Showing posts with label Dancing For Birth™. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dancing For Birth™. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Dance to prevent babies from "getting stuck" during birth

A topic I would love to see discussed widely is the role of fitness in pregnancy--and its documented effects on childbirth.  These include shorter labors and a potential reduction in the need for inductions, pain medication, and cesareans, according to researchers such as Dr. James Clapp III, and reported in publications such as Fit Pregnancy magazine.  Whether women start their pregnancies already active, sedentary, slim, or plus-size, incorporating exercise has been proven beneficial.  Looking back at my own pregnancy, I believe regular salsa dancing helped my baby descend into a low, well-aligned position in my pelvis at 30 weeks, where she remained until delivery.  Recently, I have been excited to discover the work of doula and former professional dancer Stephanie Larson, founder of Dancing for Birth, who describes the potential for dance movements involving the pelvis to improve birth outcomes (see article below).  While fitness does not always guarantee a problem-free delivery, I believe pregnant women would benefit from guidance from their healthcare providers to make these types of exercises a priority.