Women Dancing Through Pregnancy
By STEPHANIE HOEY
Updated 2:39 PM EDT, Fri, Jan 23, 2009
Pregnancy is a time when women lose control of their bodies: waistbands expand and aches and pains pop up in all sorts of new places. However, women are beginning to regain some sense of physical control while with child.
Yale-New Haven Hospital offers a class that has women dancing through their pregnancy.
Christa Cordova of Hamden is about to be a mom for the first time. "I can't wait. I can't wait," she said.
To prepare for delivery day she's spent months coming to the dancing through pregnancy class.
"It's saved me throughout my pregnancy. The days I don’t go I definitely feel the difference. That's when I start having lower back pain some of the join pain the swelling that is pretty common in pregnancy," Cordova said.
"It's very safe because we are very much aware of their bodies as they change," assures Instructor Monique Nemarich.
Nemarich has taught the class for years. It begins with gentle stretching and breathing. Many of the exercises are geared towards childbirth. "Breathing is very essential to a very good birth experience, you kind of breath through the pain and you breath to relax," Nemarich said.
From there, the one-hour class picks up the pace. "We do step dancing routines, they're great they look like Broadway stars it's really that type of old aerobics it's not a lot of jumping up and down," Nemarich said.
"I don’t find that I'm huffing and puffing even as much as I was before I was pregnant," Cordova said.
It's given these soon-to-be moms some control over their bodies and the pregnancy process.
It will also offer them endurance when its most needed.
"It's definitely worked for me," said Cordova, who is at five weeks and counting before her due date.
To learn more: www.dancingthrupregnancy.com; www.ynhh.org/well
First Published: Jan 21, 2009 4:34 PM EDT
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