Hello All,
I am studying to be a doula through Birtharts distance learning program. I am researching belly dance as an appropriate healing modality for women in childbirth. I have read a lot of stories about pre-natal support that it offered, as well as post natal recovery. In my own experience I have found belly dance to be really healing. Not only has it helped my body to properly support my sacrum, but I feel like it has healed a lot of trauma for me as well.
I read one woman's experience that figure eight and hip circle patterns were very soothing during labor. Does anyone use belly dance in their practice, or in their own birth experiences? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Blessings.
I am studying to be a doula through Birtharts distance learning program. I am researching belly dance as an appropriate healing modality for women in childbirth. I have read a lot of stories about pre-natal support that it offered, as well as post natal recovery. In my own experience I have found belly dance to be really healing. Not only has it helped my body to properly support my sacrum, but I feel like it has healed a lot of trauma for me as well.
I read one woman's experience that figure eight and hip circle patterns were very soothing during labor. Does anyone use belly dance in their practice, or in their own birth experiences? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Blessings.
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Re: birth and bellydance
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 2:29 PMhello i am a midwifery student, homebirthin mama and doula. I teach dance of birth a bellydance and childbirth ed class. One woman in her first bellydance class realised that 15 years prior, her and 6 freinds attended the birth of another and they all spontaniously circled the mother , holding hands, singing and doing figure eights, hip circles. many people have observed mothers doing "belly rolls" at labor. There is a lovely woman in lA i met on tribe .net who has been teaching bellydance for pregnancy for some time she sent a bunch of articles i will forward them to you. One article compares certain moves incorrectly.. i would say but the points are relevant,,, birth and dance belong nad have forever...Best wishes. feel free to contact me anytime. I believe kirsten would feel same way. Danielle -
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Re: birth and bellydance
Fri, April 25, 2008 - 2:31 PMI guess I coull post my email to get info to you? here goes wildbearth@yahoo.comDanielle
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Re: birth and bellydance
Wed, April 30, 2008 - 1:12 PMOMG! I just attended a birth last night and the mom was doing a hip circle/squat combo that was so effective in getting that baby moving! She went so fast that she made it to the mid wifes home fully dilated.
Also, my Belly dance teacher will be starting a prenatal birth dance class in May. I am so happy. I teach childbirth classes and will be recommending it to my students.
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Re: birth and bellydance
Thu, May 1, 2008 - 4:51 PMHi, my 2 favourite subjects!
as a student midwife and a bellydance teacher, I am only now starting to feel confident in having pregnant ladies in my classes, mainly cause you really need to know what you are doing and talking about when you have pregnant ladies about you! I have been known to encourage labouring women to use hip circles and figure 8's in labour, but to be honest when you let nature take its course they seem to do these moves anyway. I know i did and that was before I began bellydancing myself! -
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Re: birth and bellydance
Tue, May 6, 2008 - 1:04 PMBellydancing and all kinds of spiraling dances are wonderful for birth and pregnancy. The spiraling creates asymetical movements of the hips which help the baby to find their way to flex their head and engage in the pelvis in the best possible way, it also relaxes the pelvis and keeps the energy flowing through the pelvis and belly.
I recommend watching this 10 minute promo for my favorite birth movie Birth As We Know It: www.youtube.com/watch
Here is a wonderful quote about spiraling from this movie -
"If I were to take the liberty of singling out one of the most important things a women needs to learn about childbirth - that would be the spiraling. The actual physical spiraling motions of the body that exists in traditional dances around the globe - bellydancing, Hawaiian hula, Indian, African dance. It reflects the primal basic energy flow in our universe. Seashells, galaxies, our DNA strands all obey the same law of spiraling. It propels our planet to move with enormous speed through space. In childbirth, conscious surrender to that vortex of energy brings in an experience of profound grace." - Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova, Director of Birth As We Know It, www.birthasweknowit.com
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