Medically reviewed by Mia Armstrong, MD — Written by Simone M. Scully on September 29, 2021
“By the time you got pregnant, chances are you saw plenty of people on TV and in movies having painful, difficult births, complete with lots of screaming and crying (and maybe a spouse’s hand being squished, too).
But what if birth didn’t have to be anything like that? What if it could be pleasurable? It turns out that there’s a movement trying to help more people experience this type of orgasmic birth.
Also known as an ecstatic birth, orgasmic birth is essentially the idea that some people may be able to experience an orgasm (or several) during childbirth. This orgasm could occur spontaneously or as a result of masturbation or even intercourse.
The idea of a pleasurable birth is something that birth doula Debra Pascali-Bonaro — who directed a documentary on the subject in 2009 — has been advocating for for a long time. In fact, on her website, she calls it “every woman’s human right.”
Our definition of Orgasmic Birth is much broader than orgasm. In our book Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth Experience, Elizabeth Davis and I define Orgasmic Birth as:
“Broad enough to include those who describe birth as ecstatic and specific enough to give voice to those who actually feel the contractions of orgasm and climax at the moment of delivery.
Many of our interviewees spoke of astounding pressure and sensation in the vagina as birth approached, followed by a flood of release and emotion as the baby emerged.
Whenever a woman can look back on these moments with joy, when the physical and emotional aspects of birth are fully experienced as pleasurable, we call this orgasmic birth.”
It is wonderful to see Orgasmic Birth in the main stream, read the rest of the article and share your thoughts with us on Instagram.
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