When its time to get moving, the dance moves in Dancing for Birth will make you break a sweat. But don't sweat it if you don't know any moves.
You can do this class without ever having danced a day in your life, said Birth Experience Coordinator and Childbirth Educator Heather Collins, RN, CCE.
Dancing for Birth is a new fitness class (even for those who feel like they have two left feet) and an education class for women who don't want to sit still. Education, fitness and camaraderie contribute to what Collins says is a major theme of the course.
One of our major focuses is empowerment, letting women know that their bodies are made to do this and to trust them, she says.
AdventHealth for Women has certified Dancing for Birth instructors at Celebration, Winter Park and Orlando. In each location, the classes are held at convenient times throughout the day. Registration is required, so please visit our website to sign up.
The cost is $10 per session but can be bundled at $28 for three sessions or $54 for six sessions. The class is currently held at three convenient Central Florida locations.
Living out CREATION Life
AdventHealth for Women sees Dancing for Birth as a chance to live out its commitment to CREATION Life, which has the goal of helping individuals maximize their health and wellness in body, mind, and spirit.
At the start of each Dancing for Birth class, women sit in a circle, read affirmation cards like my baby is loved, and say a kind word to the woman next to them.
Dancing for Birth helps to ease the mind by educating women about their upcoming birth and giving them confidence.
That's my favorite part of the job, Collins says. People come to me feeling scared or nervous, and afterward, they tell me all the time, I feel so much better.
For example, moms learn how certain body positions, even while at work, can help their baby maneuver into optimal position for labor. Typical reclined postures, on the other hand, can lead babies to rotate into your back.
By changing moms position, we can help her baby's head get into a better position, Collins says.
The benefits to a woman's body from an exercise regimen like Dancing for Birth are clear, too. Fitness during pregnancy decreases your risk for gestational diabetes and its good for the heart of both you and baby.
The dance style is a mix of belly dancing, African and Latin dancing, Collins says. The moves are both easy to learn and safe, though its always best to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
If you need to take it easy, there are a lot of things you can do on a birthing ball, she says. Even a mom who can't get her heart rate up can be with us and move her hips.
The class boosts spirits through the social connections that are built along the way. It's just about being together with each other.
We don't have mirrors and were just there to give each other great confidence and get that trust in your body, Collins says.
After women give birth, they're invited back to class to share their experience.
All well have you do is sit in the circle with us and just be with us and celebrate that you just did this, Collins says.
This class encompasses everything that CREATION Life encompasses, she adds.
Get in early
The routines you'll learn in Dancing for Birth can even be started before pregnancy.
If you're a young woman and thinking about getting pregnant, what a great way to get into a group of like-minded people, Collins says.
The moves a mom learns in class can be practiced at home, and even used on the delivery day.
We encourage you to use these moves when you're in labor, she says. Plus, it can give you the endurance you need when that day arrives.
By teaching moms to trust their bodies, helping them develop an exercise routine and connecting them with support from like-minded women, Dancing for Birth lives out AdventHealth for Women's goal of promoting health in body, mind, and spirit.
For more information or to find the time that works for you at one of three Central Florida locations, visit our website.
