Parents-to-be danced away some of the pains of labor in a hallway of a Philadelphia hospital.
Suzette Fonseca and Yovanys Domínguez danced Bachata while awaiting the birth of their baby girl on Jan. 2 at Pennsylvania Hospital. In the background played a song from Latin star Prince Royce.
The couple’s doula Nyra Zaracho suggested using the dance would help the mother to be to cope with contractions by keeping her in motion.
“In a society where pregnant women are bombarded with fear mongering, we need more positive images like these to encourage them to get moving during labor since it is proven to be beneficial to both the mother and the baby. Of course, every woman, every labor, and every birth is different so it may not apply to all women”, Zaracho told NBC10’s sister station Telemundo 62.
A doula – the word comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" – provides emotional and physical support to the mother as well as information about the processes, during and after childbirth.
Zaracho explained that “pregnant women and their partners can receive support, information and resources by a birth doula to help them learn more about pregnancy, what to expect at labor, physical comfort measures and much more that can help them gain confidence and minimize fear.”
The dance worked and a midwife delivered a beautiful baby girl hours later.
