Hip Hop Pregnancy!

We recently received this query from hip hop dance teacher Aysha Cheatham Bowling on the DTP facebook page and we thought it was so important that it deserved a blog entry.

Question:  I am a hip hop dance teacher and this is my first pregnancy. I am 6 months going on 7 months (due in Nov.). I have been experiencing a lot of Braxton Hicks with pain along with fibroid pain. I realize Braxton Hicks are very common in pregnancy, however the pain I experience at times can be debilitating. I have been dancing throughout my pregnancy so far, but had to cut back due to the pain. My class season is starting back up this month and I am getting worried about my ability to teach. What are some suggestions for teaching while pregnant? Any tips on warm up and movement modifications? Also, how does maternity leave work in the dance world? I am trying to figure out exactly how much time to take off. Everything is so unpredictable..lol. I am more familiar with what is common in the corporate world than dance.

Answers

1) Braxton-Hicks & fibroid pain – Braxton Hicks, or practicecontractions, are common from mid-pregnancy forward. The extent to which women are aware of them and how much discomfort they produce depends on several things – some genetic, some situational. One factor is fibroids. If your pain is so extreme that it limits activities of daily living (ADL), then you need to confer with your care provider to determine if there is something that can be done to alleviate the pain and/or whether you need to restrict ADL. If it is limiting your dance movement, you need to back off and find a way to tell or indicate to your students what you want them to do.

If the practice contractions are occurring more than 4 times an hour regularly while you are dancing and/or doing ADL, you need to confer with your care provider. When this happens, empty your bladder and drink 3 or 4 cups of water, lie on your left side and rest. If the contractions do not subside, call your care provider right away. NOTE: a full bladder can irritate the uterus causing disordered but uncomfortable contractions, so void your bladder at regular intervals.

2) Tips for teaching during pregnancy – By mid-pregnancy your alignment is shifting enough that all of your normal movement patterns are becoming inefficient. In addition to this changing alignment, your joints are at risk for damage due to hormonal changes in connective tissue, which normally helps maintain joint integrity. The bone facets that articulate together shift their relationship and nerves and blood vessels can be impinged. Therefore, making your movements smaller and less percussive are good strategies for preventing injury.

Check the pregnancy exercise tips on our website to find exercises especially designed for pregnancy. You may find some of these are useful warm-ups. Also, do side-lying relaxation every day for 10 to 20 minutes. Check the page on nutrition for childbearing, too, as nutrition plays a major role in keeping up your resources and energy.

3) How much time off will I need? - Yes, you are definitely entering the world of the unpredictable! Surely people have told you that your life will never be the same…in a good way! Well, it is true and one of the things that will be different is that priorities change and it is not always possible to predict how long things will take. Since you are fit and active and are remaining so during your pregnancy, your recovery time will be fairly quick. However, other factors will affect how long it takes you to get back into the studio. The course of your labor and birth, as well as the adjustments you and your baby and partner need to make in the immediate postpartum period, will influence when you are ready to start dancing.

With professional dancers and athletes, it has been my experience that if the birth is vaginal, within a week new moms are working on their core strength and endurance and within a month are able to do an easy class for themselves. By two months, many are back at work, rehearsing and sometimes performing. Of course, breastfeeding – which is very important for both mom and baby – may affect how long you can work at any one time. If the birth is surgical (cesarean), it may take a week or two longer to get to each milestone.

Follow up thoughts – This is an exciting and meaningful time in your life. You will not believe how amazing you will feel when you first see your baby. Be fully present and relish in the moment. Be careful now; it’s better to take precautions and make sure you and your soon-to-be-newborn are safe. When we train DTP teachers the first priority we teach is safety!

I hope this is helpful and that you will keep me posted on your progress.

- Ann Cowlin, DTP director