The term “Belly Dance” originated with Napoleon’s soldiers who were most likely the first Europeans to see the dance ritual. They labeled it “Danse du Ventre”, which is French for “Dance of the Stomach”.  Sacred dancing featured the abdomen, the source of the Goddesses’ fertility.  It is believed that belly dance was used to help pregnant women through the birth process. The mother-to-be was surrounded by concentric circles of women who danced with repeated abdominal movements while the woman gave birth. Sometimes the mother-to-be would dance with them as the movements relaxed her muscles and increased the flexibility of her hips and eased labor pains.

Belly Dancing reduces stress, increases energy and flexibility and improves strength, posture, muscle tone and coordination. It has been said that it heals and balances the body, mind and spirit all at once. Belly dancing can also burn as many calories as power-walking or riding a bike.  It’s a great way be creative and expressive.

This video provides advice on exercise and fitness. Amon Maternity encourages you to consult your physician prior to engaging in any of the activities or exercises presented on this website.

Myryka Nunya won the 2006 Bellydancer of the Universe People’s Choice & Congeniality Awards. She began her career as a showgirl at the age of 18 at Bally’s Jubilee, and quickly went on to work in shows at The Flamingo, Stratasphere, & Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas.  Myryka teaches pre-natal belly dance classes in Scottsdale, AZ.  More information can be found on her website www.myryka.com.

The Inner Gate point can alleviate nausea during labor or also helps when you experience morning sickness during the pregnancy.

The point is located on the inside of the wrist, three finger widths below the wrist line on the hollow between the two bones of the forearm. Take your thumb and index or middle finger and press firmly on the points on both sides of the wrist when you feel nauseous.

You can also purchase or make your own wristband that applies pressure to the correct spot. They usually have a knob or flat button positioned over the acupressure point. You might feel relief as soon as you put it on, but after your body grows accustomed to the pressure, you’ll need to press down on the acupressure point for extra relief.

Greta Sprenkeling of AZ BirthConnection, LLC is a certified doula, prenatal massage therapist and pregnancy yoga instructor. Since 1995 she has supported over 300 families to have a healthy pregnancy, better birth and easy recovery. Learn more about Greta by visiting her website www.superdoula.com.

Knowing that, it makes sense to understand that water is required for circulation and the all important elimination of wastes from the body. Drinking enough water makes a huge impact on sluggish circulation and bowels with almost immediate effects, especially during pregnancy. Dehydration causes stress on the body, so sip water daily trying to get two liters every day. Recommended book: Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Fereydoon Batmanghelidj.

Heidi Golden’s career began in 1994 and she prides herself in giving attention to each client’s individual needs, working with them to provide the most beneficial massage & home protocol recommendations at each visit. Heidi is currently working with Macrotherapy of Scottsdale, under which she is working with microcurrent therapy for post surgical massage & adhesions. Heidi’s hobbies include essential oils, mineral & crystal collecting & designing. She incorporates her hobbies into her massage practice.

Whether your pregnant or not, take a peek and don’t be afraid to cat/cow. Instant back relief DELIVERED.

Watch

ALLEVIATING BACK PAIN WITH PRENATAL YOGA. The Prenatal Yoga is the first yoga center in New York City to focus on moms and moms-to-be. Over the past 7 years, over 6,000 women have come through their door to take classes and workshops. For more information or to contact The Prenatal Yoga Center please visit http://www.prenatalyogacenter.com.

Nutrition is of the utmost importance during pregnancy. You have to remember that your body is creating another human being and foods are the building blocks for that creation.

Eating smaller more frequent meals throughout the day is best. Those meals should be balanced meaning each meal should contain healthy organic sources of protein, vegetables, salads, fruit, unprocessed whole grains and healthy fats.

Some examples are:

Protein -- organic chicken, turkey, deep sea fish (not farm raised), lean red meat (preferably grass fed) and eggs

Vegetables -- organic lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, cucumber, onion, carrot, celery, beets, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, bok choy, brussel sprouts, cabbage, leeks, garlic, chives, kohlrabies, radishes

Salads (Lettuces & Greens) -- arugula, beet greens, collard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, kale, mustard greens, radicchio, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine, spinach, swiss chard and watercress

Fruit -- organic blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, grapes, watermelon, oranges, grapefruit, apples, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, guavas, honeydew melon, kiwis, kumquats, lemons, limes, loganberries, mangos, mulberries, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, raspberries, rhubarb, tangerines and tomatoes

Unprocessed Grains/Legumes -- wild rice, brown rice, lentils, chick peas, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, quinoa, sprouted breads

Healthy Fats -- olives, olive oil, avocados, coconuts, coconut oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil and raw nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts (peanuts tend to be very toxic -- so it’s best to avoid)

Despite the overwhelming and contradictory information out there about nutrition, eating well can be very simple. Eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. Ask yourself if I living in the forest 200 years ago what would I eat?  The answers to that question are the foods you should be eating on a daily basis.

Please notice I do not have a dairy section on this list. Many people believe that the only way they can obtain enough calcium is by consuming large amounts of dairy products and that is just not the case. Dairy products are pasteurized and pasteurization destroys many of the valuable nutrients found in raw milk like iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, lactose and interestingly enough Calcium -- the main reason many drink milk in the first place. Pasteurization also destroys the useful lacti acid bacilli. Hence, the milk cannot sour, quickly decomposes and harmful germs multiply. For these reasons, I am a proponent of raw milk (if your body can tolerate it) even during pregnancy and for infant feeding. While controversial, it should be an area that you look into and research for yourself. The following are some excellent resources -- www.mercola.com, www.realmilk.com. Calcium can also be obtained by eating dark green leafy veggies like kale, spinach, broccoli, oranges, peas, black beans, baked beans, salmon, sardines, sesame seeds, blackstrap molasses, almonds and oat straw tea.

Dr. Mancuso has been combining her love of chiropractic and nutrition and helping patients create health from the inside out, without the use of drugs or surgery for the past 10 years. In 2002, Dr. Mancuso opened the Infinite Potential Center for Healing in Scottsdale, AZ.  Over the years, she has observed the effects of poor nutrition on the structure and function of the body and has centered her practice around empowering people to take charge of their own health through superb nutrition and lifestyle changes. For more information or to contact Dr. Mancuso please visit http://infinitepotentialcenter.com.