Normally, I danced 1 ½ hours in the morning and another 1 ½ hours in the afternoon.  During the month of April, 2003, however, my routine was reduced to a 45 minute session once a day.  Even if I had already eaten, I grew exceedingly hungry after the first fifteen minutes of stretching and dance.  What’s more, my energy lagged and the reduced session was difficult to complete.  My practices were reduced to mostly slower movements such as small circles, slides, sways, undulations, and walks.  Fortunately, my performance at Azar's Restaurant was not affected by my body's sudden change.

Other signs of pregnancy abound.  Large hip circles made me dizzy.  I overheated easily and needed three times the amount of water to drink while dancing.  Also, my calves and feet cramped often.  I assumed I needed to stretch more and included a few extra bananas in my diet.  Additionally, my timing was off.  (Timing was a problem in a previous pregnancy.)  No matter how well I knew the music, my body struggled to maintain the same beat as that of the music.  Even the choreographed dances were somewhat frustrating.  Noting of the signs, I took a pregnancy test.  The results were negative.

In May, the number of symptoms increased.  Frequently, I fell asleep at 7:00 p.m.  Also, my head pounded often.  Previously, as long as I stayed clear of junk foods, I rarely suffered headaches.  Now, the headaches hit me hard and lasted all day.  Finally, nausea set in.  Its presence was the last straw and I took another pregnancy test.  This time, the results were positive.  I was relieved to have an explanation of why dance had become so challenging.

The dancing grew easier later that month.  Since the timing problem vanished, my body flowed with the music once again.  Also, I was able to increase the dance session to 1 hour.  To lessen the effects of hunger and nausea, I ate more often and sipped chamomile tea.  Dizzy spells, however, grew problematic and practicing spins did me in.  Four times around and I was faint for the next hour.

In June, new dance clothes were required.  One of the best finds was a maternity 2-pc swimsuit.  Maternity leotards were difficult to locate and this suit was the perfect substitute.  Moreover, the camisole top allowed my mid-drift to breathe, so I was less apt to overheat.  The other larger garments included circle skirts, sarongs, scarves, and maternity tank tops and leggings.  For the next trimester, I plan on constructing an adjustable beledi dress.

Surprisingly, the basic shimmy became harder to perform while the freeze shimmies happened to be easier.  Also, certain lock movements became foreign to my body.  Although it was embarrassing to suddenly lose the ability, with a little extra time spent on the movements, I was able to redevelop the skill.

In July, my energy was restored.  Moreover, the nausea completely vanished.  It felt great to be "normal" again.  I even performed spins without any dizziness.  Contending with the heat, well, that was the next challenge.  During the last ten minutes of a dance session at the studio, I grew a bit incoherent or rather, a bit disconnected from my body.  I struggled for control over my body's moves and was relieved when the session was complete.  I was thirsty, hot, and felt faint.  I grabbed a drink of water and headed home.  The drive home was more like a drive through a tunnel.  I could see my surroundings, but they were more like a scene in a movie than a part of my reality.  Luckily, my house was close to the studio.  Once home, I went for more water and a snack.  As I stood in the kitchen preparing the snack, my cheeks grew numb and the stars poured in.  I had to sit down quick or I would land hard on the floor.  This was an event that I vowed to not repeat.  During the next class, I carefully watched for signs of overheating and drank water often.  The extra caution paid off, for my next practices were much more enjoyable and productive.

In August, the overheating lessened.  To be safe, though, I continued to drink plenty of fluids.  The hips began to shift, so the next challenge was providing extra care to my hips and lower back.  I had no idea how wonderful the undulations can help during this time, until I suffered a day of pain in the lumbar region.  Determined to beat the pain, I warmed up for belly dance.  I did some of the usual traditional and belly dance stretches, then softly undulated my pelvic/lower back area.  The spine where the pain originated popped and I was suddenly freed from that agony.  In addition to the undulations, the Maya sway has proven to help keep my hips and lower back loose.  The doctor has been supportive of the dance, but also prescribed the yoga cat stretch as part of my routine.

Through the next few months, there wasn't much of a change.  Sure, I still had bouts of overheating, but dancing had become much easier.  The only challenges came with the locks and shimmies.  Too much at once and the Braxton Hicks contractions stopped me in my tracks.

Overall, Belly Dancing has been quite helpful with this pregnancy.  Although there have been some challenges, there have been many more blessings.  I have always followed a strict exercise regime.  However, with Belly Dance as my main exercise, I never endured the extreme carpal tunnel and hip pain as experienced in previous pregnancies.  Moreover, weightgain from pregnancy was easily shed.  By the time my son three months, I had dropped forty pounds!

Others' Articles on Pregnancy & Belly Dancing:
The Belly Dancer's Guide to Pregnancy by Jamila
Belly Dancing and Childbirth by Morocco
Belly Dancing and Pregnancy by Lorelle
Belly Dancing through Pregnancy by Isiris
Giving to Light:  Dancing the Baby into the World by Morocco
Pregnancy and Dance by Raqs Kashmir

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