Preconception, Pregnancy + Your Nervous System
Where Chiropractic Care May Fit
Preparing for pregnancy can bring a lot with it.
There are appointments, supplements, cycle tracking, lifestyle changes and plenty of advice about what you should be doing. For some, conception happens relatively smoothly. For others, the journey can be longer, more complicated or emotionally demanding.
While fertility itself is complex, the preconception period can be a valuable opportunity to look after your overall health and wellbeing — for both partners.
At Restore, our role as chiropractors isn't to treat infertility or improve fertility outcomes. Instead, we can form one part of your broader healthcare team, supporting musculoskeletal health and physical wellbeing through preconception and, where appropriate, pregnancy.
What Does Preconception Care Involve?
Preconception care refers to healthcare and lifestyle considerations before pregnancy.
Depending on your individual circumstances, this might include:
discussing your medical and reproductive history with your GP
reviewing medications and existing health conditions
appropriate supplementation, including folic acid
nutrition and physical activity
reducing or avoiding smoking and alcohol
considering both partners' health
accessing fertility assessment when indicated
supporting sleep, stress management and emotional wellbeing
There isn't one perfect preconception routine, and what is appropriate for one family may look completely different for another.
If you've been trying to conceive without success or have concerns about your menstrual cycle, reproductive health or fertility, your GP or fertility healthcare provider is the appropriate place to begin.
Stress, the Nervous System + Preconception
One part of the conversation we find particularly interesting at Restore is the nervous system.
Your autonomic nervous system helps regulate automatic processes throughout the body, including heart rate, blood pressure and responses to physical and emotional stress.
You may have heard us describe it using the gas pedal and brake pedal analogy.
The sympathetic nervous system is often described as the "gas pedal", helping the body respond to activity and challenge. The parasympathetic nervous system is sometimes described as the "brake pedal", supporting processes associated with rest and recovery.
Both are important. Health isn't about eliminating stress or staying permanently in a relaxed state — it's about the body's ability to respond and adapt to changing demands.
Trying to conceive can itself be stressful, particularly when the journey is taking longer than expected. Supporting sleep, movement, connection and mental wellbeing during this period can therefore be valuable regardless of where you are in your journey.
Importantly, stress or "nervous system dysregulation" should not be assumed to be the cause of infertility. Fertility challenges can have many recognised female, male, combined and unexplained factors and deserve appropriate medical assessment.
What Is Heart Rate Variability?
One measure you may hear discussed in relation to the autonomic nervous system is heart rate variability, or HRV.
Despite the name, a healthy heart doesn't beat at perfectly even intervals. There are small variations in the amount of time between individual heartbeats.
HRV measures this variation.
HRV is influenced by autonomic nervous system activity and can change in response to factors including:
physical activity
sleep
illness
age
breathing
medications
alcohol
physical and psychological stress
Because of this, HRV is increasingly used in research, sport and health settings as one piece of information about autonomic activity and recovery.
However, HRV needs to be interpreted carefully and within context.
HRV is not a fertility test, and an HRV reading cannot tell us whether someone will conceive or predict the outcome of a pregnancy.
How We Use HRV at Restore
At Restore, HRV may be included as one component of our INSiGHT assessment process.
It provides information about heart-rate variability at that particular point in time and can contribute to the broader clinical picture alongside your health history and physical assessment.
We don't use HRV to diagnose:
infertility
hormonal imbalance
reproductive conditions
pregnancy complications
dysautonomia
medical conditions
It also doesn't tell us whether your body is "ready" to conceive.
Instead, we view it as one measurement that can provide additional information about autonomic activity at the time it is recorded.
Where Does Chiropractic Fit Before Pregnancy?
People seek chiropractic care before pregnancy for many different reasons.
For some, it may be because they're experiencing back, neck or pelvic discomfort. Others may simply want to address musculoskeletal concerns or movement as they prepare for the physical changes associated with pregnancy.
At Restore, your care begins with understanding your history, current concerns and individual goals.
Where chiropractic care is clinically appropriate, our chiropractors may use gentle, individualised techniques to support musculoskeletal function and physical comfort.
What we don't do is position chiropractic care as fertility treatment.
Chiropractic care has not been established as a treatment for infertility, PCOS, endometriosis or other reproductive conditions, and we don't claim that an adjustment can increase your chances of conception.
If you're undergoing IVF, fertility treatment or investigation, chiropractic care should complement — rather than replace or delay — the advice and care provided by your fertility and medical team.
What About Chiropractic During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy brings significant physical changes.
As your baby grows, changes in posture, body mass and loading can influence the way your back and pelvis feel and move. Some women choose to see a chiropractor during pregnancy for musculoskeletal concerns such as back or pelvic discomfort.
Any care provided during pregnancy should be adapted to the individual, their stage of pregnancy and relevant health history.
At Restore, we encourage communication between your chiropractor, GP, midwife, obstetrician and other members of your maternity healthcare team where appropriate.
Chiropractic care does not replace antenatal care and shouldn't be presented as a way to prevent pregnancy complications, change fetal position, guarantee an easier labour or reduce the need for medical intervention.
Looking at the Bigger Picture
Preconception and pregnancy aren't about achieving a "perfect" nervous system.
And they're certainly not about adding another thing to the list of everything you're supposed to get right.
This season can instead be an opportunity to check in with the foundations of your own wellbeing:
Are you getting enough sleep and recovery?
Are you moving in ways that feel good for your body?
Are you eating well and taking recommended supplements?
Are existing health concerns being appropriately managed?
Do you have support around you?
Are there physical concerns you'd like assessed before or during pregnancy?
Your healthcare team can help you decide which areas deserve attention.
Our Approach at Restore
If you're preparing for pregnancy or already pregnant, you're welcome to discuss your goals and concerns with us.
Our role is to assess whether chiropractic care is appropriate for you and, where it is, provide individualised care within our professional scope.
For fertility, reproductive health and pregnancy-related medical concerns, we'll always encourage appropriate involvement from your GP, midwife, obstetrician, fertility specialist or other relevant healthcare professional.
Sometimes looking after yourself during this season isn't about finding one missing "root cause".
It's about building a healthcare team around you and supporting your health from multiple angles.
Important Disclaimer
This article is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute individual medical or fertility advice.
Chiropractic care and INSiGHT/HRV assessments are not used at Restore to diagnose or treat infertility, reproductive disorders or pregnancy complications, and no particular fertility, pregnancy or birth outcome can be guaranteed.
If you have concerns about fertility, preconception health or pregnancy, speak with your GP, fertility specialist, midwife, obstetrician or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
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Original article: HRV Technology: A Breakthrough in Preconception and Fertility Care
Original author: Dr Allie Wright, PX Docs
Reviewed by: Erin Black
Adapted for Restore Chiropractic Studio, Australia
Original source: Dr Allie Wright. HRV Technology: A Breakthrough in Preconception and Fertility Care. PX Docs. Updated 9 July 2025. Reviewed by Erin Black.Shaffer, F., & Ginsberg, J. P. (2017). An overview of heart rate variability metrics and norms. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 258.
Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. (1996). Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation and clinical use. Circulation, 93(5), 1043–1065.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby – Planning for pregnancy.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). Resources and guidance relating to pre-pregnancy and pregnancy care.
Your Fertility. Australian evidence-based preconception and fertility information funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service.