Preparing for Childbirth with Belly Dance

by Cathy Moore, CNM

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 a way for women to teach each other about birth, and to prepare for labor.

In modern times, women are reclaiming this ancient dance to be used as an excellent method of childbirth preparation, a fun and gentle form of prenatal exercise, and a wonderful tool of 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.

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 leg 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 her 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”. 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 and labor

Belly dance is one more tool or technique, like Lamaze, water therapy and hypnobirthing, etc, that a woman can use to help her during labor and birth, 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 for others.

Having said that, another of the benefits of belly dancing during pregnancy and labor is that the movements, especially the hip movements, 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 malposition 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.

Managing common pregnancy discomforts

Many of the movements of belly dance can be helpful in managing some of the common pregnancy discomforts that many women experience. For example, the belly roll (this is an undulation of the abdominal muscles) can be very helpful in easing constipation, because belly rolls give a gentle massage to the stomach and intestines helping them to work better. Some of the chest movements, such as heart lifts (lifting up the chest using the diaphragm) and heart shimmies (a gentle shaking or vibrating of the chest) can help to alleviate heartburn. And of course, the basic posture for belly dance that I mentioned earlier is great for counteracting the low back pain that many women experience, especially in the third trimester, as the weight of her baby pulls on her spine.

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 the 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 power 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 life giving power.

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, spills over into other aspects of her life (for example 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!

In summary

Belly dance is an ancient dance form rooted in childbirth that offers many benefits for contemporary women seeking to re-claim their power during this significant rite of passage.

About the author

Cathy Moore is a certified nurse midwife in practice with the Brigham & Women’s Midwifery Group in Boston, MA, and she is a co-owner of The Goddess Dancing^TM belly dance company. For a full list of references and to contact the author visit her website www.thegoddessdancing.com