Dance during labor?

Telling a woman “let’s dance and rock your pelvis to get the baby out” who is either laboring or approaching labor in next few days,……what reaction do we expect, “Are u mad or what, I am in so much pain and u want me to dance?”

But the fact is that you can actually dance your baby out. That actually makes the whole process less painful, enjoyable and also shorter.

1. It is actually not a new fad but has rich historical significance.

2. Midwives have actually noticed that movements of pelvis encourage the natural progression of labor.

3. In some of the cultures women would gather around the laboring mother and would perform hip circles, undulations and figure eight movements with their pelvis to motivate the laboring mom to do the same to allow the baby to descend faster and optimally wiggling its way out through mother’s pelvis.

4. Dancing will allow gravity to help the mother as well as the baby reducing the pain of labor and also making more room for the baby.

5. Mother and baby both are working together as a team and mother, when on her feet, is in control of her body rather than just being in a helpless position, where she is not able to move.

6. Mother will feel reduced intensity of pain and immense satisfaction in active phase, feeling less need of epidurals. Happy hormones are released in brain, hence pain perception reduces drastically. Dancing is known to be natural epidural.

7. This is the best possible way to awaken the mother to her inherent power of birthing which she already possesses.

8. But a mother who is not well prepared both mentally and physically to celebrate this beautiful process of labor along with her partner supporting and encouraging her, would not be able to move’ let alone dancing’.

9. We at Rita’s PREGNANCY 101 prepare and educate the couples and families to celebrate this special moment of bringing their bundles of joy in this world.

10. We arm them with practical techniques and add movements like squats, hip movements and shimmies etc to the labor dance to encourage the optimal positioning of baby in shorter duration thus taking away fears and anxieties making them more confident and prepare them to DANCE their BABIES OUT.

So now the question is, ‘Is there a particular dance that one needs to do?

Simple answer to that question is ‘NO’. You can make any moves with your body and it’s helpful, as long as you take care of your postures.

Just be yourself, be within, work with yourself, enjoy your time and that’s the best way to deal with rigors of labor.

Anyone can dance on their favorite tune… what’s yours?

We wish you all the best and happy dancing from our Rita’s Pregnancy 101 team…