If you've started looking for a prenatal chiropractor, you've probably seen the phrase "Webster technique" on nearly every website. It sounds specific, but it rarely gets explained in plain language.
The Webster technique is a pregnancy-specific chiropractic approach that looks at your pelvis and sacrum and uses gentle adjustments to support your body as it changes. Below you'll find what that means, what a visit looks like, and how to tell whether it fits your pregnancy. At The Chiro Mom in Brighton and Loveland, Colorado, Dr. Ashleigh Bertolini is Webster technique certified, so these are questions she is glad to walk you through.
What the Webster Technique Is
The Webster technique is a chiropractic analysis and adjustment designed for pregnancy. It was developed by Dr. Larry Webster, who founded the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), and the ICPA offers the certification chiropractors earn to use it.
The technique focuses on the sacrum, the triangular bone at the base of your spine that sits between the two halves of your pelvis. Your chiropractor assesses how your sacrum and pelvis are moving, then uses a gentle adjustment where it's needed. Depending on the visit, care can also include work on the soft tissue around the pelvis.
Your pelvis connects your spine to your hips and carries the weight of your growing belly, so it takes on a lot during pregnancy. Chiropractors who work with pregnant women pay close attention to it for that reason.
Think of the Webster technique as a way of tailoring chiropractic care to a pregnant body.
Why Pregnancy Calls for a Different Approach
Pregnancy changes your body quickly. Hormones soften the ligaments around your pelvis to prepare for birth, your center of gravity shifts as your belly grows, and your posture adapts a little more every week. Your nervous system is working through all of it.
Dr. Ashleigh's practice is built around the nervous system, so she looks at how your whole body is adapting to pregnancy, whether or not anything hurts. Some moms come in with back or hip discomfort. Others come in because they want support while their body does something enormous. Both are good reasons to book.
Positioning matters, too. A growing belly changes how you lie, sit, and are adjusted, and a chiropractor trained in prenatal care adapts for that at every stage.
What a Webster Technique Visit Looks Like
Your first visit starts with a conversation. Dr. Ashleigh asks about your pregnancy, how far along you are, how you're feeling, and who is on your care team. From there she does a gentle assessment of your pelvis, spine, and posture, followed by an adjustment that is light and adapted for pregnancy.
Appointments are with Dr. Ashleigh herself, and you're welcome to bring your other kids. Both our Brighton and Loveland offices have a play area, so you don't have to line up childcare just to take care of yourself.
After your first visit, Dr. Ashleigh suggests a rhythm of appointments based on where you are in your pregnancy and how you're feeling. As your belly grows, your positioning and adjustments change with it.
What Moms Hope to Get Out of Prenatal Care
Every mom's reasons are a little different. Some want to feel more comfortable moving through their day as their body changes. Some want to feel steadier and more rested while sleep gets harder. Others simply want a practitioner who treats pregnancy as a normal, remarkable season and supports it, rather than waiting for a problem to show up.
Dr. Ashleigh's goal is to support your nervous system and your body through each stage, and she'll ask what you want from care before you start. You don't need a specific problem to book. If something does bother you, mention it at your visit and she'll factor it in, and she will refer you to the right provider if something needs a different kind of care.
The Webster Technique and Breech Babies
You'll often see the Webster technique mentioned alongside breech babies online. As the ICPA describes it, the technique is a sacral analysis and adjustment, and it is not a method for turning a baby. No chiropractor can promise a change in your baby's position.
If your baby is breech, Dr. Ashleigh is happy to work alongside your OB or midwife so everyone is on the same page.
Is the Webster Technique Safe During Pregnancy?
Chiropractic care is generally considered safe for most healthy pregnancies, and the Webster technique was designed specifically for pregnancy. Chiropractors are entry-level providers, which means you can see one without a referral. Dr. Ashleigh is trained to assess whether chiropractic care is appropriate for you, and if it isn't, she will refer you to the right provider.
Several OBs and midwives refer their patients to The Chiro Mom because they have seen the benefits of the care their patients receive. If you'd like your OB or midwife kept in the loop, Dr. Ashleigh is happy to do that. Our post on whether chiropractic care is safe during pregnancy walks through the full list of questions to ask.
Finding a Webster Technique Chiropractor in Brighton and Loveland
The Chiro Mom is a boutique, mom-and-baby-focused chiropractic practice with offices in Brighton and Loveland, and Dr. Ashleigh Bertolini is Webster technique certified. Families come to our Brighton office from Reunion, Commerce City, Thornton, Broomfield, Hudson, and Keenesburg, and to our Loveland office from Berthoud, Johnstown, Windsor, Timnath, Fort Collins, Milliken, and Severance. You can read more about prenatal chiropractic care at The Chiro Mom, including what to expect at your first visit. After baby arrives, she also offers postpartum chiropractic care.
If you're ready to ask your questions in person, you can book your first visit online at either office in a couple of minutes. Bring the kids along if you'd like.
