Orgasmic birth and delivery: What you must know about its benefits and risks

As your due date nears, your anxiety levels might also rise. While you are probably excited to meet your little one, you may have heard nightmarish stories about the pain and difficulty of childbirth.

Perhaps you've even visualised yourself in the delivery room screaming your lungs out and crying, while you squeeze your partner's hand.

But what if giving birth didn't have to be so painful? What if you make it pleasurable? Sounds strange? Well, it is possible.

Women experience labour differently and according to studies, a handful of women experience climax while delivering. For instance, a new survey, available in the journal Sexologies, reported that midwives witnessed orgasms in about 0.3 per cent of births.

And It turns out that there's a movement trying to help women experience this kind of orgasmic birth.

What is orgasmic birth?

Orgasmic birth occurs when women experience orgasm during childbirth. This orgasm can occur spontaneously or can also be a result of masturbation or even intercourse.

Birth doula Debra Pascali Bonaro, who directed a documentary on the subject in 2009, has been advocating the concept of pleasurable birth.

Can you actually have an orgasm during labour and birth?

While the answer is yes, but the evidence is largely anecdotal. There isn't much scientific research on it.

According to the study stated above, while orgasm can occur in about 0.3 per cent of vaginal births, advocates say that the numbers could be a little higher. This is because the subject is still taboo and people don't discuss it often.

So how is an orgasm possible during childbirth? One way is that the baby moves through the same parts of our body that are involved in sexual pleasure.

There is another theory is that during childbirth and lactation, a number of hormones are released, including oxytocin. This hormone helps to make you feel good during an orgasm.

Are you fit for an orgasmic birth?

Orgasmic birth may not be possible for everyone because every person's anatomy is different, so how they orgasm also varies. Some women rely more on clitoral stimulation to experience an orgasm, while some experience uterine ones.

A clitoral orgasm might not work as well during the throes of labour and it may not help pain. It's said that women who experience orgasm during labour are actually experiencing a vaginal orgasm.

In order for this to happen, the baby would have to hit your G-spot as you deliver.

Your pain threshold could also impact how you feel during childbirth, which might determine whether an orgasm is possible.

Experts say that your views on sexuality also play a role. Women who are less open about their sexuality or feel ashamed about it may be less likely to feel pleasure because they might find the idea of pleasure inappropriate psychologically.

Makes your labour comfortable

The likelihood of you having an orgasmic birth in the hospital is quite low. The reason is that you're less likely to have privacy during hospital birth.

This is also why advocates of orgasmic birth encourage people not to plan for one. However, you can plan ways to make the labour more comfortable and enjoyable. For instance, you can ask for a private room or opt for a water birth.

You can use dim lighting and relaxing scents to help calm you down and counteract your anxiety and fears about the pain to come.

You can also try to soothe your mind by listening to music, using acupuncture, a birthing ball or a warm shower.

A birthgasm and its benefits 

There is research that shows that orgasm can increase your pain tolerance. This means that orgasm can help to lessen pain during childbirth.

There are studies that show that oxytocin, the hormone that peaks during orgasm and childbirth, is a pain reliever and it increases pain tolerance as well.

So if you experience orgasms during the earlier stages of labour, it could act as a natural pain reliever and may also decrease the need for pain medicines during childbirth.

If you are trying for orgasmic birth or even opt for a pleasurable birth experience, it might make you feel more empowered during childbirth.

There is research that suggests that orgasmic birth can lessen your chances of a traumatic birth experience.

The risks of orgasmic birth 

If you focus only an orgasmic birth, it can add some pressure and stress on you if it doesn't work. It can also make you feel like you have failed when you don't have one and also turn down alternate forms of pain management.

The biggest risk is that you may not feel comfortable attempting it in the hospital and may opt for a home birth. But a home birth is usually recommended only if you have a low-risk pregnancy.

Home births are also not recommended for women who have had a prior C-section, have certain health conditions and are pregnant with multiples.

Therefore, it is always better to talk to your doctor to see if it would be safe for you to opt for an orgasmic birth.

ALSO READ: Why this expecting mum wants to keep her mother-in-law out of her labour plan

This article was first published in theAsianparent.