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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
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Dear Shira |
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Dear Shira:
Belly Dance While Pregnant?
The Question
Dear Shira:
I started learning how to belly dance a couple of months ago,
and I love it! It makes me feel strong and feminine at the
same time!
Last week, I discovered I'm pregnant, and I'm overjoyed! But
some of my friends have expressed concern over whether I should
continue dancing. They said it could cause me to go into premature
labor because it mimics childbirthing. Someone else said I should
continue belly dancing throughout my pregnancy because it develops
muscles that will make my labor easier. I'm so confused — what
should I do?
--Expecting In Exeter
Shira Responds
Dear Expecting,
A woman who is having a normal, healthy pregnancy should be
perfectly capable of continuing her belly dancing throughout
the term. Of course, you should check with your doctor to be
sure, but as long as your doctor says it's safe for you to get
low-impact, moderate exercise, then belly dancing should be fine.
Continuing your
dance might actually be beneficial! Some women have reported
that selected belly dance moves such as figure 8's and hip circles
were helpful during labor! Many midwives and doulas recommend belly dancing to their clients. So stay involved with the dance, and
continue enjoying your classes. But always listen to your body.
Use Common Sense
You probably won't want to practice vigorous drum solos with
aggressive hip locks during your eighth month. Undulations and moves involving
twisting of the hips might be uncomfortable. If it's uncomfortable, or if it feels "wrong", don't do it. Listen to your
doctor and apply common sense. Some belly dance classes are more athletic than others, with deep backbends, level changes down to the floor, and so on. Such classes may be unwise during pregnancy if you're not already accustomed to doing those moves, but they're probably fine if you already possess the muscle strength and flexibility to do them with confidence. Generally speaking, listen to your body, pay attention to how you feel when you do the various moves. Avoid
any that feel "wrong". When in doubt, ask your doctor.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo of Leyla Billman, Columbus, Ohio, at 6 months pregnant. The photographer was America Ferral. |
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Possible Risk
There is one possible source of injury you need to beware
of. During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called relaxin
whose purpose is to loosen the ligaments in your pelvis, to make
it easier for the baby to pass through the birth canal. This
hormone actually affects connective tissue throughout your body,
so once you reach the third trimester it's best to avoid doing
stretches that could put stress on these tissues. Treat your
joints gently during this time, keeping your movements within
the range of motion that you found comfortable before your pregnancy.
If you're not cautious about this, you could cause injuries to
your knees or other joints that could trouble you for the rest
of your life. Of course, this applies not only to belly dancing,
but also to yoga and any other flexibility exercises you might
be considering. If you have any questions, discuss this with
your doctor.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo of Leyla Billman, Columbus, Ohio, at 4 months pregnant. The photographer was Jamie Lombardi.
What About Performing?
Now, it's one thing to take classes. Performing may be another
matter entirely. First, how is your self-image? Some women feel
fat and ugly while pregnant, while others see their growing bellies
as a mark of pride. If your pregnancy makes you feel fat and
ugly, then maybe it's best not to perform — how can you possibly
deliver a terrific show when you feel that way? But if you're
at peace with your changing body, if you're in good health, and
if your new shape doesn't bother you, then why not perform?
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Dancing in class recitals should be perfectly appropriate,
even if you've already begun to show. In a recital environment,
the audience usually understands that the purpose of the recital
is to give students a chance to show their friends and families
what they have been learning in class.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo of Noelle Phillips, White Rock, British Columbia at 6 months pregnant.
As for more public performances, a lot depends on the nature
of the audience, your costuming, and the venue. Some things to
consider:
- Performing for mainstream paid gigs such as restaurant shows,
birthday parties, bellygrams, and similar shows might not be
such a good choice once you've started to show. However, other
mainstream gigs, such as baby showers or women's health events, could be perfect for you.
Follow your instincts, and if in doubt, tell the person who is
organizing the gig about your status and invite their feedback
on whether your body would be an issue.
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- If you will be performing at an event whose audience consists
primarily of fellow belly dancers and their families/friends,
such as a hafla or belly dance festival, then feel free to bare
your midriff if that's what you would like to do. At such events,
fellow dancers are nearly always quite supportive of their expecting
sisters.
- This is a wonderful time to look for opportunities to dance
in a setting where the audience is likely to be celebrating the
natural cycle of birth, life, and death, such as a women's center,
a health clinic, a theatrical depiction of the goddess Isis,
or a similar environment. For such shows, you're free to either
expose or cover your midriff, whichever better suits your own
preferences.
- Even if you are proud of your pregnancy and the way it shapes
your body, you may want to think carefully before wearing a midriff-baring costume
for a generic public performance of Oriental dance once your
abdomen has grown enough to be obviously pregnant. "General
public" audiences are not always supportive. Are you emotionally strong enough to deal with that? Make the decision that feels best to you.
PHOTO CREDIT: Photo of Leyla Billman, Columbus, Ohio, at 7 months pregnant. The photographer was Kat Deidrich. |
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In short, before you perform, really think about who your
audience will be, and make plans to choose costuming and dance
style that will represent our dance form in its best light for
them. Ideally, you want them to remember that you interpreted
the music beautifully, not that you had a fascinatingly large
pregnant belly.
Before performing, consider that some dance classes are not
very vigorous. They might involve dancing for two minutes, then
stopping for an explanation, then dancing again for another two
minutes, and so on. In contrast, a solo performance might involve
dancing continuously for 10 minutes or more. For
your health, be sure to practice at home regularly, building
up to an activity level that is comparable to what you'll be
doing in the performance. Please don't risk overextending yourself!
Can Belly Dance Help with Labor?
Much depends on your individual situation. In theory, it's possible belly dancing can be helpful. Belly dance, when done correctly, helps build strength and control in the pelvic floor muscles that are used to push during labor. Certainly, it's better to do some kind of exercise to build these muscles than to do no exercise at all, and since belly dancing is fun, it may be an exercise that you're willing to do more often than other workouts.
However, belly dance can't "fix" a high-risk pregnancy. It's best to think of belly dancing as just one of many tools that could be helpful to have in your toolbox as you plan your delivery experience.
When the time comes to have the baby, the belly dance moves likely to prove the most helpful are hip figure 8's (infinity loops), hip circles, gentle shimmies, and tummy flutters.
Resources
Would you like to explore this subject further? Here are some
resources that you may find interesting:
Index to Resources
Videos
- Prenatal Bellydance, an exercise video built on belly
dance moves. Naia from New York leads the workout. For more information, see my review of it.
The workout structure follows the guidelines of the American
College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists.
- Dance To The Great Mother, a video featuring a performance
by Delilah when she was 8 months pregnant. For more information, see my review of
it. The dance portrayed on the video was specially created
by Delilah to honor pregnancy and motherhood.
Articles on the Web
- New Labor Moves: Belly Dancing Hits Delivery Room. From the Wall Street Journal.
- Belly Dance and Pregnancy. This article on
Lorelle's web site "The Perfumed Palace" explains the
benefits of belly dancing during pregnancy and offers advice
for doing so safely. Lorelle, a physical therapist specializing
in women's health, shares her expertise as a health care professional.
- Kashmir from New Zealand has an article on her web site titled Pregnancy
and Dance.
- Jamila shares her own personal experience in the Bellydancer's Guide to Pregnancy on the Isis
and the Star Dancers web site.
- Morocco's
web site features three articles she has written regarding
the role of Oriental dance as "the oldest form of natural
childbirth instruction." See:
- Belly Dancing and Childbirth
- Roots
- Giving To Light: Dancing The Baby Into The
World
- On Delilah's web site:
- On the Best of Habibi web site, articles that originally appeared in the Winter 1996 issue of the print magazine Habibi, Volume 15, Number 1:
Good luck with your pregnancy! I wish you an easy delivery
and a healthy baby!
--Shira
Related Articles
Other articles on this web
site related to belly dance and pregnancy include:
About this Column
Shira has received many questions from readers over the years related to various aspects of the dance. In this column, she picks some of the more interesting ones to answer publicly. Details contained in the questions are sometimes removed or disguised to protect the anonymity of the person who asked the question.
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