Belly Dance for Prenatal Fitness
and Childbirth Preparation
By Cathy Moore. March 2006.
Belly Dance as childbirth
preparation? Yes! In fact, there are many people, myself included, who believe
that belly dance was the original childbirth preparation exercise, dating
back to pre-patriarchal times. In ancient times, dance was a regular part of
everyday life, and was part of many rituals including birth. The movements of
what we now refer to as belly dance, were the way that women taught each other
about birth, and how to prepare for labor.
In modern times, women are reclaiming
this ancient dance as an excellent method of childbirth preparation,
a fun and gentle form of prenatal exercise, and a wonderful tool for personal
self-expression.
Prenatal Exercise and Preparation for
Childbirth
More and more, research is
showing that regular exercise in pregnancy benefits both the mother and her
baby. Women who exercise regularly can expect to have overall shorter labors
and less need for interventions such as C-section. Studies show placental blood
flow is increased with moderate exercise. This means the growing baby gets more
oxygen and nutrients delivered to it throughout its intra-uterine life.
For birthing, a woman needs
muscles that are not only strong, but that are also flexible enough to expand
and lengthen in order move the labor along, and to facilitate the birth. Belly
dance is both an aerobic exercise, and an isotonic workout. Belly dance
exercises all of the muscle groups specifically used for giving birth, including
all of the muscles of the abdomen and torso, and all of the muscles of the
pelvis and the pelvic floor, as well as the thigh muscles. The basic posture
that we teach for belly dance involves standing with the knees slightly bent,
soft and flexible, and the pelvis tucked under to line up with the spine.
Simply standing in this posture for a few minutes, one becomes aware of the
strengthening of the quadriceps muscles. This posture is used in all of the
belly dance movements, so the thighs become very strong. Strong thigh muscles
are important for anyone planning to give birth in an upright or squatting
position.
All of the hip, torso, and
chest movements of belly dance target the muscles of the abdomen and the pelvic
floor involved in birthing. Women who belly dance can expect to reap benefit in
both increased strength and improved flexibility of these muscles. This is in
stark contrast to many of the forms of fitness we participate in which emphasize
the muscle tightening aspect, with the goal of achieving “rock hard abs” or
“buns of steel”.
Belly Dance and Labor
I think of belly dance as one more tool or
technique, like Lamaze, water therapy and hypnobirthing, that a woman can use to
help her during labor and birth, and to help her cope with the pain of labor.
As is true with all of the available methods, belly dance will be right and very
helpful for some women, and perhaps not so for others.
Having said that, there are several benefits
that anyone can gain from belly dancing during pregnancy and labor. The slow hip
movements, can facilitate the baby finding the optimal position for navigating
through the pelvis and birth canal. This can mitigate the prolonged and painful
labors associated with mal-position of the baby’s head, and in this way might
lead to a shorter labor and more satisfying birth experience for the laboring
woman, and an easier, less stressful birth for the baby. Some of the shimmies
(gentle vibration movements of the hips, chest and entire body) are very useful
in dispersing pain and tension during labor, and add a sense of calm that helps
the laboring woman to counteract panic and work with her body during the birth
process. Hip shimmies may be especially helpful with fetal descent through the
birth canal in the second stage of labor.
Mind Body
Connection, Self-empowerment and Creative Self-expression
Similar to Yoga, and Tai
Chi, and other forms of exercise which highlight the mind, body and spirit
connection, belly dance improves body awareness helping a woman to be in tune
with her changing body and her growing baby. These are essential elements for a
pregnant woman whether she desires an un-medicated birth experience, or plans to
make full use of current modern pain management techniques such as epidural
analgesia.
Belly dance is a
celebration of the strength, authority and beauty of women. Because, at its
ancient roots, it tells the story of woman’s life-giving power, it is a natural
for pregnant woman who are at the peak of their creative power. Through belly
dance, a woman celebrates her fertility, sensuality and abundance and affirms
the fullness of her being and her ability to co-create life!
Healthy body image is
another benefit for women who belly dance. So many women, whether pregnant or
not, have experienced a wonderful acceptance and appreciation of their bodies,
as they re-learn these movements which are essentially natural to the female
body. Any woman who lives in our modern culture, and especially pregnant women
who often hide under tent-like clothing, can benefit from the “my body is
great!” affirming messages inherent in belly dance. This improved body image
and self-esteem, as well as increased sense of personal power, that spill over
into other aspects of her life (for example in parenting, or in communicating
with her pregnancy care provider…) are common results experienced by many women
who have studied belly dance.
And Did I Mention
Fun?!
Belly dance is FUN and it
feels good. The flowing undulations and circles, and the gentle vibrations of
the shimmies all feel great as they softly stretch muscles and massage internal
organs. I imagine that it must feel good to the baby too, as the movements are
translated to a rhythmic cradle-like rocking of the womb.
Imagine being in a group of
women, all of you in various stages of pregnancy, you decorate your hips with a
jingly hip sash, pick up a flowing veil, and begin moving to exotic Middle
Eastern rhythms. No judgment, no competition, you simply enjoy each other’s
company and celebrate each other’s beauty. You shimmy your hips and torso,
undulate your abdomen, and trace circle and crescent shapes with your hips. You
laugh, and sweat a little, and laugh some more! Now that is a fun childbirth
class!
Summary
Belly dance is an ancient
dance form rooted in childbirth that offers many benefits for contemporary women
looking for a fun and gentle form of prenatal exercise, a boost to their
self-esteem and body image, and a way to reclaim their creative power during
pregnancy and birth.
Article copyright Cathy
Moore 2006 |
