Orgasmic Labour?

[LDNmummy]

Anyone had one?

I stumbled on today and had to ask.

Am wondering if the women channelled their pain into feelings of pleasure or if women are evolving to find labour a pleasurable experience.

I have read that it is more common than most people know for some women to orgasm while breastfeeding and the theory is that it is nature's way of making it an enjoyable experience, but had never heard of this before

[LDNmummy]

Maybe I should have asked this question on the childbirth forum, how do I move it, anyone know?

[HPonEverything]

I'm currently reading "Bring it on Baby - How to have a dudelike pregnancy" by Zoe Williams (great book, by the way), and she mentions this briefly in there, but only in a scoffing "one of my friends claims..." type way.

Whatever, I definitely hope it applies to me, I'm a bit of an easy target if you get my drift.

[MoonFaceMamaaaaargh]

no but there's some info on it in ina may's guide to childbirth iirc. Or spiritual midwifery. Either way there's a picture of a first time mother giving birth and she looks like she's having the time of her life. Yes please...

[BaldricksTurnip]

Orgasmic labour??

Whatever!

Labour without pain relief is so mind bendingly painful that it's the furthest possible sensation from orgasm imaginable. Anyone who says otherwise is either:

a) On drugs

b) Has never given birth

HTH

[Oeisha]

There's some massive lunatic guy who claims to have some level of degree in flowers and freud or something medical knowledge (used to be a midwife/OBGYN maybe) that claims childbirth is an orgasmic experience for all mothers and that they're/we're all missing the point if we're not*... He was on Radio4 Woman's Hour a few months back. Needless to say they kinda treated him like the deluded nutter he is he may have missed the point a little and that not all of us find it arousing and for some it's highly traumatising.

In fairness to him, he did state that women are 'trained' to medicalise pregnancy/childbirth and that there is probably more 'intervention' (as in pain meds etc) than is 'necessery' and that nature usually does the job pretty well, but, well. I can't see me having DC1 at home because I trust nature not to screw things up royaly.

Because our vulvas, breasts etc swell during childbirth, as well as throughout pregnancy, it must mean we're sexually aroused...wnker, plus some other freudian toss stuff to do with women being happy because babies represent the penis they never had...blahblah... Also, as we produce large amounts of Oxytocin and endorphins during childbirth (same as during sex/orgasm) that of course means it's the same thing.

I have no doubts some women may feel they orgasm during childbirth, and kudos to them, just please don't tell the rest of us we're "doing it wrong" if we don't...

If anyone's interested in the work behind this, or natural/'Spiritual Births' (which seems to be the driving motive behind this theory) look at May Gaskin's book "Spiritual Births".

I apologise if anyone if offended. If it floats your boat, go for it.

[SweetGrapes]

DS1 was a great delivery (1 out of 3 dc's.) It was a hospital birth but I was totally in control and had no interventions - not even gas and air.

I was on a real high for a good 12 hours after - as though I had taken something. I can't see how it could get any better. I was in control of my mind and worked with the contractions throughout. At no point did I loose it and I was very zen (iykwim).

The pain was still horrendous and in no way orgasmic at all. The second he was out, I was fine and on cloud nine - but still no orgasms. Sorry...

The other 2 deliveries were the usual mixture of interventions, tears, stitches etc.... Nothing zen like there...

[Iggly]

Well I gave birth to DS with no drugs and certainly didn't have an orgasmic experience

I will admit that it wasn't painful as such just pretty intense and hard work until I had to actually push him out. I swore on his exit! That's the bit I'm most worried about with DC2 and will be using gas and air for that bit

[EggyAllenPoe]

well, three births here - and yes i felt great - but afterwards

after the first: i was very very happy. not orgasmic. in terms of life experiences, on par - or in some ways better. but not orgasmic.

second and third though, was just more of a 'thank pete that's over'.

[msbuggywinkle]

I had an unmedicated, painless and orgasmic birth with DD2. I didn't expect it, although I had heard about it.

DD1's birth did hurt, and I have no idea why the difference. Wonder what DC3's birth will be like!?!

[EggyAllenPoe]

but then, i'd like to bet that some people do orgasm, i know one woman who felt no pain (she just had a coughing fit, out the baby came. her first, too).

to claim that it should be orgasmic for everyone is a bit far though i can beliee it is for some.

[LDNmummy]

Oeisha I think that guy was in the video I linked or quoted somewhere else.

I did wonder how a bloke who is never even going to give birth would know?

msbuggywinkle can I ask a very personal question? Did you actually have an orgasm or did you just feel so on cloud nine that it was somehow euphoric IYSWIM?

Eggy I have heard of births like that, hoping mine will be along the same lines.

Cough, squeeze and out she pops... hopefully

[del1]

OOh, I saw a programme about this last year and laughed my head off !!

Both of my prevous pregnancies have been straight forward, with quick labours and deliveries. No pain relief, tears or stitches.

I think that makes me an ideal candidate to give this a try?

Im curently 34 weeks, so will let you all know how it goes in about 6 weeks time

My only question, is who makes you orgasm?

Does your birth partner go down on you whilst your on the bed pushing out the babies head?

Does the midwife/nhs provide a vibrator to borrow?

Or do you reckon you try to reach down and just have a good old flick of the bean? ( whilst trying not to rub the babies head)

[msbuggywinkle]

Well, I was on cloud nine, but it was the same feeling as orgasm. Pushing felt like the build up and her actually emerging felt lovely!

She was a brow presentation too and in the pictures I have the same expression on my face as the woman in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. No clitoral stimulation, was snogging DP lots though right through labour. That and giggling.

[emmanumber3]

Jesus Christ what a notion . IME labour & childbirth is a very painful process - as un-orgasmic as possible! However, I am due to give birth again in approx 3 weeks time & would love to know if "orgasmic labour" can be taught within that time! .

[froggers1]

A friend of mine reckons she had an orgasm both times she gave birth. Lucky thing...I had a 3 day labour on a drip with an emergency C section!

[anniroc]

One of the women I did a natal hypnotherapy course with, knew a friend who'd had one, don't know the details. I think it's important to try and be open minded about this kind of notion, as birth can be a so varied and different experience. My labour hurt like hell, but then again I was induced and strapped to a bed - perhaps if I'd been on no drugs in a birthing pool it would have been different?

[rubytuesday11]

I have the book. 'Orgasmic Birth', (Elizabeth Davis, and Debra Pascal Bonaro) which came after the documentary of the same name. It explains the actual science behind having an orgasmic birth, that when a woman can relax and be free of fear during birth, then her natural endorphins are released; oxytocin, which is a hormone with pain-killing properties that is over 20 times more powerful than valium, it is also the same hormone that is released after orgasm!
I agree anniroc, it's important to be open minded, I think people like Zoe Williams who scoff about things, should read and research things properly before they claim something is ridiculous. We need to share this information so people know how they can have better, non-traumatic births, rather than perpetuating the myth that there is nothing we can do about the pain of childbirth. I really recommend the book, it's made me excited about the prospect of birth!

[onepieceofcremeegg]

I had a "high" after dd2 was born, but it was a fairly straightforward labour/birth and tbh I was completely off my head on gas and air throughout. (even during delivery) - the midwife and dh had to heft me on to the bed as I was laughing drunkenly and alternately yelling out with pain and threatening them not to remove the g&a.

I was buzzing aftewards, but it was categorically not orgasmic.

[LDNmummy]

ruby that is really interesting. I am going to have to look into all this because I want to have a natural birth and have been a little more than worried about the pain involved.

[greencolorpack]

Knew someone at my schoolgate who subscribed to the idea of Orgasmic Birth, I knew from her Facebook interests. Her nickname in my diary is Orgasmic Birth Woman.

[rubytuesday11]

LDNmummy, I am planning a natural birth, but only because I found out loads of info about how birth doesn't have to be painful! I wish other women could learn all this stuff, instead of just how to 'cope' with pain. I found the orgasmic birth book really useful, as well as 'Spiritual Midwifery' by Ina May Gaskin. I read the hypnobirthing book by Marie Mongan, about how the reason women feel pain in labour is when they feel fear and tense their muscles which stalls birth, and creates the pain, because different sets of muscles are fighting against each other. Then I found hypnobabies, which is a home study course from the US and people who've done that have had really easy completely painless births. That's been really helpful in preparing me for the birth.

[BaldricksTurnip]

I'm not sure it was fear that made my labours as painful as they were. I think it was more to do with the fact that both my boys were 9lb 12oz! Actually, when I was in labour I didn't feel a moments fear, just determination to do it by myself with too much intervention/drugs. The feeling after the babies were out was sheer joy and relief. In comparison to the intensity of birth, orgasm pales into insignificance really, even if I'd had one. But having said that I do think women should have faith in their bodies and belief that they can have natural births, although orgasmic births is pushing it IME

[BaldricksTurnip]

with-without

[msbuggywinkle]

I would really say don't count of having a painless birth, as someone who has had one! How would you then deal with pain if you had only been preparing for a painless birth? I'm not expecting a painless birth with DC3, but I am going into labour knowing I can do it the way I want to and I'm not scared even if it does hurt.

I find ignoring labour for as long as possible to be a good technique. Do something else instead...with DD1 we watched Monthy Python DVDs while I boinged on the ball, with DD2 I was entertaining DD1!

[tortilla]

DS's birth was as far from orgasmic as it is possible to get - 43 hours labour, worries about the baby, bad reaction to epidural putting me in more pain, post-partum haemorrhage etc... I would have laughed if anyone had suggested you could have an orgasm after that sort of birth experience.

With DD, it was in contrast an utterly amazing experience. I somehow managed to get into a zone where I didn't attempt to control anything and just trusted my body to do what it needed to - 'matter over mind' rather than 'mind over matter' I guess. Letting go like that, and just allowing my body to feel things rather than think about things, is how it is when you orgasm. I was totally euphoric afterwards and just felt like I glowed for hours. So very similar to an orgasm I suppose, but completely different too. If that is what they mean by orgasmic birth then I do believe it happens; if they literally mean you have an orgasm in the same way you do when having sex/masturbating then no way!