I have four small children ages 7 to 4 months.  I had the privilege of meeting and working with Dr. Alyssa in Bend, OR about a year before my fourth baby was born.  After my first three pregnancies and deliveries, I had a very severe diastasis.  I was able to have normal, uncomplicated births (although my second and third babies were breech until 36 and 39 weeks respectively), however my first midwife gave me a regime of crunches and sit-ups to do following delivery which I believe resulted in my diastasis. Over the years, I tried some online programs but wasn't sure I was doing them correctly or that they were making any difference.  Dr. Alyssa was the first professional (chiropractor or midwife) who ever checked my abdomen for diastasis.  She told me I had a 3 finger separation throughout my entire abdomen and I burst into tears right on her table.  What she didn't tell me at the time was it was so bad she could nearly feel my spine straight through my body as there was no resistance from my abdomen at all.  She was extremely encouraging however and confident that she could help me.  I started learning step by step from her and working diligently on the exercises she gave me.  I've never had a chiropractor spend so much focused time with me, making sure my muscles were warmed up before giving me an adjustment and educating me on how to move and use my body to support healthy posture and movements.  Every single appointment with her was extremely valuable and I learned so much!  I was hopeful that I would be able to recover fully before my next baby.  A few months later, I found out I was pregnant.  I was happy for the news but felt defeated that I would have to put everything on hold until after my baby was born.  Dr. Alyssa continued to be such an advocate and encouragement to me as she quickly modified the program I was working on to accommodate what was safe for me to do throughout my pregnancy.  I am happy to report that following delivery I've seen tremendous progress in my diastasis.  Where Dr. Alyssa could once feel straight through to my spine, there's significant resistance from my core!  Also, to my great surprise and delight my fourth baby was heads down throughout my entire pregnancy which I attribute not only to the chiropractic care I received from Dr. Alyssa, but also the tremendous education she's given me on how to move effectively when performing everyday tasks such as sitting in a car, bending down, standing, etc.  I couldn't recommend Dr. Alyssa more highly.  She's incredibly skilled at what she does as a Chiropractor (adjustments ,etc) but the value she brings doesn't end there.  She is tremendous at helping her patients learn how to move and use their bodies in healthy ways which will serve them well for years and decades to come.  Personally, I also really appreciate her enthusiasm for her work as it really energized me to be diligent in the exercises at hand. My only complaint is that she moved away as I would have continued to be a part of her practice for many years to come. 

- Keri F