Aziza Sa'id's FAQ - Pregnancy

Aziza Sa'id: Do talk with your doc / midwife about the dance and any precautions that would apply specifically to you. Dancing is a health activity, and if you've already been dancing before your pregnancy, you should be able to continue. However, every body is different, and some folks shouldn't dance during while pregnant, and others may not be able to dance the entire time.

You may need to skip certain moves, your body (and your doc / midwife) will tell you which ones. One of my students said that in the last trimester pelvic drops started to feel "weird" and made the baby kick... so she just skipped those. One of my students was put on shimmy restriction because she was having some pelvic ligament pain... stopping the shimmies solved it. She did everything she normally would do while dancing except shimmy and spin.

Some movements may begin to feel different or "odd" as the baby grows, some of my students elected to skip certain movements as the baby got bigger. As long as there are no unusual problems, the dancing will help keep you strong and healthy and may help you with child birth... just pay attention to what your body tells you as you practice.

Watch your spins and turns - your center of gravity will begin to shift and turns will work differently as your balance changes. Do turns cautiously.

In the last trimester, your body will make hormones that loosen the pelvic ligaments in preparation for childbirth. Unfortunately they also loosen the ligaments in all your other joints too, making it easier to turn an ankle, hyperextend a knee, and over stretch any ligament anywhere... watch for joint instability as your pregnancy progresses, and be as cautious as your body dictates.

Other than that, you should be able to do pretty much anything your body doesn't complain about. One of my students came to class twice a week thru her entire pregnancy, including the day the baby was born... she came to class on Wednesday, went into labor that night, had the baby in the wee hours of Thursday morning. She even had pictures done several times during the pregnancy in her dance outfits. Says she's gonna show them to her son later when he wonders why he's got a thing for Middle Eastern music...

Béatrice: One thing to be wary of is the relaxing hormone that make your ligaments loosen up in readiness for the delivery. It can make you very flexible, but a friend of mine found that this hyperflexibility meant that her ligaments had overstretched, and she has suffered with pain in her hips ever since.

So just because you *can* do a move, doesn't mean you *should* do it.

Chris: I danced like I wasn't pregnant. I had no problems at the time except every so often he would want to go an opposite direction. I would stop and he would literally push me another direction. I did yoga and I danced (even competed 5 weeks after he was born). After pregnancy was a whole nother story. Almost 3 1/2 years later I am still having hips problems (I'm pretty sure I over stretched everything in my whole pelvis) and my knees are blown out. I felt so good at the time and was so excited about how much I could still do. How deceptive hormones make you feel!!! What was I thinking!!!

MyCarenza: With my last pregnancy, I asked my physician if it was okay to continue. I would recommend you do that same. My doctor told me that anything I did before the pregnancy I could continue, so long as there was no pain. I did continue to dance throughout my entire pregnancy without any problems.

Kashmir: It isn't always a good idea to START any exercise program when pregnant. Pregnant women should limit themselves to low impact (no jumping or hopping - this isn't the time to start debke) and low to moderate intensity (no big rises in body temperature).

Merika: If you've been belly dancing a long time, have built up the muscles and stamina and all that, this is not a new exercise for you, and you can dance actively. If you are a beginning student and not a teacher, or just not as dedicated to dancing, your body will be less likely to take it in stride. This is key. If your body is well conditioned to a particular activity, you will most likely be able to perform it throughout your pregnancy (with some slow-downs towards the end!).

Asha : As a dancer who has been pregnant as well as a registered nurse, I can tell you it is perfectly fine to dance throughout your pregnancy, even belly rolls, with a few caveats;

1) Your pregnancy is not complicated (no medical problems, no history of miscarriages, etc.)

2) The general rule is that you should exercise to whatever level of physical exertion you could do before you were pregnant, and not beyond that -- don't expect to improve a lot while you're pregnant, just to maintain your current level.

3) As long as you feel well, and let your doctor or midwife know your workout routine.

As a dancer who had a baby three years ago, I can tell you it helped a lot with my body image to dance while pregnant, though I noticed many changes. My center of balance changed every week, and undulations were almost impossible once I got to the fifth month. A big positive was that I am much more limber than I was before getting pregnant. Pregnancy causes ligaments to stretch in preparation for childbirth, and I think I was able to maintain that stretch because I never stopped dancing.

As far as performing during pregnancy, I know of many dancers who did, even close to their due date. Many people consider it very beautiful to watch a pregnant woman dance, especially in a dance form which accents the female body so well. I think, like everything else, it is probably a matter of venue. A former instructor at Dancers Supporting Dancers taught through her ninth month, then brought the baby to class with her within a month or two of it's birth. I personally did not perform after the third month because of my excessive weight gain -- I kept up with classes, but so much had changed about my body that I wasn't entirely sure I could keep my balance on stage :). Thankfully, dancing helped me lose all that baby weight, too.

Aliya Aimee: In 1989/90, my teacher taught throughout her pregnancy and also performed (at 1 month and 7 months along--as I recall.) She taught classes five days before delivering and again about 10 days after. Her advice thereafter to pregnant students, that I overheard, has been to be *extra* careful about posture and be wary of straining the rectus abdominus muscle once the uterus protrudes. Any warnings about exercise in general during pregnancy would also apply (e.g. monitor your heart rate, don't get overheated, etc.--ask your O.B.)

Donna Lapre: MED did nothing for keeping me fit at 1 class a week and home practice. My body is so use to it. Apparently if you become very accustomed to a style of exercise the benefits taper off which is why cross training is recommended. Mentally I enjoyed it.

Kathy: Most importantly, check with your doctor to see if there are any limitations on your activities. Personally, I'm restricted to only swimming and walking. Remember, there are a myriad of reasons why some pregnant women are classified as high-risk, and are limited by their physicians to exercise within specific guidelines. A history of miscarriages is one, and so are hormonal imbalances. Granted, walking and swimming are not very creative, and I'm bored with both, but the baby is the priority, so dancing has to wait.

Also, there are certain movements that just don't feel right or comfortable for a pregnant woman. It's always wise to listen to what your body is telling you. Fatigue, breathlessness, weakness, and a variety of other symptoms, are a warning to stop or slow down. Your situation is bound to be unique, and no two pregnancies are the same.

Cathy: It would probably be a good idea for you to talk to a *good* physio, osteopath or other physical health specialist and describe the dance you teach in order to ask these questions. The list will offer good points, but as a teacher, it is better to get specialist help from specialists. It is vital, though, to describe the exact movements you teach. Even supportive physios and doctors have very little idea of what we really do.

Having said that, there are a few ideas (many of which have been discussed on the list before):

In pregnancy and lactation to a certain extent, the ligaments are very loose. So it is very easy to injure knees, hips, feet, etc. Students may feel they have a greater range of flexibility than usual, so this must be monitored carefully. (e.g. no balancing on one leg, hops, no overdoing hip extensions one side, no hyper stretching unless they are very experienced already, etc.)

No overheating in first trimester.

Posture and movements should be kept even both sides to avoid sciatica.

Encourage them to strengthen deep abdominal muscles to protect their backs.

Remind them to keep good posture in pelvis to avoid lordosis/lower back arching too much (often occurs in late pregnancy).

No sustained stretches/cool downs lying on their back.

Emphasize relaxing those necks and shoulders (it'll help for feeding bub later).

Balance may be affected (totally different center of gravity in later stages), so warn experienced students to be careful in turns etc.

Things like hip circles, cat arch stretches, gentle undulations feel really good!

Tell them to *listen to their own bodies*. Even experienced dance students have to be careful to a certain extent. The body is undergoing huge and amazing changes.

Sheri: I stopped all dancing in my 4th month because I had severe cramping *only* when I danced and the doctor told me to stop. I didn't know why this was happening or what alternative I had, so I stopped.

Unkn: In the Dr. Sears book, "The Birth Book" he warns against exercising in a room where the temperature is hot. He feels that if the body temperature goes up to 102 or higher, that it is dangerous for the baby.

I almost seriously injured a nerve by continuing to dance full out and perform during my 4th month, while my pelvis was reshaping itself. So I would caution woman who belly dance not to go full out during this time and to pay close attention to any strain or pain in this area during their pregnancy and to respond immediately. I was cured of my problem by a Chiropractor who supplied me with this information.

I personally found that the first movement that was a problem for me was the vertical figure 8 movement with the hips. The baby was just in the way from the 5th month on. I could do it, but it was more exhausting doing it than without a baby.

In a lot of pregnancy exercise classes the teachers work with the circular and figure 8 style hip and torso movements that are reminiscent of belly dance. It helps to loosen the pelvis and relax the lower back, which is strained from all the weight."

Kypris: I guess the most important thing to say first and foremost is to check with your doctor or midwife before doing anything. If you have any special complications of pregnancy, dancing may not be recommended. However, for myself, having a normal healthy pregnancy, and already dancing and in good physical condition BEFORE I got pregnant, this is what seemed to work.

I had a shimmy contraindication from my doc, because she was worried about the stress on the ligaments that hold the uterus in place. I went ahead and shimmied anyhow until about 5 months, when I DID experience some pretty severe ligament pain for about 24 hours. Whether or not this was from shimmying, I don't know for certain, because I stopped after that. I have talked to other mothers who didn't dance and also had severe ligament pain, so I suspect it's not necessarily related. I know that other pregnant women have shimmied away with no problems.

Posture was a difficult thing for me when dancing while pregnant. I coped with it by dancing with knees more bent, and really trying to think about my center. Spinning was especially hard, as I recall, because my center of gravity was so different, and I worried a lot about falling down while spinning, but I never got quite that off-kilter.

The only other thing I worried about movement-wise was getting too warm, which can be dangerous for the baby. Also, LOTS OF WATER is really important, and I'll say it again. DRINK LOTS OF WATER. I had a kidney stone at 9 weeks post-partum, which made childbirth seem like a walk in the park. The doctor told me it was most likely related to dehydration during pregnancy and subsequent nursing. You should be drinking around 2 liters a day, more if you are getting sweaty and active or it is hot and you sweat a lot. And this increases with nursing. According to my doc, I needed to be drinking around a gallon of water a day during the early months of nursing (and let me tell you THAT is a challenge!). Oh, another thing--be sure to continue those prenatal vitamins while nursing, you still need them!

Merika: The ab muscles (the long vertical ones in front) CAN split if you over stress them with activities like sit-ups. Sit-ups *crunch* or contract those muscles over the belly, so if the belly bulges with a pregnancy (after the 4th month) they could separate. Note that other muscles are not much engaged during a sit-up.

Belly Dance does not perform the severe crunching of the ab muscles that sit-ups do. Even an upward pelvic thrust does not put the stress on those longitudinal muscles that sit-ups do. Belly dance will continue to strengthen and tone the obliques (the ab muscles on the sides of your belly) which will help you carry the pregnancy with less discomfort and less stress on your back and those front ab muscles (who's name is eluding me right now).

That said, there ARE moves that should be avoided in pregnancy (especially as you get farther along): hip shimmies, deep torso twists (side to side or leaning back), pelvic drops, and any sharp accent move with the hips (in the last trimester, even avoid any non-fluid move).

Of course, many belly dance moves feel great and are very beneficial for you! Rib circles, chest lifts and camels aid digestion. Hip circles relieve lower back pain. Shoulder shimmies let you feel like you can still shake it! And stomach rolls will *amaze* your audience!!

Most important, follow your instinct on what feels good and what doesn't. Your body will tell you what you need to know. :)

Ruth: I think it's important to keep things in perspective and follow what your body is telling you. If you're dancing and it doesn't feel good -- stop. Pushing yourself to make the same movements you could make prior to pregnancy is, _in my opinion_, somewhat against the spirit of belly dance. You're not the same during pregnancy as you are at other times. Why should you move the same or try to dance the same? Why not move in celebration of your ever-changing body -- to show it off?

Safiye: Being on your back for the sit-ups can compromise blood flow to your baby by compressing one of the large veins once the baby gets to about the fourth month. The one thing my later babies have objected to is undulations. They generate a kick in the ribs every time, maybe because I carry so high. I do notice that I slow down in the last trimester. Same movements, but a slower pace unless I have to keep up with choreography.

Lorelle Hawes: I am a physiotherapist who works with pregnant women. The CNM was referring to a rectus diastasis which is a "separation" or stretching of the fascia between the two sides of the rectus abdominus muscle. This happens to a certain degree to most women by the end of pregnancy but some factors contribute to a larger separation e.g. large babies, multiple births, subsequent pregnancies, genetic predisposition (a tendency to develop abdominal stretch marks often goes hand in hand with a larger rectus diastasis), carrying the baby "out the front". Also, women who have very tight abdominals prior to pregnancy may develop a larger than average diastasis as the tight muscles have difficulty stretching around the growing baby, so take a "shortcut" instead, i.e. around the outer edge of the abdomen.

WRT abdominal exercises in pregnancy, it is best to avoid sit ups or curl ups. I'm not sure if you are a teacher or student, but the movements involved in the average belly dance class are gentle and varied enough and won't overwork your abdominals to the point of risking a larger diastasis. Focus on posture and transversus abdominus and pelvic floor work (speak to a physical therapist for more info).