On August 4 the Wall Street Journal publicized a new way to waltz through labor, belly dancing:
These days, alternative techniques to ease labor run the gamut from hypnotherapy to "water births" in a large bathtub. But some women disillusioned with routine use of drugs and medical interventions during labor are turning to an unusual solution - belly dancing. They're restoring the titillating dance of seduction -frequent entertainment fare in night clubs and Middle Eastern restaurants - to what they say were its origins in childbirth, while enhancing maternity wards with swirling motions and mesmerizing music.Expectant mothers can choose from an increasing array of prenatal belly-dancing classes and educational materials. The first instructional prenatal belly dance DVD in the U.S. was released 16 months ago....
Some belly-dance movements mirror those of labor. The idea is that the pelvic gyrations help disperse the pain of contractions, orient the fetus and propel the baby into the world. In early labor, when contractions are relatively mild, the expectant mother may find comfort in dancing slowly and hypnotically, using hip circles, crescents and figure eights. As labor gets more intense, the movements may progress to a rapid rocking of the pelvis from side to side - a technique known as the shimmy - to help position the baby correctly and relax the pelvic floor. In the final phase of pushing, a full body undulation known as the camel roll can help the baby move into the birth canal....
"The movements that women make when they're belly dancing are the same movements that I am trying to get them to make to bring the baby down," says... doctor, Elizabeth Allemann.
Sure enough, I found pregnant belly dancing demonstrated on YouTube....
.... a remarkable athletic feat and celebration of pregnancy and its beauty, if nothing else, although the moves do look therapeutic. (Stick with the video past the intro. There are close-ups.)
[Hat tip: Kaiser Reports]
Comments:
I gotta think that dancin' like that is what got her pregnant in the first place! LOL
Posted by: MK
at August 7, 2007 7:47 PMThe little baby inside of her must be saying "what is mommy doing?" LOL
Posted by: jasper at August 7, 2007 8:55 PMHow does she move with a belly that big!?
That's pretty cool.
Posted by: Stephanie at August 7, 2007 10:41 PMmy eyes...MY EYES!!!!!
LOL
Posted by: JKeller at August 7, 2007 10:46 PMThere's actually a HUGE industry for men who find pregnant women appealing. It's a rather common fetish. And I respect her for doing the things she enjoys in spite of her pregnancy.
Posted by: Erin at August 7, 2007 11:20 PMActually, I bellydance. Everything on this post is 100% true, for once: I've had it verified by my former bellydance teacher. Originally, this was the purpose to bellydancing, to celebrate fertility and the bounty of the earth. It was a women's dance, for women to see and no one else, and there are ideas that midwives bellydanced around a delivering mother to help her through contractions. It's an amazingly good exercise for pregnant mothers. It's low impact, and despite how difficult the dance looks, the movements used are all very natural and fluid. It builds incredible muscles, and makes one feel very in-tune with the earth.
It's such a shame that a dance that was originally for such a benign purpose has been adulterated into a burlesque industry. sigh.
Posted by: HumanAbstract at August 8, 2007 12:56 AM*sigh* If only I had known about this sooner...
Posted by: Rosie at August 8, 2007 9:54 AMI think this is amazing. What a unique approach to prenatal exercise. I would so do this. Plus, bellydancing is really cool. Besides, I would never use drugs during labor--I'll be able to use as much help as I can get.
Less: Bellydancing DOES look hard! I really want to learn how, though. I never knew that was the origin... isn't it sad how so many things like that have been corrupted like that?
Posted by: Leah at August 8, 2007 4:19 PMThat's so cool! I've always liked the Hindu/Indian perception of feminine beauty...they don't like "twigs". If you ever look at Hindi/Indian art the women are always curvy, which is more realistic. :)
Anyway, I think that's great, bellydancing to help pregnancy/birth. In the freak-event that I am in fact able to have kids, I will *totally* do that (heck, I plan to get into bellydancing for fun anyway!).
Posted by: Rae at August 8, 2007 10:57 PM