bring your favorite playlist and dance while in labor. insist your partner and birth team dance with you! i did.

dancing during labor benefits mom and baby. the movement of the body, the upright position, and the enjoyment of dancing adds to the the birth satisfaction. it releases hormones that help labor progress. bonus: dancing is fun.

labor dancing: movement

dancing during contractions helps your labor progress. the movement of the swaying hips is so good for your body.

have you heard of dancing for birth? well, did you know that people who attended dancing for birth™ class experienced a remarkable 56% lower average cesarean rate? here is their fb information.

labor dancing: position

the upright posture of dancing works with gravity to place gentle pressure on the fetal head to move down into the pelvis and helps position the baby for delivery.

labor dancing: birth satisfaction

research shows women are happier with their birth experience when upright and moving. the overall effect is satisfying and enjoyable. it helps take your mind off of the intense surges of the contraction and you begin to smile and release endorphins and oxytocin and your body loves it. this also speeds up the labor process.

benefits to the newborn

i read several research studies about the benefits to the newborn. here is a quote: “newborn babies’ first, fifth, and tenth minute apgar scores and oxygenation levels were higher the first hour of the baby’s birth with mothers that had upright dancing movement in the second stage of labor”. here is the article.

dancing is beneficial during the postpartum period

keep dancing. i believe dancing after the birth of the baby continues to have a lot of these same benefits of movement, upright position, and satisfaction of birth experience and recovery period. during the 4th trimester. dancing elevates the mood , and renews a weary mind and body. it puts a smile on your face. there are lots of benefits to dancing in labor and afterward during your postpartum recovery.

interested in more topics? read my blog post here on the benefits of eating dates. i call mine “snickers” dates.

did you dance during your birth? i would love to have your share your comments below. i did dance a little in this video. i am the one behind the camera.

more about grammie doula:

i offer full-time postpartum doula support in sw virginia and my clients call me “grammie doula”.  i have 25 years as a labor and delivery nurse and then 10 years as a birth photographer. i am a mom to 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren and a baby in heaven. i live in a cabin in the woods with my gray-bearded husband and two pets that prefer his company over mine! laura