jason do your super kegels!

Last night we had our first childbirth class with birthing rock star Penny Simkin. Class is held at her super cute house in Capitol Hill.

We learned so much in just the first class. The format is really casual. The pregnant women and their partners all sit in a big circle with Penny at one end. This week she covered:

- How a baby maneuvers it's way thru the pelvic bone and out. It was much more complicated than I thought but it made a lot of sense once she explained it all. I didn't realize that the baby has work to do too just to make his or her way out. It's not all on the mom.

- Super kegels! I didn't know that men can also do super kegels. Apparently it's good for keeping your prostate from getting enlarged. Who knew?

- Cat/cow aka pelvic rocks help with childbirth. She had is practice on all fours so we got the hang of it. I had been doing this for a while because the pose helps ease stress in the lower back. I did not know that it was beneficial for childbirth as well.

- We watched a birth video and oh what a video. This woman featured in the video is now my personal hero. Seriously. She did not scream or cry out at all during all the phases of labor and childbirth. She seemed calm and centered. Her breathing was rhythmic and deliberate. Though she did look tired and in pain it seemed like she just gave her self over to the process instead of trying to control it. She didn't even push! I was intimated and impressed all at the same time. I realized that labor isn't about powering thru or brute force. It's about letting go and embracing what is happening to your body. I am really going to try and work on the relaxation techniques that Penny went over to see if I can emulate what that amazing woman in the video did.