Does Meghan Markle's Dancing Really Help Induce Labour?
To celebrate daughter Lilbet’s fourth birthday, Meghan Markle has shared a clip of her and Prince Harry dancing.
The footage, shared by Meghan in a series of social media posts, showed the Duchess attempting to induce labour, she said on Instagram.
“Four years ago today, this also happened,” the video’s caption reads.
“Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work – there was only one thing left to do!”
Here’s what a midwife says about whether there’s science behind the viral move.
Yep, Meghan’s dancing probably did help – but not just with induction
Lesley Bland, Consultant Midwife at My Expert Midwife, explained that the moves the Duchess of Sussex pulled over Starrkeisha’s Baby Mama may well have helped to induce labour and could also have eased her baby’s birth.
“Exercise, including but not limited to walking, yoga, pilates, and dancing, is encouraged during pregnancy and has great benefits during labour,” Bland said.
“Evidence has demonstrated that adopting an upright and mobile position can help the baby’s head descend into the pelvis and can help open the pelvis, making more room for that descent.”
If you’re going to try the method yourself, she advised, “try a little boogie, a shimmy, or a wiggle to encourage that baby’s head to descend through the pelvis.”
This puts pressure on the cervix, potentially encouraging contractions.
While there’s “no guarantee that your lambada or salsa will induce labour” directly, she added, “you might have fun doing it, which will release that incredible hormone of love, oxytocin, which in itself is associated with labour.”
A 2020 review of studies about dancing during labour found that low-impact dancing increases women’s satisfaction with their birth experience and seems to make labour faster and less painful.
It’s not the only smart move from Meghan
Bland also shared that Meghan’s deep squats may also have helped bring Lilibet into the world a little more easily.“A squatting position is actually one of the optimal labour and birth positions as it really opens up the pelvis and supports women to push effectively and efficiently,” she said.
“Sometimes women may need support from a partner to hold a squat for any period of time but... yes, a well-trained body can squat that low during labour!”
Seems Meghan was onto something with her pre-birth boogie...