Belly Dancing for Pregnancy

Belly dance is a great preparation for childbirth, because it strengthens the pelvic and deep abdominal muscles, giving you better support for the baby during pregnancy and an easier labor. Stronger abdominal muscles also means your tummy will regain its tone more quickly after the birth.

I'm not suggesting you head for your nearest bellydance school and start shimmying, though! Because belly dance moves are so focussed in the pelvic area, you shouldn't expect to do the same moves as everyone else, even if you've been a student for some time. If you want to attend a normal class, it's a good idea to phone the teacher beforehand and make sure she knows what precautions to take for pregnant women.

Luckily there are several DVD's offering prenatal belly dance workouts.

If you've been told you shouldn't start a new type of exercise when you're pregnant, don't worry - belly dance is an exception to this rule, because it's low-impact, non-jarring and the moves are natural to the body.

"The Bellytwins" bellydance workouts are a good start if you're new to belly dancing. Their prenatal DVD is a gentle but thorough workout including kegels and squats, which are so important during pregnancy.

Amira's pregnancy bellydancing DVD is very gentle with an emphasis on stretching rather than belly dancing. I wouldn't call it a workout, and it uses only a few basic belly dance moves - but if you're feeling stiff and sore, this is a good way to relax and get comfortable again.

Naia's prenatal belly dancing DVD is for you if you have belly dance experience, because Naia assumes you already know the basic moves. It is a gentle cardio workout and unlike Amira's DVD, it is all about belly dance.

The workout is around 25 minutes and there's extensive information on prenatal health.

With Maha el Musa's "Dance of the Womb", we're moving out of the realm of workouts and on to a different plane altogether!

As an advanced belly dancer myself, Maha's book appealed to me more than any other prenatal exercise guide, because it's more than just exercise - it's a physical and emotional journey through pregnancy. I'm delighted she has now produced a DVD, because it's so much easier to copy routines correctly from a moving image than from a photo.

The emphasis here is not about creating a workout that avoids dangerous belly dance moves, but about using belly dance, physically and spiritually, to support and prepare the body for childbirth.

If you have any of the following conditions, you shouldn't belly dance (or do any other exercise) without a doctor's permission:

• Placenta previa
• Vaginal bleeding (2nd or 3rd trimester only)
• Gestational diabetes
  

If you have a previous history of miscarriage, don't belly dance before 20 weeks.

Moves to Avoid

• Shimmies (save them for labor!)

• When you're getting close to term, be careful with any pelvic moves - they can stimulate labor.
  

And finally, some clips of pregnant belly dancers - including one of my favourite Australian bellydancers, Aradia.

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All text copyright Marisa Wright. Photo by kptice