids and a big open community style adjusting space where moms can connect with other moms and kids can play together. Our practice is a place where education, empowerment, and connection happens. 

Some common reasons people get under care during pregnancy and postpartum are:

• Prenatal or postpartum anxiety
• Pelvic discomfort (e.g. pubic symphysis pain, hip/knee/ankle pain, round ligament pain, etc.)
• Wanting to feel reconnected with one's own body after birth
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Low back and neck pain
• Postpartum depression
• Urinary incontinence
• Wanting to prepare for their second, third (and even fourth!) pregnancy and birth with a more natural approach
• Build and support a safe foundation for postpartum exercise and movement

We love working with newborns! Birth is not only stressful for mom, but is also stressful for baby and the sooner a baby can be checked for subluxation in their nervous system, the better. Many of our newborn patients come for wellness since mom was under care during her pregnancy and understands the importance of a well regulated nervous system, but we also see newborns for things like colic, reflux, constipation, sleep challenges, latch/feeding struggles, and torticollis just to name a few things. 

What is one thing you wish all pregnant people knew before childbirth?

We wish every pregnant person knew that their parental intuition is the strongest “expertise” there is and it starts before baby is even born. Too many times we have seen a parent’s intuition during pregnancy (and even postpartum) brushed off or diminished by providers or authority figures. This disempowers both the birthing person and their partner. Beyond that, it absolutely disempowers baby’s innate intelligence. We encourage people to trust and respect their body because pregnancy and birth are natural physiological processes where you and your baby know exactly what to do.

Wow!! Thank you, Drs. Rachel and Nicole, for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us! So many people think chiropractors are just for addressing physical pain in the body and what we have learned from you today is that there is so many benefits to chiropractor care. 

You can learn more about Drs. Rachel and Nicole Wong-Homer of Sprout Family Chiropractic, located in Kearny Mesa in San Diego here.

**The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not individual medical advice or meant to create a doctor-patient relationship.