Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago

Labor Orgasms Called 'Best-Kept Secret'
 

Moms, Experts Say Relaxation Is Key to Pleasurable Childbirth


By JUJU CHANG and GAIL DEUTSCH

Dec. 9, 2008

Painful. Excruciating. Unbearable. These are the words most often associated with childbirth.

But what about pleasurable? Blissful? Euphoric?

Some women even say that instead of agony, childbirth can be ecstasy.

Amber Hartnell of Hawaii said she experienced an orgasm during labor when she gave birth to her son in September 2005.

"All of a sudden the orgasm just started rolling through and rolling through, and it just kept coming, and my whole body was spiraling and rolling, and I was laughing and crying," she said.

Hard to imagine? Hartnell and her husband, Nassim Haramein, were shocked as well. Although they had spent many hours planning for their son's birth, in a tub under a tree outside their home, they say they never planned for an "orgasmic" birth.

Haramein was amazed -- and also relieved -- to see his wife experience such pleasure.

"It made me feel like everything was gonna be all right," he said. "The experience didn't have to be a traumatic, painful experience. It could be an experience of ecstatic joy."

"It is, as we say, the best-kept secret," said Debra Pascali-Bonaro, a childbirth educator for 26 years. "I believe by women having such terrible fear. Women aren't getting the choices they need, to make the experience as easy as possible."

Labor Orgasms Are 'Basic Science'


To prove that it is possible to have pleasure in childbirth, Pascali-Bonaro made a documentary called "Orgasmic Birth."

Tamra and Simon Larter of suburban New Jersey were one of the couples that allowed Pascali-Bonaro to film their most intimate moments of labor. For their second child, the Larters wanted a natural birth with midwives at their home. They spent part of Tamra Larter's labor kissing and caressing.

"The physical touch and the nurturing was just really comforting to me," Tamra Larter said, adding that she ultimately experienced an orgasmic birth. "It was happening, and I could hardly breathe, and it was like, 'oh, that feels good.' That's all I could say really."

Click here to read more and watch the newscast. 



I first read about this phenomenon when I was about 12 (yes, I was sneaking behind my parents' backs) in a book from the 1960s entitled The Joy of Natural Childbirth  by Helen Wessel (link is to listing for fifth edition). I was determined to secure this kind of joyful childbirth for my future wife.

Unfortunately, with our twins, there were pregnancy complications, and much against my better judgment, we allowed the doctors to induce my wife. Even with the Pitocin, however, she had entirely pain-free contractions. Unfortunately, after several hours of labor, she hadn't dilated at all, and (almost certainly due to the Pitocin itself), the smaller baby's heartrate started to bottom out. We pleaded for more time to allow nature to take its course, but they told us that if we didn't consent to an emergency cesarean, they would bring in a social worker and charge us with neglect or child endangerment, thereby forcing us to get the cesarean. I don't know if I'll ever fully get over my anger at the way our wishes were overruled, but what's done is done. We're definitely determined to do it our way next time.

As I said, however, there's nothing new about this knowledge. In Travels , his book of autobiographical sketches, Michael Crichton relates his observations as a Harvard medical student back in the 1960s. Back then, Boston General had well-equipped wards for the rich women able to pay and basic (charity) wards for the women too poor to way. He describes the startling differences in childbirth experiences he noted between the two wards: In the rich ward, women were able to afford every possible pain-relieving medical procedure, yet he says the women were typically yelling, carrying on, screaming profanities, and generally relating tales of anguish and agony. In stark contrast, over the charity ward, where the women didn't have access to anaesthesia, the women were generally quiet and peaceful, experiencing uneventful, even joyful labors.

Studies recently have corroborated Crichton's observations. They have revealed that women who have natural childbirths report much lower subjective perceptions of pain and emotional suffering than their counterparts who get spinals, epidurals, etc. I know this pattern has held true in my own family: My sister has had two natural childbirths and remembers virtually no pain, whereas my mother had nine cesareans . . . and to hear her tell the tale, each one was an experience of sheer agony.

During natural childbirth, the woman's body is flooded with amnesiac hormones like prolactin and oxytocin -- the same hormones that cause orgasms -- that literally block out memories of the experience, such that it's all fuzzy afterward, whereas anaesthetic drugs block the release of these hormones. If you've ever noticed that if you start touching your lover after a knock-down, drag-out fight, you suddenly can't remember what you were fighting about, you've experienced the amnesiac effects of oxytocin.
UserPostedImage
4PackGirl
15 years ago
my c-section was a breeze! no complications, no pain, no problems at all. i had no choice with my twins as they were laying sideways which is not conducive with fitting thru the birth canal at all!!

i'll just be quiet on the orgasm issue. 🙂
vikesrule
15 years ago

...i'll just be quiet on the orgasm issue.

"4PackGirl" wrote:



Ya, rumor the street is that you're not a "screamer". ::razz:
Trippster
15 years ago
you mean one can have an orgasm while pushing a bowling ball out their ass?





Cheesey, is that true?
"Let Your Light Shine!"
Porforis
15 years ago

you mean one can have an orgasm while pushing a bowling ball out their ass?

"Trippster" wrote:



Sex ed must not be what it used to :<
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
15 years ago

my c-section was a breeze! no complications, no pain, no problems at all. i had no choice with my twins as they were laying sideways which is not conducive with fitting thru the birth canal at all!!

i'll just be quiet on the orgasm issue. :)

"4PackGirl" wrote:



My wife who had two C's and worked in several Dr offices as a Medical Assistant said "eewwwww"
UserPostedImage
Formo
15 years ago
I've heard about this 'phenomenon' by accident a little while ago. I don't have any preference as to which route my wife takes, although I wouldn't mind seeing her do the all natural childbirth... Ok, that sounded wrong, but whatever.

Ultimately, it's her choice. And I'll have her back no matter which way she wants to choose.
UserPostedImage
Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
4PackGirl
15 years ago

my c-section was a breeze! no complications, no pain, no problems at all. i had no choice with my twins as they were laying sideways which is not conducive with fitting thru the birth canal at all!!

i'll just be quiet on the orgasm issue. :)

"wpr" wrote:



My wife who had two C's and worked in several Dr offices as a Medical Assistant said "eewwwww"

"4PackGirl" wrote:



lol!! suffice it to say with 13 lbs worth of babies in me, laying from one side of me to the other, i was VERY uncomfortable!!
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beast (16h) : Yeah, but also some of the wording suggestions Jax only pranked called the QB, not the others... and if he had an open spreadsheet & 3 calls
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Mucky Tundra (17h) : Cowboys 1st round pick Tyler Booker will indeed be bringing his pet turtle to Dallas with him
Mucky Tundra (17h) : that contained all prospects info and contact
Mucky Tundra (17h) : beast, according the Falcons statement Jax came across it on an ipad. If I had to guess, probably an open spread sheet or something
Zero2Cool (17h) : Simmons put up an emoji with cheese.
beast (17h) : Not sure anyone is interested in Isaiah Simmons... Collin Oliver might of taken his potential slot
beast (18h) : I'm going with Jax Ulbrich is not telling the whole truth... he accidentally came across it? Why would a defensive coordinator have a QB #?
Zero2Cool (18h) : He's not that great, but final piece of the script.\
Zero2Cool (18h) : If we add Isaiah Simmons, book your Super Bowl tickets
Mucky Tundra (18h) : Colts 1st round TE Tyler Warren also got prank called, was that Jax Ulbrich as well?
Zero2Cool (19h) : Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s son, released an apology for his role in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
Martha Careful (19h) : apparently he did not participate in practice or play on the east west shrine game nor the NFL combine. The kid was a mediocre spoiled brat
Mucky Tundra (19h) : Yeah that one that was a super wounded duck that Sanders supporters are highlighting to prove a point
Zero2Cool (19h) : Shough is the guy who missed guys at combine isn't he?
beast (20h) : It's not official until I'm dead! I have a chance still! (Not really)
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : I could feel my body decomposing in real time when I read that
Mucky Tundra (27-Apr) : @MIKEYSAINRISTIL Tyler Shough will officially be the last person drafted to the NFL born in the 1900’s
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (26-Apr) : Check
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matthew Golden cahanged 81 to 22??
TheKanataThrilla (26-Apr) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Agree
dfosterf (26-Apr) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (26-Apr) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (26-Apr) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : @jalenreagors They’re discussing if Sheduer can go back to college on NFL Network LMFAOOOOO
beast (26-Apr) : Great point Martha
beast (26-Apr) : Buddy Ryan used to say if a candy bar goes missing, there are two to blame, Rex and Rob 🤪 jk 😁
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Bum Phillips used to say there are two ways to get better. Get better players or get players to play better. We have a new DL coach
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Yes. Look at the losses last year. They can win.
beast (26-Apr) : Can Packers win with their current DL?
bboystyle (26-Apr) : waiting for a pass rusher.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes between picks in the 3rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 3rd. Hate this phone
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 4rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes in the 4
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 7 minutes between picks in the 2nd round
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : Sorry to bitch, but the headline writers in that section absolutely mislead, or don't know how to read. It is maddening
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : No thanks. Not a dependable guy to be in the right place and run the right route. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Losing 2nd round pick for a one year rental, not ideal. Especially a headcase.
TheKanataThrilla (25-Apr) : Pickens for Jaire may be interesting. Definitely not sure we want Pickens long term.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : No.Absolutely not
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : NO NO NO NO NO NO!!1 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
dhazer (25-Apr) : scenario: Our main prospects are off the board when our pick comes around, do we just throw a 2nd round pick at Pittsburgh for Pickens
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