Finding Bliss in Dancing for Birth™ Classes

Birth can be so much more than we have been led to believe. Birth can be BLISSFUL! Have you ever experienced this yourself? When this happens it makes us even more curious to know as much as possible about birthing with bliss, transformation, and power. What if women were encouraged to re-imagine birth? How would birth plans change if more women knew and understood their own bodies? What if we held space for mothers to lean into their own intuition about their birth? Mothers across the globe are tapping into ancient wisdom and world cultural midwifery as they take part in Dancing for Birth™ classes.

So, what is a Dancing for Birth™ class?? Dancing for Birth™ class is the leading global class for prenatal and postpartum mamas, an evidence-based birth method based on the principles of movement, gravity and instinct. It’s essentially the ‘trifecta’ of childbirth preparation: feel-good fitness, childbirth education, and celebration of motherhood. It’s a 90 minute class that offers support from preconception through postpartum. Inspired by the ancient birth cultures from around the world, Dancing for Birth™ class draws from the traditions of the midwife. Each move is specifically designed for the mother’s prenatally changing body. The gentle movements of dance are beneficial throughout all three trimesters of pregnancy, and even into postpartum as dancing with your baby held close to your heart offers mama-child bonding as well. 

In 2001, Dancing for Birth™ was founded by Stephanie Larsen, a mother of four, a certified birth doula, and childbirth educator. Her creative background gave her the ability to re-imagine birth and make the discoveries that now enable class attendants to have safer, easier, and more enjoyable births. Classes incorporate childbirth preparation and body-based learning for labor, mind-body-spirit prenatal and postpartum fitness and wellness, and a circle of vibrant women coming together to celebrate each other and the sacred transformational rite of passage that is pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. Together mamas shimmy and sway their way to health and happiness! Various world cultures of dance are used as inspiration throughout the classes, such as Cuban, West African, Dominican, Latin, and Belly Dance. By utilizing gravity, instinct, and body wisdom, Dancing for Birth™ classes encourage women to birth babies naturally and intuitively.

Inspired by ancient wisdom the world over, Dancing for Birth™ class harnesses the power of gravity as an effective birthing tool. Being upright during labor and birth can increase the available space within the mother’s pelvis by up to 30%, resulting in shorter labors (by more than an hour), 20% fewer epidurals, 21% fewer episiotomies, 23% fewer assisted deliveries (forceps, vacuum), and 30% fewer cesareans. Birthing mothers who use movement in labor report that it is an effective comfort measure as well. 

What if you have two left feet?? Are Dancing for Birth™ classes for everyone? YES!! You don’t have to be a skilled dancer to participate in Dancing for Birth™ classes. Dancing is a tradition and exercise that is enjoyed by everyone. While Dancing for Birth™ moves are inspired by world cultural dance techniques, the classes are relaxed and comfortable to allow the stress of the world to melt away and the music to move through you. Dancing for Birth™ classes can also increase those happy hormones (like endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin) that lead to prenatal wellness, improved fetal health, and an empowered birth. Continuing to dance into the postpartum season increases health, fitness, and baby bonding too. Dancing is an effective way to reduce and heal postpartum blues and depression.

Each certified Dancing for Birth™ instructor is a birth expert sharing invaluable knowledge. Mothers benefit from moves specifically designed to build strength and give pelvic mobility. Each class is filled with techniques and tips for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Birth can be active, ecstatic, transformative, and empowering. Dancing for Birth™ classes are weekly celebrations of motherhood!

With this fun fusion of fitness, education, and celebration, modern childbirth preparation is reborn and reinspired by ancient wisdom. Birth is just the beginning. Dancing into parenthood with your babe in arms has a slew of health benefits too! Dancing for Birth™ classes develop a baby’s vestibular system which affects vision, hearing, balance, muscle tone, and equilibrium. Receiving guidance and support from a Dancing for Birth™ mom tribe also helps to build community and connection, which are two crucial components to thriving throughout the first year of motherhood.

Modern medicine nods its head of approval to ancient wisdom as Dancing for Birth™ is the leading global class for pregnant and postpartum mothers. In the “trifecta” of birth preparation: feel-good prenatal and postpartum fitness, essential birth and mothering education, and celebration – weekly classes support mothers from preconception to postpartum.  In fact, 99% of Dancing for Birth™ participants report increased confidence in birth and parenting. Sometimes something tried and true is better than something new. 

“Ancient wisdom is the medicine for the modern world.”

~ Don Howard

How do you find the nearest Dancing for Birth™ class? CLICK HERE to find a complete listing of Dancing for Birth™ class directory. Check back often as new classes are continually offered.

Benefits for Birth:

• 99% of women who were upright and mobile during birth said they would make the same choice again
• Healthy pregnant women are advised to get at least 2 ½ hours of aerobic exercise every week
• Being upright during labor and birth can increase the available space within the mother’s pelvis by up to 30%
• Being upright and mobile during birth results in: shorter labors (by more than an hour), 20% fewer epidurals, 21% fewer episiotomies, 23% fewer assisted deliveries (forceps, vacuum), 30% fewer cesareans
• Women who use movement in labor report that it is an effective method of relieving pain

Benefits for Mama:

• Exercise helps prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, the most common medical complication of pregnancy
• Engagement in structured dance for 12 weeks decreases depression levels
• Dance promotes the release of endorphins known to decrease stress and alleviate pain
• Dance reduces muscle tension and promotes relaxation
• Women who participated in a 12 month, 3 hour per week dance class had no evidence of bone loss, and those who had osteoporosis experienced increased bone density

Benefits for Baby:

• Recreational exercise decreases the chances of both premature labor and the birth of a very small baby
• Maternal exercise throughout gestation improves fetal heart health
• Upright positions and mobility during birth significantly lowered admissions to neonatal intensive care
• All aspects of growth and development after birth in babies from exercising mothers are equal to or better than those of babies from non-exercising mothers
• At five years of age, children whose mothers exercise during pregnancy scored much higher on tests of general intelligence and oral language skills
• Baby is 54% less likely to become distressed during labor and birth if the mother is in an upright position

Shannon Smith is a certified birth and postpartum doula. She’s also a certified prenatal and postpartum fitness instructor. She completed her Dancing for Birth™ Instructor Certification in 2020. Her experience, wisdom, and knowledge of all things motherhood spans over 30 years. Bringing Dancing for Birth™ classes to our local community is an honor and privilege she’s excitedly anticipated. Earlier this year, Shannon founded her passion project BellissiMamas where she helps mothers create their most beautiful motherhood through mentoring, doula support, childbirth preparation, mama circles, mama blessings, meditations, connection, and community. Follow her on Facebook @Bellissimamas and Instagram @bellissimamas, and read her blog at bellissimamas.com.