Move That Belly!

Bellydancing during Pregnancy

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

During pregnancy, attention is directed toward a woman's belly as the life inside her grows and develops. People pat her belly, listen to her belly, feel for evidence of life. But bellydancing? Do bellydancing and pregnancy go together?

Yes, they do! Women in all stages of pregnancy are learning to use the exotic tools of bellydancing to prepare themselves and their spirits, minds and bodies for childbirth. "Quite a few people would probably be skeptical about bellydancing during pregnancy. However, bellydancing, pregnancy and childbirth are in harmony. Today's pregnant woman can benefit from ancient cultural traditions," says Gaby Mardshana Oeftering, developer of the video Bellydancing During Pregnancy.

"Bellydancing was used as prenatal conditioning for women in ancient times," adds Delilah, an internationally-acclaimed bellydancing performer and instructor, who goes by her first name only.

In fact, the prenatal exercise market which offers everything from yoga to low-impact aerobic routines is now welcoming the more exotic form of bellydancing as a fitness option. "Midwives have pointed out to me that certain body postures and movements from bellydancing correspond to those used in prenatal preparation," says Oeftering, who eventually developed a bellydancing fitness program for pregnant women.

"Pregnancy is not a disease," says Oeftering. "Pregnant women must not be sedentary, neither during pregnancy nor during childbirth. The pregnant woman has a need to develop a more playful relationship with herself and her baby. When dancing, the woman feels more supported in her femininity and in the functional capability of her body. Moreover, no other such birth preparation guarantees such an intense contact with the baby."

From a medical point of view, bellydancing addresses many of the same concepts that other prenatal preparations do. According to Oeftering, bellydancing can help prepare for childbirth. "During dancing, the pregnant woman adopts body postures which favor an optimum engagement of the fetus," says Oeftering. "The natural birth positions are standing, sitting and squatting because the baby's gravity can have its full effect. Through bellydancing, the pregnant woman arrives at the necessary mobility and strengthening of the pelvis, while developing the required awareness of the muscles used in the birth process."

What better way to learn about your body and how to listen to it than learning a new way to move it? "Pregnant women, through bellydancing, acquire confidence in themselves and their own bodies," says Oeftering. "In my experience, dance and the emotions connected with it, make women feel a lot more autonomous and self-assured regarding birth. They have trained themselves through the dance. They know which movements are helpful for pregnancy complaints. They know what is of benefit to their babies. There are meditative elements to relax and release. Joyful music puts them in a serene, self-confident mood."

Want to see more?

• Exercise Your Way Through Pregnancy
• Yoga: An Ancient Practice for Pregnancy in the Modern World
• The Art of Prenatal Massage
• Talk about it!