Due to the hormones released during masturbation, the pain of childbirth may subside. However, this practice is still taboo and some women do not dare to get started. We explain the benefits and how to get started.
Did you know ? Masturbation during childbirth can have many benefits! This practice is unfortunately still taboo, not least because many women are shocked at the idea of caressing each other while giving birth. However, it is an effective technique to relieve pain and therefore, to experience a more serene childbirth.
See also: Female masturbation is not shameful!
Obviously, masturbation during childbirth remains something intimate and you have to feel ready before you start. The first step can be to learn about the subject and / or to already practice masturbation during pregnancy. What are the real benefits? How and when to practice it? When to avoid it? We answer all the questions you can ask yourself on the subject.
Masturbation during childbirth: what does it change?
You should know that masturbation during pregnancy is a good thing. It allows the brain to release endorphin, an “anti-stress” hormone, and dopamine, the pleasure hormone. This leads to a real feeling of well-being in the pregnant woman. In addition to sexual activity with a partner, this intimate moment can relax you and allow you to connect more to your body and to your feelings. Rest assured, as during a sexual intercourse with penetration, the baby will not feel anything, in particular because it is protected by the amniotic fluid. So, do not hesitate to give free rein to your desires if you feel like caressing yourself, especially if your libido increases in the second trimester!
During childbirth, masturbation will make it possible to manage the intensity of labor, the pain and relax the body… but also to accelerate the process and promote physiological childbirth. And for good reason: stimulating the clitoris and / or its genitals releases – in addition to endorphin and dopamine – oxytocin. The hormone of pleasure and love and above all, “The great hormone of childbirth”, as Hélène Goninet, midwife and sexologist, author of several books on motherhood, including “Childbirth, between power, violence and enjoyment. A little-known dimension of female sexuality ”, published in 2016 by Mama Editions.
For a physiological delivery to be rapid, oxytocin must be produced in large quantities. It makes it possible to trigger contractions, dilate the cervix and open the perineum. Masturbating is therefore a good way to increase oxytocin production and therefore speed up childbirth.
According to the midwife, if this practice is still taboo today, it is mainly because it is still too much ignored. “Few obstetrician-gynecologists or midwives talk about it with their patients. There is also a cultural question. We have been marked for centuries by the injunction ‘You will give birth in pain’. It conditions us She says. However, suffering should not be seen and accepted as something “normal” … and techniques for alleviating it should be discussed more.
The word “masturbation” can also have a very sexual connotation and therefore, shock. The sex therapist therefore recommends using the term “Stimulation of the clitoris” or from “Caresses” for health professionals who discuss it with pregnant women.
Read also: All you need to know about masturbation during pregnancy
Should we go to orgasm?
For Hélène Goninet, no need to go to orgasm to feel the benefits of masturbation during childbirth. The main thing is to concentrate on the feelings of well-being provided by these caresses. Moreover, according to the expert, if one can have an orgasm during childbirth without masturbating, it is also possible not to have one while masturbating. “It’s a bit of a mystery orgasm in women. The clitoris is strongly stimulated during childbirth because the baby presses on it. One might even wonder why women do not enjoy more ”, she says.
When to masturbate during childbirth?
To be comfortable with masturbation during childbirth, it is best to start these strokes at the beginning of the pregnancy, when you have quieter moments. On D-day, this stimulation of the clitoris and / or genitals can last throughout labor. The place where you will give birth, however, has a lot to do with the desire to touch yourself: “Privacy is more respected if we give birth at home or in a birth center. So we can masturbate more easily. In a somewhat classic delivery room with all the medical staff, the gaze of others can be frightening and cut off the desire to caress. “
For the specialist, you have to really feel ready and want to masturbate for it to have real benefits on childbirth. If it’s something that shocks you or scares you, don’t try. This could indeed have the opposite effect and add stress to you. If you feel like you feel like it, go for it. Either way, it’s essential to remember that every body, like every woman, is different. “It’s not something automatic, a woman’s body is not a machine. While masturbation is easy and accessible, it doesn’t have the same effects on everyone. It’s the same for childbirth ”, warns Hélène Goninet.
If you don’t dare to take the plunge, know that you can also produce oxytocin simply by stroking your erogenous zones. A hot bath, a hug, or even a sweet word can also help release this hormone of pleasure and love. Choose what suits you best and listen to your desires and your body.
Read also: “It is not an obligation, but a shared pleasure”: when to resume sex after childbirth?
When to avoid masturbation (and sex)?
If you want to masturbate throughout your pregnancy, be aware that in some cases it is better to avoid (as well as avoid penetrative sex). This especially concerns pregnancies involving risks such as:
- A threat of miscarriage or previous miscarriage
- The presence of infections
- The risk of preterm birth
- Placenta previa
- Excessive dilation or shortening of the cervix
However, be sure to consult a doctor before making drastic or hasty decisions. He or she can answer all your questions and allay some of your fears.
A comic book to better understand
In 2018, the illustrator Gayelle already broached the subject of masturbation during childbirth in a comic published on her Facebook account and entitled “The clitoris, the forgotten child of childbirth”. A practice that she herself tested during her second childbirth, at home.
Asked by Slate, she explains that she immediately felt a great relief. His daughter was also born ” while sleeping ” and “In 10 minutes”. A birth without pain therefore, for the baby as for the mother. “I am convinced that childbirth and sexuality are closely linked. Masturbation can be very healthy if we accept that these two acts are primary and animalistic. When I massage my clitoris while giving birth, I am not in a spirit of sexual arousal. I don’t have any pornographic images in my head! “, she says.
If she wanted to write this comic, it is in particular to inform women about this tool and to lift a taboo.