By Hannah Dahlen
Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Discipline Lead of Midwifery, Western Sydney University
Walking, swimming… Physical activity during pregnancy is highly recommended. Dance is among the exercises that can be advised to pregnant women. But can it also help induce labor when it’s late? Here’s what science says.
This week, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made headlines after releasing a podcast reflecting on her now-viral “baby mama dance” video. Filmed four years ago as she was about to give birth to her daughter Lilibet, the short clip was only recently published. In it, she appears heavily pregnant, dancing and twerking in her hospital room to induce labor. Her husband, Prince Harry, joins her in this impromptu dance.
On Instagram, she wrote under the video post:
“Both our babies were born a week late […] so when spicy food, long walks, and acupuncture didn’t work, there was only one thing left to try!”
This type of video seems to be part of a growing trend: on social media, other celebrities have also recently shared clips of themselves dancing in late pregnancy. But is Meghan right? Can dancing really induce labor?
Dancing during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, physical activity is strongly encouraged: studies have shown that exercising regularly throughout pregnancy provides many benefits. While high-intensity activities require adjustments, the risks are minimal for healthy pregnant women.
Staying active helps reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, and instrumental birth (forceps or vacuum). It also lowers the likelihood of perinatal mental health issues and supports faster postpartum recovery.
Although pregnant women often favor brisk walking, swimming, or group fitness classes, dancing is also a good option. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists even lists it as a safe and beneficial form of exercise during pregnancy.
Dance movements, especially twerking, engage the hips and pelvis. Although scientific evidence is limited, these movements may help with fetal positioning and strengthen the pelvic floor. You’re free to choose the dance style that suits you—even belly dancing: in a phenomenological study, two pregnant women described the experience of oriental dance as joyful and empowering, contributing to their well-being.
You can dance at any stage of pregnancy, adapting your movements as your belly grows. However, if there are risk factors (such as bleeding), it’s important to consult a healthcare provider before engaging in any physical activity.
Music itself plays an important role in mental well-being, pain management, and the reduction of blood pressure and heart rate. So, combining physical activity and music through dance may amplify positive effects.
To induce labor—or during labor?
Meghan is not the first woman to claim she danced to induce labor, but such stories remain anecdotal. To date, no scientific data proves that dancing can trigger labor. However, the effects of dance during labor are slightly more documented.
Many women prefer non-medicated methods for coping with labor and pain. Dancing—especially in early labor—may help reduce perceived pain, increase a sense of control, and improve satisfaction. One study involving 60 women randomly assigned to two groups (with and without dance during labor) found that those who danced reported less pain and higher satisfaction. Again, music seems to contribute to pain reduction in early labor. Soft music and rhythmic movement could therefore be beneficial.
Dancing at your own pace during labor may also help. According to some studies, upright positions, movement, and changes in posture can facilitate labor and reduce its duration. Such movements may also increase the baby’s pressure on the cervix, stimulating the production of prostaglandins, hormones essential to labor progression.
Lastly, it’s suggested that dancing may help the baby adopt a more favorable position for birth—but again, reliable scientific data is lacking.
So, did Meghan really induce labor by dancing?
We can’t say for sure: Meghan was already in the hospital when the video was filmed; she may have undergone a medical induction. Labor can be induced by administering hormones, inserting a cervical balloon using a catheter to help the cervix open, or breaking the water manually. It’s also possible that her labor started spontaneously, unrelated to the dance, after a few more days of waiting.
Maybe Meghan just had a good intuition—but before dance can be recommended as a reliable method for inducing or assisting labor, more research is needed. That said, the video clearly shows joy on her face, her connection with Prince Harry, and the love they share. All of these elements may boost oxytocin, a hormone that plays a key role in labor contractions.
So even though there’s no scientific evidence—yet—that dancing can induce labor, it’s a low-risk activity that can enhance the emotional experience around birth. If you feel the urge… go for it!
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.