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03/29/2009: "The Pleasures of Childbirth"

I know now that it was probably more like a series of orgasms over an hour. My husband said afterwards that I was shouting, "Oh my God, it's so beautiful, it's like making love", over and over again. I was trembling and smiling. The doula said my clitoris was pulsating and I kept closing my eyes in ecstasy with each passing wave as the baby moved downwards. My husband was open-mouthed. He didn't quite know what to say. He said later that it was obvious what was going on.

My baby arrived, without any pain relief, three hours later, and my recovery was incredibly quick because I did not tear or need stitches. I felt wonderful, but was slightly confused and embarrassed about what I had experienced. I also felt somehow guilty that I had felt something usually associated with sexual intercourse during the birth of my daughter. But when I went online, I found hundreds of women blogging about similar experiences.

After the birth, I was so excited that I wanted to share what had happened with friends, but their reactions quickly taught me that this was probably something I should think of as my own private but wonderful experience and keep it to myself. It's sad that women are too embarrassed to talk openly about orgasmic birth, but hopefully there will be a time in the future when we are more open-minded about our sexuality.

[ If more women approached childbirth with a positive expectation they would find the process easier, perhaps even as pleasurable as this woman did. They should tell others about how good it felt. Too many of white women are afraid that birth is an ordeal. Of course it is now easier and safer to have a baby than at any other time in history, which should help a woman relax into the experience. ]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article5924063.ece