Doctor helps women through labor by dancing with them in hilarious videos – and research shows it DOES help
Childbirth may be one of the most excruciating experiences a person can endure.
But this Brazilian doctor has devised a method – supported by science – to ease the pain: dance routines.
Dr Fernando Guedes da Cunha, known as ‘the dancing doctor’, posts videos on Instagram of himself busting moves with heavily pregnant women to hit songs like Despacito.
His latest video, posted on December 15, shows a woman, who developed diabetes while she was pregnant, dancing with the obstetrician while awaiting the arrival of her baby.
Dr Cunha isn’t just dancing for fun, research has shown movement during labor makes giving birth easier.
‘Dance, walk, activities with a ball of physiotherapy and squats, are part of the patient’s verticalization, which greatly favors labor. We are increasingly trying to implement human measures to improve assistance to pregnant women,’ Dr Cunha said.
Dr Cunha made headlines last summer when he posted a video of himself dancing to ‘Despacito’ with a patient at his hospital Unimed Vitoria.
Many of his dance routines include squats, hip movements and shimmies.
The hospital, which posted the video on their Facebook page, said busting a move while in labor ‘contributes to relaxation and facilitates the birth of the baby.’
Labor, on average, lasts about eight hours, according to experts at Baby Center, but many studies have shown that dancing, a form of exercise, can result in a shorter and less painful labor.
A 1998 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found women who walked or moved around during had shorter labors.