What we check
- Sacral position and sacroiliac joint motion on each side
- Pelvic rotation and side-to-side balance
- Round ligament tension and abdominal wall balance
- Tone in glutes, adductors, hip flexors, and deep hip rotators
- Hip range of motion and how evenly you load standing
- Webster analysis of pelvic muscle and ligament balance
- INSiGHT nervous system scan findings
- Who is managing your prenatal care and what plan they've outlined with you
What to expect
Expect a slower, more conversational first visit than a typical chiropractic appointment. We'll go through your pregnancy history and what your OB or midwife has told you, then assess sacral and pelvic mechanics, round ligament tension, and pelvic muscle tone, plus an INSiGHT nervous system scan. If care is appropriate, you'll receive a low-force sacral adjustment and gentle soft-tissue work, positioned on your side or with your belly supported. We'll explain exactly what we found, what the intent of the care is, and what it is not. Your birth plan stays with your provider.
Book a first visitWhat the Webster Technique Is
It is a specific chiropractic sacral analysis and adjustment intended to reduce intrauterine constraint by balancing pelvic muscles and ligaments. Every word there is doing work.
- An analysis — of the sacrum and pelvis
- An adjustment — chiropractic, plus specific soft-tissue attention to the ligaments and muscles of the pelvis, including the round ligaments
- An intent — to reduce constraint, meaning uneven tension and restriction in the tissues surrounding the uterus
- A certification — taught and certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. Dr. Tori Hartline is Webster Certified through the ICPA and is a member of the ICPA
What It Is Not
It is not a breech-turning technique.
- Chiropractors do not turn babies. We do not reposition, flip, or manipulate a baby into a different presentation
- Anyone telling you otherwise — including any chiropractor — is describing something outside the scope of chiropractic care
- We don’t publish a success rate for the Webster Technique, and we’d encourage you to be skeptical of offices that do. A percentage implies we’re doing the thing that changes presentation, and we aren’t
- We make no claims about labor length, ease of birth, likelihood of intervention, or avoiding a cesarean. Those aren’t chiropractic outcomes — they belong to your body, your baby, and the clinicians managing your birth
Why Parents Come In for It
The reasoning is mechanical and modest.
- The uterus is suspended in a pelvis, surrounded by ligaments and a dense set of muscles
- When tension in those tissues is uneven — one side of the pelvis rotated, ligaments pulling asymmetrically, deep hip muscles gripping — the space and shape available inside that pelvis is affected. That is what “intrauterine constraint” refers to
- We work on our own side of the equation: assess pelvic alignment and ligament balance, address what’s uneven, with the intent that the pelvis is free to function without extra mechanical stress on it
- What happens after that is not ours to promise or take credit for
- Many parents pursue this alongside their OB or midwife’s plan, not instead of it — often while discussing an external cephalic version, scheduling further ultrasounds, or planning for the possibility of a cesarean. That’s the right way to use it
Your OB or Midwife Runs the Breech Conversation
We want to be unambiguous here, because it matters more than any marketing. These are their decisions with you, not ours:
- Whether to attempt an ECV, and when
- Whether your particular pregnancy is a candidate
- Whether a vaginal breech birth is on the table
- When to schedule a cesarean, and how to monitor everything in the meantime
- We won’t weigh in on it, discourage a recommended procedure, or suggest waiting on a medical plan to see if chiropractic “works first”
- If you’d like us to communicate with your provider, we’re happy to. Most of the time, simply telling them you’re receiving Webster care is enough
What a Webster Visit Involves
Three parts, in order, at our Frisco office.
- History. How far along you are, how presentation was determined and when, who’s managing your care, and what your OB or midwife has laid out.
- Assessment. Sacral position, sacroiliac joint motion side to side, pelvic rotation, round ligament tension, and the tone of the muscles attaching into your pelvis — glutes, adductors, hip flexors, deep hip rotators. Plus an INSiGHT nervous system scan to measure the tension being carried in your nervous system.
- Adjustment. Low-force and specific to the sacrum, followed by gentle soft-tissue work on the round ligaments and the pelvic musculature.
- Pregnancy modifications throughout. You’re positioned on your side or with your belly fully supported, never face down, and nothing involves pressure on your abdomen. If a position isn’t comfortable, we change it before we do anything. Most women describe the visit as gentle and calm.
Timing and Frequency
Parents typically come in for Webster care in the early third trimester.
- Frequency depends on what your assessment shows and on the timeline your OB or midwife is working with
- If there’s an ECV scheduled or a decision point coming, we plan around it rather than around our own preferred schedule
- If your baby isn’t breech and you simply want pelvic mechanics addressed before birth, Webster work is part of general late-pregnancy care too
- If what you’re dealing with is pelvic girdle pain or sciatic pain in the third trimester, those get assessed in the same visit
- Read how first visits and care plans work on what to expect, or about Dr. Tori’s training on meet the team
See a medical provider right away if you notice
- Any vaginal bleeding, or fluid leaking or gushing — call your OB or midwife immediately
- Contractions or regular tightening before 37 weeks — call your OB or midwife right away
- Decreased or noticeably changed fetal movement — contact your OB or midwife immediately; this always takes priority over any appointment with us
- Severe or persistent headache, vision changes, or sudden swelling in your face and hands — possible preeclampsia; seek same-day medical care
- Severe constant abdominal pain or a rigid, hard belly — go to the emergency department
- Calf pain with swelling, warmth, or redness in one leg — possible blood clot; urgent care today
- Fever or chills — call your provider today
- Any decision about ECV, breech birth, or delivery method — take it to your OB or midwife; we do not advise on it
Common questions
Does the Webster Technique turn a breech baby?
No. It is a chiropractic sacral analysis and adjustment intended to reduce intrauterine constraint by balancing the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis. Chiropractors do not turn babies. Any office describing it as a turning technique is misrepresenting it.
What's your success rate with breech?
We don't publish one and we'd be wary of anyone who does. A success rate implies chiropractic changes fetal presentation, and that's not a claim we can make. We work on pelvic alignment and ligament balance. That's it.
Should I do this instead of an ECV?
No. Whether to attempt an external cephalic version is a medical decision between you and your OB or midwife, and nothing we do should factor into delaying or declining it. Some parents pursue Webster care alongside that plan.
Is the adjustment safe in the third trimester?
Care is modified specifically for pregnancy: side-lying or belly-supported positioning, never face down, and low-force technique with no pressure on the abdomen. Dr. Tori is Webster Certified through the ICPA. If anything in your pregnancy makes care inappropriate, we'll tell you and refer back to your provider.
When should I come in if my baby is breech?
Sooner rather than later once you know, so we can work around whatever timeline your OB or midwife has set. Call the office and tell us the situation, and we'll get you scheduled.
Do I need to tell my OB or midwife?
Please do. We'd rather be a known part of your care team, and we're glad to communicate with them directly if that's helpful to you.
This page is educational and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Chiropractic care does not treat or cure disease; it supports the function of the nervous system and spine. Please speak with your pediatrician or a licensed clinician about your family's specific situation, and seek immediate care for any urgent symptom.