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Pregnancy and Belly Dancing

by Cathia

     When I got pregnant I had been belly dancing for 5 years, and teaching for the last 3 years.  So I had been extremely active with the dance form, and had little difficulties in staying active over the course of my pregnancy.  My experience no doubt differs from yours, so please keep that in mind as you proceed with dance during your pregnancy.  And, as with any physical activity, if you are pregnant you should check with your doctor before proceeding.

     Historically speaking pregnancy and belly dance have gone hand in hand.  The muscles you strengthen and tone in belly dance are the same ones that will be important for your pregnancy and delivery.  It is a great form of exercise to do during pregnancy, but pregnant women should be careful of their level of activity with dance. 

     If you are brand new to belly dance then you should be careful not to overstrain yourself with the more complex dance moves.  Some of the hip moves may cause a bit of round ligament pain, so you can let that guide you in what moves you can and cannot do.  As the pregnancy progresses you’ll discover that certain moves should not be performed at 100%.  For instance, I had no problems doing hip lift shimmies up until the last week of pregnancy, but once I was pretty big I was not comfortable doing hip twist shimmies at full speed.  So whenever hip twist shimmies were called for I would just do nice, soft hip twists in place of the shimmies.

     Any moves that require quick twisting or rotating motions should not be done late in pregnancy.  Also, sharp moves like hip drops may not be advisable as the joints become much looser during pregnancy and you do not want to risk displacing a hip.  Obviously any moves like backbends should be avoided due to the extra strain you would be putting on your back.

     Pregnancy shifts your center of gravity and can make you feel off balance at times.  When dancing you need to take this into consideration any time you are doing turns or moves that require balance on just one foot.  Take any turns slowly, and be sure that you are centered before performing the next dance move in a routine.

     If you are able to do belly rolls and belly isolations you should continue doing them throughout your pregnancy.  As your belly expands with the pregnancy the movement will feel very different, but you should be able to still manipulate the muscles up until the end of your pregnancy.  I was able to perform belly rolls up until the day I delivered, and was able to start toning my abs back up shortly after my baby was born.  Similarly, exercises like glute squeezes are great to do for the duration of pregnancy as they do not strain any joints.

      By listening to my body, being careful in what moves I performed, and by staying active over the course of my pregnancy I was able to belly dance up until the end.  In fact, 5 days before I gave birth I attended a belly dance class and practiced a choreography with the other students.  True, I was modifying certain moves to accommodate my pregnancy, but the important thing was that I could still dance that late in my pregnancy.

     And, as an extra bonus, I discovered that when my son is fussy I can soothe him by holding him and doing Egyptian or earthquake shimmies. I read in a book that little babies like “jiggly” motions as it reminds them of being in the womb, and doing those shimmies definitely jiggles him!  So belly dancing can also benefit you when dealing with a fussy baby.

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