Prenatal Chiropractic In Bucktown Chicago

Prenatal Chiropractic Services

Pregnancy changes your body faster than almost any other life stage. In roughly nine months your center of gravity shifts forward, your ligaments loosen, your pelvis widens, and your low back takes on a load it was never carrying before. For a lot of expecting mothers in Bucktown and Wicker Park, that shows up as nagging low back pain, hip tightness, sciatic pain down one leg, or a pelvis that just feels unstable.

Prenatal chiropractic care is about helping your body adapt to those changes comfortably — without medication, and with techniques specifically modified for pregnancy.

This adjustment done by Reaves Chiropractic’s Chicago Chiropractor, Dr. Joanna Reaves, also stimulates the nervous system which allows for relaxation of the nerves and body and in return causes a decrease in pain and other symptoms that may be present such as numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, and other feelings of tension, achiness, sharp and stabbing pains.

Webster Technique – Certified Care from Dr. Joanna Reaves

Dr. Reaves is Webster Technique certified. The Webster Technique is a gentle, targeted chiropractic method used to evaluate and balance the pelvis and lower spine. By easing joint stiffness and pelvic imbalance, it helps relieve stress on surrounding nerves and muscles to support optimal biomechanics in the hips and sacrum. Pregnant women get pain relief, especially relief from hip pain at night due to side sleeping, but also more functional throughout the day as well. The Webster Technique also helps with a faster and more comfortable birth for the mother and baby.

Other conditions prenatal chiropractic care can help with include carpal tunnel syndrome, pubic symphysis pain, round ligament pain, upper back pain, headaches and neck pain,

Additionally, Dr. Reaves has a passion for working with postpartum mothers. After the baby is born, care is now focused on the baby with many pediatrician appointments and making sure the baby is doing well. The mother gets one brief postpartum follow up visit mainly to check that the cervix is closed and that any incisions are healing correctly.

The first few months postpartum are extremely hard on a new mother’s body as she just went through a marathon of birth and then her body changed very quickly. She’s now spending time feeding and caring for a baby while healing from birth, with a lack of sleep, and dealing with hormone shifts.

Dr. Reaves’ focus is ONLY on the new mother making sure they are feeling comfortable feeding and caring for the baby. Postpartum chiropractic care helps to restore any misalignments or function that changed during labor and after. Dr. Reaves also helps with postpartum mothers to find ways to incorporate stretches and exercises throughout their busy day caring for a baby.

Also, being a mother of 2 herself she has experienced postpartum and has advice and tips to help during this transition. Lastly, while she does not specialize in working with pediatrics, she has many resources and connections for all things pediatrics whether it be a pediatric chiropractor, physical therapist, craniosacral therapist, feeding specialist, tongue and lip tie specialists and many more!

What Prenatal Chiropractic Can Help With

Expecting mothers come to our Bucktown office for:

How We Adapt the Adjustment for Pregnancy

Every prenatal visit is modified for where you are in your pregnancy:

Pregnancy pillows and drop-table positioning so you’re never lying flat on your stomach or in an uncomfortable position
Low-force, gentle techniques — no rotational lumbar adjustments
Side-lying and seated adjustments as your pregnancy progresses
Soft tissue work for the glutes, hip flexors, and low back
At-home stretches and stability exercises you can actually do at 32 weeks

Is Chiropractic Safe During Pregnancy?

Chiropractic care is widely considered safe during a healthy pregnancy, and many OBs, midwives, and doulas refer patients for it. Dr. Reaves takes a full health history at your first visit and will coordinate with your OB or midwife when that’s helpful.

There are situations where we’d hold off or refer out — vaginal bleeding, placental abruption, preeclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, or an otherwise high-risk pregnancy. If anything in your history calls for it, we’ll tell you directly and work with your care team rather than proceed.

What to Expect at Your First Visit

Your first prenatal appointment starts with a conversation: how far along you are, what’s hurting, how you’re sleeping, what your delivery plan looks like, and what you’ve already tried. From there Dr. Reaves performs a pregnancy-appropriate exam — posture, gait, pelvic alignment, range of motion, and sacroiliac function.

If an adjustment is appropriate, you’ll usually receive it that same visit, along with a plan for how often to come in. Many patients start with weekly or biweekly visits in the second trimester and adjust the frequency as they approach their due date.

Care Through Every Trimester — and After

First trimester: early postural changes, neck and upper back tension, and establishing a baseline before symptoms build.

Second trimester: the most common time to start. The belly is growing, the low back is loading, and SI joint pain typically shows up here.

Third trimester: comfort care — sleep positioning, rib pain, pelvic stability, and keeping the pelvis balanced as you approach delivery.

Postpartum: recovery adjustments for the low back and pelvis, plus the neck and shoulder strain that comes with nursing and carrying a newborn.

Prenatal Massage and Acupuncture Under One Roof

Reaves Chiropractic is a multi-disciplinary practice, so your prenatal care doesn’t have to be scattered across three offices. Alongside chiropractic, we offer prenatal-appropriate massage therapy for the hips, low back, and legs, and acupuncture with Sunae Son, L.Ac., which many patients use for nausea, sleep, and stress during pregnancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start seeing a prenatal chiropractor?

Any point in pregnancy is fine. Many patients start in the second trimester when symptoms appear, but starting earlier — or even preconception — lets us establish a baseline and address issues before they compound.

Does the adjustment hurt?

No. Prenatal adjustments use less force than a standard adjustment, and the positioning is built around your comfort. Most patients describe it as a relief rather than a pressure.

Do I need a referral from my OB?

No referral is required. That said, we’re happy to communicate with your OB or midwife, and many of our prenatal patients come to us through their referral.

Is prenatal chiropractic covered by insurance?

Many plans cover chiropractic care during pregnancy. We’ll verify your benefits before your first visit — see our insurance and new patient information.

How often will I need to come in?

It depends on your symptoms and how far along you are. A typical plan is every one to two weeks through the second trimester, sometimes increasing in the final weeks.

Book Prenatal Chiropractic in Bucktown

Reaves Chiropractic is at 1951 W Cortland St, Chicago, IL 60622, serving Bucktown, Wicker Park, Logan Square, and Lincoln Park. Call (312) 767-6600 or request an appointment online.