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When you hear the term
“belly dancing,” you probably think of scantily clad women veiled in gauze
and shimmying under the lascivious gaze of lounging men. This is a fairly
recent Hollywood-ization of a ritual dance which pre-dates Biblical times.
Belly dance enthusiasts believe the circular, rhythmic movements were used
to celebrate fertility and motherhood, and as a body-based method to teach
women how to prepare for childbirth. In fact, there are numerous medical
professionals both in the U.S. and abroad who are currently teaching women
to move their pregnant bodies to the ancient rhythms, gently tracing
organic forms to awaken and strengthen their muscles for the birthing work
ahead of them.
At Isis Maternity, a
comprehensive pregnancy and birth resource center just outside Boston,
Cathy Moore, a certified nurse midwife with over 15 years of experience,
and Anita-Cristina Calcaterra, a second-generation belly dancer who has
been working with pregnant mothers and midwives since 1993, run a workshop
called “Belly Dancing for Pregnancy and Birth.” Calcaterra says , “I know
this dance is directly related to childbirth. I've seen it and just feel
it.”
Labor Prep
“Belly dance promotes body awareness,” states Moore. “Similar to
activities such as Yoga and Tai Chi, belly dance helps us to be in our
bodies, to be aware of what our muscles are capable of doing, and to be
centered in our being. Belly dance can be like a moving meditation. Belly
dance also promotes body acceptance both in pregnant and non-pregnant
women.”
The dance form includes a
combination of deep concentration and the isolation of muscles and
abdominal movement, all of which directly benefit pregnant women. The
deep-breathing patterns and pelvis tilt exercises in belly dance
techniques are the same ones taught in modern-day childbirth classes.
Moore explains, “If you
look at the types of prenatal exercises that were being taught in the
first Lamaze classes in the ‘60s to ‘70s, they are very similar to some of
the basic movements of belly dance. For example, most women are familiar
with the pelvic rock exercise used to help with low back discomfort. The
basic posture for belly dancing that [we teach] to our students is very
similar to this exercise.”
Belly Benefits
Swiveling your hips and working your tummy in a belly dancing class give
you and your baby plenty of benefits.
• Pre-birth:
Belly dance during pregnancy can help to allay some of the common
discomforts of pregnancy, such as low back pain and heartburn. It also
helps to keep you in shape, which can make for an easier pregnancy and
delivery.
• Labor:
During labor, the movements can be used as a focal point to help you cope
with the pain of contractions. Also, most midwives and birth attendants
believe a laboring woman who is upright and moving will often experience
an easier and shorter labor. Plus, the shape and size of the pelvic outlet
is influenced by body position, and belly dance movements such as hip
circles and figure eights keep the muscles and bones of the pelvis open
and moving. This assists the baby's head in finding the optimal position
to fit through the pelvis into the birth canal.
• Postpartum
:
The relaxing quality of belly dance movements may
help breastfeeding by encouraging the letdown response. Belly dance is
also extremely useful for recovering abdominal and pelvic muscular tone,
and it's a great wind to unwind from the stress that motherhood
sometimes brings.
Constraint
Before you rush right out and find a belly dancing class to start
attending, check with your healthcare provider. Once you have his or her
approval, be sure to consider the following while you're working it!
• Slow it down:
Some parts of the dance form should be modified to accommodate
your burgeoning belly. Moore cautions, “Most of the more vigorous
movements, such as shimmies, may need to be toned down a bit or done for
shorter periods of time.”
• Listen to your
body: Remember to keep your heart rate below 140 beats per
minute, drink plenty of water to maintain good hydration and pay attention
to your body's signals; it will let you know when to stop or slow down. A
woman who is very fit going into her pregnancy will be capable of a more
vigorous workout, and one who has been belly dancing prior to pregnancy
should be able to continue with some adjustments made during the third
trimester. If you're trying it out for the first time during your
pregnancy, you need to proceed gradually.
• Be gentle:
A pregnant woman's joints are more flexible due to pregnancy
hormones, so be careful not to overstretch them. Movements such as hip
circles and figure eights should be done gently and kept small.
“When I first began
learning belly dance, I was… amazed by how much the movements actually
mimic the process of labor,” says Moore. “The belly rolls look so much
like contractions, and look very much like a laboring woman's belly as she
works to push her baby into the world. The shimmies, especially the
full-body vibration, look exactly like the trembling many women experience
during… transition and initial postpartum.”
Far from being a new
trend in the pregnancy world, today's form of belly dance is a way to
reclaim the original birthing method.
About the author:
Barbara Card Atkinson is a freelance writer and mother who lives in a
Boston-area suburb. |
