Inspiring Pole Dancers - Pole Dancing During Pregnancy

 
Pole dancing while pregnant is a constant concern in the industry right now, as doctors know little about the sport, and information out there is often focusing on one person who may be having a different kind of pregnancy to the one you or anybody you know is having. This section of the Pole Dance Community blog seeks to interview different kinds of pole dancing women who are expecting, in order to get the information you need to you. To kick things off, I have interviewed Caroline Hardinges from Polepatations studio in Kent who wanted to share her story with all of you.

PDC Approved 3 star pole dancing instructor Caroline has been pole dancing since 2011, and now runs the pole school Polepatations in Kent. She is also pregnant. While at a very exciting time in her life, Caroline has found it difficult to find any information on pole dancing and pregnancy, due to limited knowledge of the sport. It is the first time she has been pregnant during her pole dancing career and has had to know her own body well enough to know how to adjust her own pole training as well as teaching to accommodate her larger baby bump. She has addressed the fact that when she discovered her pregnancy, she believed she would be one of few women who can carry on pole dancing until her delivery date. However, she addressed the fact a little later on that this would not be the case.

You will put on weight during pregnancy, "unless you're superwoman"

Caroline should be commended for understanding her limits and how she should continue training. A personal worry I have is that if she was not as careful and if she did not understand her own body as well as she does, she may not have understood how to adjust her training and potentially injured herself or her baby. Her doctors have known very little on the subject, while her pole dance family have been incredibly supportive and helped her in adjusting her training.

Caroline has accepted the fact that you will put on weight during pregnancy, "unless you're superwoman", as your calorie intake must be increased by some degree regardless of what body type you are. With a bigger bump, Caroline has put on 9lbs, while the baby only weighs 1lb due to the fluids and fats the body naturally wants to store. This obviously means that you are not going to be able to lift yourself as easily, so should accept when you are no longer able to perform certain moves; you will get them back later on! This will all depend on how much you are showing, of course and as long as you can still perform moves, do so but with added care - hopefully it will improve your pole flow. Caroline admits that she " truly didn’t realise even though I had studied it as part of my courses how much your body changes and it affects you", as she discovered that her sense of balance changed and everything moves around to accommodate the baby. She even discovered issues with relaxing in stretches.

Caroline's key pregnancy tips include:

1. Ensure you are eating your 5 a day

2. Maintain a healthy lifestyle as best you can

3. Eat little and often

4. Listen to your own body

5. Take advice where you can get it

6. Try not to get frustrated over losing strength and moves

7. Have faith that everything can be regained after pregnancy
   
   

To conclude, Caroline's story is just one of many and while she is dealing with her pregnancy extremely admirably while knowing little information about pole dancing while pregnant, other women in her scenario may not be able to adjust as well as she. Pole dancers who teach themselves at home will not have the supportive environment that everyone at studios has and loves, and so this information needs to get out there.

I urge every pole dancer who has been or is pregnant who feels they have something to add to this article to email the PDC Team.  It would be great if the follow-up to this article could include more and more tips and advice for anyone in similar situation, and would also be great to hear any come-back stories from having your baby and being better than before. Also email if you have any questions related to the subject and I will try and find the answers for the next article.

Sophie Eminson, PDC features writer.