Clitoral stimulation during labour

[chrispt]

Hi all

I'm a Dad to be (7th Oct)and have been researching all sorts of subjects with regards to natural pain relief for my wife. In my searches (from the run of the mill to the bizarre) i found one which, although not popular in all circles, intrigued me and inspired me to ask for thoughts.

Who has used clitoral stimulation during labour? Not necessarily to orgasm but as a distraction. Did it help? Anything that flagged up as better than other methods?

This will be our first child so we are planning on going to hospital.

I would assume the increase in oxytocin would help along with massage and breathing.

Any feedback would be gratefully received.

Many thanks
Chris

another no from me. G&A x 2 cannisters YES. A bit of a fiddle NO NO NO. Jesus I would have twated DH would he have tried any of that lark.

BTW Chris you need to know that birth is incredibly painful and although you mean to help, the best thing you can do is be passive and just be there. Be a person to lean on and have you hand etc squeezed into oblivion. Tis the only way. Don't offer 'help', it won't be gratefully received!

I am laughing a bit at the idea that the women who are adamntly opposed to the idea are so because of cultural conditioning, especially the ones who have been through childbirth before. Really, I happily threatened to saw DH in half longways when he touched my fucking knees and that was only during active labour, not even delivery!

Really, not everyone responds to that much pain in the same way, and there's NO way to tell how your wife will respond until she is actually IN it.

I suggest an informal study to find out if it's cultural barriers. Got out and kick 20 men really, really hard in the stones and then ask if they want you to rub it to alleviate the pain. I suspect the amount of positive responses you would get corresponds pretty well to the number of women who would find it helpful during labour

I found that having my dh don a gimp mask and smacking my bottom really hard, and I mean REALLY hard made me forget that I was in labour at all. It was a beautiful experience.

FWIW, the gas and air made me feel nauseous. Not for everyone. Which just shows you.

What a great thread!

Would only add to the OP that if you and your DW want to try it out good for you, but don't rely on it and put it in the birth plan, lest you get stuck in traffic and her mum has to be birth partner instead.

Like I said, I tried it and it did help up to a certain point. Sure everyone's different, but I don't like the tone to this thread that it's a ridiculous suggestion. The op was asking to hear from people who used it and found it helpful, not those who found it ridiculous and weren't interested in entertaining any other scenario.

I know people who've laboured and delivered in a couple if hours without any pain relief and others who needed an epidural and caesarian, and they are both brilliant women with a legitiment experience of birth. Some people make the mistake that their own birth experience makes them an expert in childbirth. Keep an open mind ladies!

I found stimulation helped in the beginning of labour, before it was felt neccessarry to hook me up to the drip and speed up labour (as I'd already been in labour over 40 hours since waters had gone and baby and I had temperatures) . After the drip the pain and the gas completely floored me and I couldn't register any massage, clitoral or otherwise, all I could do was concentrate on the pain. But before that music, massage, clitoral and nipple stimulation and keeping upright was really effective.

Just my experience, your wife will be different but noone can predict how. I think it's lovely that you are researching as many different types of pain relief as you can to help. But keep them as ideas rather than as a magic bullet. Don't be dissapointed if your wife's labour goes differently to how you'd both hoped. It's something you can be positive about and can research, but ultimately can't control. We're very lucky in our society that we have so much access to knowledge and to medical help. Best you can do is be fully informed and able to support and if necessary advocate for your wife in choosing the most appropriate experience for her.

I want to finish reading this thread, but I am laughing so hard I don't want to risk going into labour.

It would likely have the opposite effect from that originally intended. There are instances of women having multiple orgasms during delivery but this is due to a natural build-up of oxytocin and not from any 'man-ual' interference. Save the stimulation for conception.

I'll admit to doing this in early labour.

We were still at home and I had my TENS machine hooked up already. DH stood behind me and very gently stimulated my nipples and clitoris. And yes, it made a HUGE difference!! It was very gentle, and the point was not to bring me to orgasm. But I went from the onset of labour to fully dilated and ready to push in 5 hours. I've been told this is fast for a first baby.

Once we went to hospital though, I was no longer happy for DH to do this. Labour became too insense and I simply didn't want to be touched. I would say, if it's something you and your wife are both up for, then try it. But know that she probably won't want it once labour really gets going!

My osteopath who is very much into natural birthing methods did tell me clitoral pressure is the best pain relief in labour - he said it is a matter of applying pressure rather than stimulating it and suggested it wasn't anything sexual at all. Apparently there is lots of research to show it is efficient.

But having given birth twice and about to do it again soon, I agree with all the other women who have commented, I would not want anyone coming near my clitoris in labour!

Good luck!

Yes, it does work and well as massage of the vagina. If correctly executed it can certainly help with pain relief. Oh no, what a taboo! Run away!

Of course, unless your arms are broken, you'd do this yourself or a birth partner can assist.

You've had sex. There's nothing to be scared of. Get over it.

OP is one year old

TheRealDeal, what the heck are you doing, trying to resurrect as many old threads as possible in one night? This one is a year old, the male midwife one is three years old!

I think that we should ignore these old posts-the OP got the answers long since and is probably not around to read them.

Absolutely would have given you a black eye. Speaking as someone who had practiced hypnobirthing and contractions came on extremely intensely. I would not go there.

This is the hardest I have laughed in years! I've never been in labor, but I don't reckon I'd fancy having DH "flicking the bean" in front of the midwives and doctors. Eeeeew. Shudder.

I realize this is an old question, but I'm going to respond anyway...just in case it helps someone in the future!

During a very painful birthing process (hah! When are they not painful?), the baby was 9 lbs., 1 oz with a large head that got stuck. The doctor ended up using forceps to pry the baby out. Before that happened, I was in excruciating pain and the doctor took his thumb and pressed my clit...subsequently, a wave of relief washed over me. Although it was fleeting moment, the doc got back to work w/ forceps...23 years later, I remember how good it felt to be relieved of the pain for a few moments. Not sure what would have occurred if the pressure was kept on it the whole time, but let me tell you, those few seconds stand out in my mind. I've had 3 kids -- that's the only time a doctor ever did that to me.

I've always wondered about this topic, which lead me to this thread! Press the button I say!!!

Righti-ho dear

Op. You're doing that man thing where you want to help.

My husband does this too - his natural response to any problem is to suggest solutions. But some of the time you don't want a solution, you just need someone to sympathise/hand hold/listen. In such a situation, being presented with a helpful list of options is incredibly annoting

It's lovely you want to help your wife. The very best thing you can do for her during labour is just be there She may not want you to go near her, or she may want you to rub her back for twenty hours of agony. You won't really know until you get there, so just take it as it comes and support her as needed. That's all you can do pre birth. Post birth, pull your weight at home and you will be considered a god amongst men. It's not the big 'this fixes everything' gestures that make a happy marriage, it's the constant small mundane acts of consideration.

P.s. There are no randomised controlled trials showing clitoral stimulation is effective. Evidence based medicine is what we use, not speculation or anecdote. I can't see this one getting past an ethics committee without some serious eye rolling and difficulties recruiting patient populations.

Good luck with the birth! And if you do end up bean flicking, do wash your hands. Hand hygiene is so important.

Zombie beans.

A couple of points in childbirth/obstetrics very few evidence based interventions are ever RCT evidence. Mostly anecdote then experience then looking back to see the outcomes. The drip, episiotomy etc all not RCT evidence based.

Sooooo a pain relief method without any drawbacks which from this thread three people have used and said worked to some extent doesn't seem that crazy at all.

Next your baby comes out of your vagina between your clitoris and your anus. So washing your hands after doesn't seem to be as important as some people would seem to think. Childbirth ain't sterile.

This thread is from 2010.

Still relevant!

Reminded me need to ask my OH for my upcoming birth.