Like parenting, a pregnancy is a very personal thing.
Every expectant mother has a long list of important decisions to make. Will they stay home during the pregnancy? Will they continue to work, like this newscaster who was carrying twins?
While I've seen soon-to-be moms make nearly every kind of personal choice, I was never quite so shocked as when I saw what this mother decided to do during her pregnancy.
Sara Joel was a 45-year-old mother of three, raising her children with her loving husband Ashesh, when she found out she was pregnant for the fourth time. With her little baby Zachary on the way, she made the same decision she had made with her previous children: to continue her love of performing while pregnant.
Now, a pregnant actress or pregnant singer might not seem all that shocking — but my jaw absolutely hit the floor when I saw that Sara was not only actively dancing while pregnant, but she was performing acrobatics, contortionist tricks, and pole dancing!
Scroll through for Sara's incredible story. If you are like me, you've certainly never heard anything like it.
h/t Daily Mail
Sara Joel is a former Cirque du Soleil performer who continued to pursue her passion for dancing through each of her first three pregnancies. And while pregnant for the fourth time, Sara once again remained onstage in the spotlight.
Quite surprisingly, one of Sara's main passions has always been pole dancing. And while most of us associate pole dancing with gentlemen's clubs, the art has grown to be a modest, beautiful, and impressive feat of strength and agility.
Sara has traveled around the country, performing her exquisite routine while pregnant. She told the Daily Mail, "I love performing while pregnant."
She said, "It's such an amazing feeling to be completely free while another life grows inside you. I really think it helps to bring you closer to your child."
While many would argue that expectant mothers should take it easy during a pregnancy, Sara and her brain surgeon husband say that they are certain to never put their unborn child in harm's way. She told the Daily Mail, "I think women are a lot more worried than they should be about this kind of thing."
She continued, "It's perfectly safe to perform while pregnant, and I of course take the relevant precautions to make sure I'm not putting my unborn child in danger."
In addition to her pole dancing, Sara also performs aerial dancing in a hammock, but she said that as a dancer she makes sure every moment is choreographed to avoid any risk to herself or her child.
"I'm never more than five feet above the ground, so my babies have never been at risk."
The immediate reaction to seeing Sara's photos might be to ask, "Why?" Sara said, "I'm a born performer and I am just trying to involve my babies in my passion. To me, this is no different than going for a walk or doing pregnancy aquatics."
Some might find this approach to pregnancy shocking, but Sara said that she hasn't experienced any negativity from her choices. She said, "If anything, people have been really encouraging."
For more of Sara's story, more incredible photos, and to see video of this pregnant mother in all of her dancing glory, go to the NEXT page.
In addition, Sara has actually been able to inspire others with her devotion to dance and her unique approach to fitness. She stayed quite thin through all of her pregnancies. "All of this exercise really has helped me to stay in shape."
She even told the Daily Mail that for some who have seen her dancing, "I have inspired them to get up and actually start working out."
Sara has since given birth to Zachary, and she said that her pregnant dancing days are now over. She said, "Four children are quite enough for my husband and me."
Sara is quite happy splitting time between her two passions: being a mother and being a performer. She said, "I'd love to think that I have inspired other women to enjoy being pregnant – it's something that I'm really passionate about and it has brought a lot of joy to my life."
Sara Joel's unique approach to pregnancy may be shocking, but it is an extremely personal decision that she hopes will inspire new mothers around the world. Watch this video to see Sara in action!
What do you think of Sara's choice to dance while pregnant? Let us know in the comments.
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