I am in a couple of mum groups on Facebook. These groups are great as everyone is able to pick the brain of others in the group with all sorts of info from sleep troubles to where is the best place to get a taco in Missoula (it's Tia's Big Sky FYI). Inevitably, what seems like every couple of days, someone asks for OB recommendations based on who is going to be more open to certain birthing options, i.e unmedicated births, birthing a breech baby, etc. 

It breaks my heart just a little bit each time to see these mother's giving their power away. Instead of realizing that they are the boss and employer of the obstetrician/midwife, they are trying to hedge their bets on what they can 'get away with' during labor and delivery. Instead of going into this primal, innate, natural, amazing and beautiful experience expressing the goddess they are, they are worried about having interventions pushed on them that they don't want. And I get it. We have been taught to fear giving birth. We have been taught that the doctor knows best and has our best interests at heart, every single time they make a decision. We have been taught that we are not enough during this process (and others) and it's imperative we have 'help' to get this baby out of us. We have been taught that what our partner wants in this process is as important as ours, the birthing mother (in my opinion, it's not).

It's my hope that these words empower those who are thinking about getting pregnant and those that are pregnant to take the time to figure out exactly what YOU want during this process. You know your body better than anybody. You are allowed to ask questions about WHY things are recommended to you. You get to say no, if certain tests and imaging don't align with what you want for yourself and your child. You get to choose your provider(s) for the whole journey and change to somebody new, if at any time you don't feel the support and care that you expect. You get to place your trust in the provider(s) that you actually trust.

So while using the FB mother groups to ask questions about others experiences with certain providers is a great place to start, it shouldn't be the end of the line. Everyone has a different vision for the birth of their child. I encourage you to sit with yourself, breathe deeply into your belly, and allow your true desires to come forward. It might take awhile and feel hard, but if you listen, what you actually want will come to the front. And when it does, I implore you to listen and act on those desires. It'll be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do.

Peace, Love and Wellness,

Dr. Liz

When it comes to success in most areas of our life we want to constantly be evaluating if we are on the right track to achieving what we set out to do, or if we have somehow deviated from it.  Continually checking in with ourself we can get to our goals a hellava lot faster. Which I don't know about you sounds pretty great! It has recently come to my attention, through personal experience, that our health doesn't always work that way. Let me back up just a bit, give you some context, and see how it shakes it out.

Since February this year I have been dealing with chronic urticaria, commonly known as hives. When we think of hives it's usually in response to an acute allergic reaction to something that we have eaten or touched. Chronic hives isn't quite the same, they reoccur seemingly at random without any trigger. Dealing with this has been very frustrating, and I wrote about it on my personal blog, check it out here. I wrote that particular post in March, so pretty early on in the process. If you don't want to read the other post here are the cliff notes. Breastfeeding was triggering the hives, it wasn't the cause and I was on a quest to figure out how to support my body in a way that would allow me to continue breastfeeding without breaking out into unsightly red welts. Fast forward to August. I had about 6 weeks with no hives. Then they were back. I no longer think that breastfeeding is a trigger, but they are cycling on and off at intervals of time.  For the last month or so I have been receiving acupuncture and diving into the emotional stressors that may be causing them. Slowly they are improving, for the most part. 

So what does this have to do with success, your health goals, my health goals and kind of being on the right track. At the start of July I set a goal for myself to figure out my hives in the next two months. I want to be done with them. I want to resolve why my body is freaking out for seemingly no reason at all. But, here's the kicker, it's really hard to know if I'm on the right track. Healing isn't linear. Getting to a hive free (hive-less?) state could literally happen overnight or they could slowly fade away and one day I realize that I haven't had hives in a week. Point A is being all hivey (or insert your condition here) and Point B is being symptom free. The journey between those points is going to be all topsy turvy and look different for everyone. So while I'm and you are working towards point B, we can evaluate our progress and say we are kind of on the right track. 

I'm not going to pretend that it's not frustrating. As of writing this I had 4 days with minimal hives, until this morning when I woke up with a lot more. What changed... who knows? But I do know it's not going to hurt to consistently put in the work on the path that I kind of know is on track. Right now that entails - Chiropractic care, low carb diet, high water intake, acupuncture, meditation, ramping up my self care (massage, float tank, solo nature time, napping), and specific 3x daily affirmations from Lousie Hay's book Heal Your Body. 

What about for you? Your 'kind of on track' to your health goals is going to look very different, and it's up to you to find out. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enlist help. Everyone needs a team, but you are the only one who lives inside your body and that means you know it best. Take the time to listen and then get to work. You deserve it.

Peace, Love and Wellness,

Dr. Liz

Kelsee has been a practice member for almost one year now. Primarily, she sought out Primal Practice for a different approach to her Chiropractic care, but she also had in the back of her mind - support during (a soon to be) pregnancy! We are so grateful she found us. Kelsee and her husband Levi are preparing for the imminent arrival of their bundle of joy and we have had the privilege of supporting them both through the huge changes that pregnancy brings. Keep reading to hear what Kelsee has to say about her experience at Primal Practice.

​1. What brought you into Primal Practice initially?
I have received consistent chiropractic care over the last nine years. For the last two years before coming to Primal Practice, I was no longer seeing benefits from my adjustments. I wanted a comprehensive whole body approach to my chiropractic care that wasn't just a one-time adjustment for a specific complaint. My husband and I were also planning for pregnancy and I wanted to do whatever I could to support my body through those physical changes. 

2. How have you benefited from getting adjusted?
Within a few weeks of receiving adjustments from Dr. Liz, I was no longer suffering from recurring misalignments that I hadn't found relief from for almost two years. I also couldn't imagine how my body would feel if I wasn't receiving adjustments throughout my pregnancy. I have experienced very little back or pelvic pain and I feel that is due to my visits with Dr. Liz.

3. Why do you continue to choose Chiropractic care for yourself and your family at Primal Practice?
I strongly believe that wellness is all encompassing and that supporting your body through chiropractic care is just one part of a large puzzle. Dr. Liz's philosophy on health and wellness mirrors my own and I feel wholly supported to feel and be my best.

​Thanks Kelsee!