Orgasm during childbirth?! Tell me this is a lie!!

[kitegirl]

A friend of mine has a very competitive MIL. This friend has just given birth to her first, a nightmare labour with every possible intervention you could imagine (she's cool about it, bless her). Her MIL won't stop going on how amazing all her births were, saying how she just 'breathed the babies out' and how all her births were such ecstatic, spiritual experiences that she actually had an orgasm during each one!

Now I know a birth can be enjoyable, but an orgasm??? I've never heard this happening. Is this a case of one-upmanship? I told my friend that there's only one place to find out and that's Mumsnet... so what do you think?

I read about this in the book "Life after birth" by Kate Figes - she quotes Sheila Kitzinger as saying that some women have begged the midwives to masturbate them during birth.

Personally I can't believe it.

Its a lie, can be enjoyable yes but orgasm! Not on your life!

haha!!! That's really got me laughing!! I dont know - I am pregnant with my first baby so I havent given birth yet but the idea of orgasming while I am in labour is pretty um... unrealistic!! haha oh well. I knew a Mum who was kind of like that... had six kids, boy/girl/boy/girl/boy/girl in that order (!) and always went on about how easy it was for her... although I don't remember her mentioning orgasm!!

oh god id love to come on here and say i did
but i didnt but itd really piss everyoen off

Perverts and liars, all.

Eh - actually I have heard about this but always thought it must be a myth!

Like your friend I have had about everything whilst giving birth to my dd's and however much I love them - giving birth wasn't particularly pleasurable!

You never know perhaps someone will post and say they did - I await with eager anticipation. (Hotmama goes to get a chair)

This has been discussed on Mumsnet before and there is a website all about it. Would it surprise any of you that most of the contributers to the site are male and most of the ones who suggest sex during childbirth are, again, men. It does annoy me that every little thing us women do has to be related to sex. After all, that's what we are here for isn't it? Sex sex and sex. Even giving birth we are supposed to be thinking about sex, breastfeeding is supposed to be sexy and again women are demeaned by arseholes going on about how they gain sexual pleasure from feeding their children. Nothing is sacred, nothing is innocent. I feel a rant coming on so I shall depart hastily!

I'm waaaaay too chicken to post under my real name .
But yes I had an orgasmic experience during my birth. Not to say it wasn't excruciatingly painful. But I found a very happy place and yes I did experience something like an orgasm.
I have friend who is a midwife/doula and says she has seen women masturbating during labour.

You're absolutely right IMO.

Oh - I stand corrected then cluck.

Oh well.

now that's just weird.

and almost as weird is a mil who talks openly about orgasms to her dil. and I have a very open minded mil.

my NCT instructor woman told us this in the antenatal classes, with sort of a coy look to the boys in the room.

last possible thing on my mind I would have to say!

I recited the Lord's Prayer aloud as DS2's head was crowning. Now that is weird.

The only thing I could thing of during childbirth was the pain

I find masturbating during labour just a little disturbing and freaky.

I had a home birth and it was not nearly as bad as a hospital one. There was a huge sense of relief and achievement when the head came out - but orgasm? I don't think so! Next we'll be getting men saying "Come on love, it can't be that painful, there are women that get off on this kind of thing you know! Now stop screaming and moaning so much - try a bit of masturbation!"

I remember a short story in which the doctor pressed the laboring woman's clitoris and she had an orgasm. Her take on it was that was all right as it was a woman doctor, but that it would have been abuse had it been a man. Weird. I know you lose a lot of dignity during labour but I could never ask anyone to stimulate my genitals!

The kind of women who orgasm during birth are those who probably practice masturbating with chainsaws

I'm sure some author said this recently ...

good god, no, where do these women get off? Or rather how the hell do they get off when in such pain?!

Well, whether it's possible or not (and have read about it in the past) what always strikes me first and foremost is that surely it's a bloody inappropriate time to be having an orgasm! I mean live and let live and all.. but for goodness sake there is a time and a place! It's like giving a blow job in church... or something...!!

"disturbing and freaky."
hmmm so glad you're keeping an opne mind about this then Rhubarb.
It is a not uncommon experience. Just because you don't share it doesn't make it freaky.
May need to parp.

I can't imagine anyone saying to a midwife 'see while you're down there, how about masturbating me'

I agree sleepyjess

It's like wanking while doing a poo

Surely you have other things to think about?

Call me a prude, but how on earth anyone can think about masturbating when giving birth to their child is completely and utterly beyond me.

If you happen to experience orgasmic type feelings, fine, but actually thinking about stimulating yourself, or getting anyone else to do it for that matter, is madness I tell you, madness. IMO .

how odd!

i agree with madmarchhare