My yoga studio offers a workshop that educates women on the pleasurable/ecstatic aspects of labor. I had a med-free birth with my first, and I cannot conceive (pun intended) of how labor could possibly be anything but intensely painful. In fact, I almost think these kind of expectations might set women up for having bad birth experiences. But maybe I am missing something. So for those of you who have been through it, do you think labor can be pleasurable?
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The only pleasurable feeling I had during my med free birth was the high I experienced afterwards. I was so proud of myself and felt SO GOOD physically. I was happy and felt like superwoman, and my recovery was amazing. But that's about it. The labor process itself was calm--I was alone in a tub, humming to myself and listening to music, but it definitely wasn't pleasurable. And pushing felt like torture.
I think there's a book called orgasmic birth. I don't buy that for one second!
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I think the feelings you have during labor are a bit hard to describe.
I had an unmedicated labor/birth, and there were moments of pure joy (ecstatic, for sure). When my water broke, I was sooo happy ... we had a little celebration. When my baby hit my chest, I was absolutely ecstatic.
As far as the sensations during contractions and pushing? I don't think there's anyway someone can find that pleasureable. I was completely out of my mind (really vocal, and primal) ... it hurt! I was able to go to my mantra, "Open ... opennnnn" when I had the thought to remember, but mostly, I was like blacked out for 6 hours.
All of that said, my labor was fast and intense. 6 hours from first contraction to birthing my baby. Maybe a less intense labor would leave more room for intention and focus on "pleasure". As for orgasms during birth ... really?!? Ha.
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@Rainbow Sprinkles: same- intense high for several hours after. I felt amazing and like I could do anything! That was pleasurable. Labor and delivery.... Not pleasurable. It hurt. I've never had an epidural but I can't imagine it making the whole the pleasurable.
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It reminds me of this: http://orgasmicbirth.com
I'm skeptical myself (and I haven't even given birth!) but as a doula I've heard stories about it and if you Google it there are stories. It seems bizarre to me!
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I would love to think it could, but no. I think my expectations of what it 'could' be were too high, and meant I found it even harder to accept how painful it was and how out of control I felt.
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From things I've read and heard, everyones experience of labour is different. Judging from the way I experienced it - no freaking way!
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Exactly as @rainbow sprinkles: described.
Def empowering and the after effect was euphoria, but no way in hell was the process pleasure able. It was the most intense thing I've ever felt.
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Labor for me was like a good, hard workout - and I love a good workout. It was intense, but for me, even sans meds, it wasn't painful.
So I guess I'm voting yes! (but I know I'm a freak lol)
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From my own experience, I went in with a totally open mind, no fear, and a belief I could power through it. And it was absolutely horrible and I cannot imagine anyone finding it pleasurable.
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hell no.
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No. I didn't even have a "high" after my most recent birth, which was unmedicated. And I don't think a birth could really be much "easier", in that it was only 2.5 hours from start to finish, but not traumatic at all for me. Three pushes and she was out. But still painful, not at all pleasurable.
Truthfully, I felt exactly the same as I felt after my first LOs birth, which was with an epidural that had been turned down.
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Not for me!!
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Not even after an epidural. The nausea and pushing was still uncomfortable. So....never!
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I really enjoy giving birth, but I know I'm crazy. By no means would I say it isn't painful (I'm a big fan of the epidural!), but it is such a unique experience, and I've had two uncomplicated births, and have found them to be awesome experiences.
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Ummm...haha...no. It was exhilarating at first but, by hour 32, I was pretty over it.
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I felt AWESOME after the epidural kicked in! Granted, I had a relatively easy delivery. And holding him skin-to-skin was pretty euphoric.
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There were definitely some fun and funny moments that will stick in my memory. And I had a great support team. And of course meeting the baby at the end! So definitely pleasurable in that sense.
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Even with an epidural I couldn't say it was even slightly pleasurable. I felt a huge release of pain right afterwards, but that didn't make up for the (weeks) of horribleness. And I only gave birth to a 2lb baby!
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Lol. Funny!
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Y'all are going to hate me... I had an epidural and it made my labor super easy. I slept on and off and didn't feel anything until transition (some slight discomfort, but tolerable). I pushed DS out on my 3rd set and I was able to feel/use my legs after like 2-3 hours. No lasting effects from the epidural.
DS really set the bar high on his pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum care for me so I'm hoping #2 is taking notes because I'd love to replicate it just as is.
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yeah... no. I mean, I was fine once I got an epidural
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Nope. Nope. Nope.
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By the time I got an epidural I had been in labor for a long time and I wouldn't call it pleasurable but I felt ok, had no problems pushing. But I just don't see how it could be called pleasurable. Exciting, thrilling, full of anticipation, sure. But pleasurable???
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Perhaps if you're a masochist? Otherwise nope.
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It was hard work, and a huge task for my body to handle but I knew I could do it and the pain was so clearly connected to something natural, safe and amazing I wasn't worried about it. Not being worried about pain is such a different way to experience it. Pain with out fear was totally manageable. It wasn't pleasurable but it was exactly what I wanted/needed to be doing and that felt just right.
When I tore, that was hard, it was hard to let that happen and know it would be OK.
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No. Just no.
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Nope, never.
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@Rainbow Sprinkles: yes! Honestly, at 4 months pp I still feel a little high when I think about it.
i wouldn't call it pleasurable. As a matter of fact, I also generally feel like vomiting when I imagine doing it again. No pleasure there.
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Parts of it were pleasurable. Finding out I made it to 5 cms was great. Laboring on my back felt amazing (I walked for 10 hours prior). Delivering my placenta felt absolutely awesome, and the post birth high is so real. But the rest sucked. A lot.
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There was a book of birth stories from...The Farm, I think? It was like 8 years ago, so it's a little hazy. Anyway, several of the birth stories included orgasms (and I'm pretty sure they were stoned during labor, too...).
But for me...long back labor, exhausted, epidurals failing, pushing for 2 hours, vomiting the whole time...no, not even a little bit.
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This comment has been deleted by the original poster.
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People say that they enjoy it, and I believe them. Personally I found it to be the most painful thing I've ever experienced, and I didn't even have the big endorphin rush afterwards. I just climbed out of the tub thinking 'what the hell just happened'. The feeling lasted for most of the day.
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Sure. After they gave me pain meds.
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Autocorrect made my last post non-sensical...
Like @avivoca: I felt great after the placenta came out. Nothing else came even close to feeling pleasurable. I have a hard enough time with feeling pleasure in the best of times. I can't imagine that labor could do anything to help in that department.
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I've never personally heard of anyone say that it was pleasurable. Maybe tolerable but not pleasurable.
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My second labor was actually somewhat pleasurable! I labored for exactly 2 hours and my contractions weren't that strong or intense. I got the epidural early because I was warned that I wouldn't be able to get to te anesthesiologist so easily if I waited. I got the best epidural ever, watched 4 episodes of parenthood and then pushed dd out in 2 painless pushes after feeling a but of rectal pressure.
It was far from orgasmic but it was the most comfortable labor and delivery I could ever imagine. -
My epidural felt like heroin. I could have taken on the world once they took away the pain.
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Pleasurable, like... peeling off a dried scab. But not orgasmic-level pleasure. And this scab-happy feeling came with an epidural
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42 comments