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Self-Stimulation During Labor

Self-Stimulation During Birthing: What, Precisely, Do We Mean By This?

The topic at hand is Self-Stimulation During the Birthing Process.

What is meant by "self-stimulation" is that the pregnant patient either deliberately, or spontaneously, holds or cups, applies pressure to, and/or manually makes contact with their own pelvis and genital area, and specifically, the clitoris.

Spontaneous Self-Stimulation

In true fact, most women bring their hands to their pelvis, lower abdomen, and lower back, when they experience monthly cramps.

People naturally do this. When you get a sharp, stabbing pain, you hold the area with your hands. It's perfectly normal.

And so, many women do, at times, hold their pelvis or "private parts" during birthing. This is not a sexual act.

It is simply instinct to place our hands where we are experiencing pain or discomfort. This is experienced as soothing by most.

It's beyond question that the birthing process may be perceived to be a bit uncomfortable.

And so, that's the first variety: Spontaneous Self-Stimulation.

Deliberate Self-Stimulation

This is quite different than when a woman spontaneously self-stimulates. In this case, a woman plans to use self-stimulation as an aid to the birthing process, and so it's a deliberate attempt to use self-touch to bring about changes conducive to the baby arriving.

While totally unlike Spontaneous Self-Stimulation, this also does not constitute a sexual act, either in legal, or moral, terms.

Some women use this self-stimulation as a deliberate strategy to relieve pain, and the increase in oxytocin definitely helps with the uterine and pelvic contractions during labor.

Even if a woman does not know this, and self-stims spontaneously, she will still receive all the benefits, in terms of elevated oxytocin.

Do Women Have Orgasms During Birth?

Sometimes, this does happen spontaneously during birth, regardless of any other factors.

In most cases, with self-stimulation that is spontaneous, the woman will not continue to stimulate to orgasm. It's just a quick coping mechanism.

In cases of deliberate self-stimulation, the woman will probably continue to stimulate to orgasm. That's the plan for many, to use the sensation as analgesia.

The Empowering Orgasmic Birth

Some women perceive "Orgasmic Birth" as an empowering experience, and seek to connect with their bodies.

This Spiritual feminist mindset believes that Orgasmic Birth brings a measure of control to the process of childbirth.

Also referred to as "Ecstatic Birth," this idea has been popular for some time, but hasn't been thoroughly researched.

What Does Self-Stimulation Actually Do?

Clitoral stimulation, whether to orgasm, or a quick gentle touch, can have ample real benefits during the birthing process, specifically the second stage of labor.

The ensuing vaginal engorgement can potentially reduce the risk of perineal tears (though this is unstudied), and ease the intensity of labor and make pain manageable.

https://www.britishjournalofmidwifery.com/content/literature-review/pain-and-pleasure-in-the-birthing-room-understanding-the-phenomenon-of-orgasmic-birth/

Self-Stimulation As Yet Another Variant Of Birthing

While self-stimulating during labor, a woman may simultaneously push, or not push.

Then, there's also the different variants of pushing, enumerated in a different article on this portal entitled, "What Is The Meaning of Pushing During Labor? The Significance And Meaning Of 'Pushing' In The Context Of Second Stage Labor."

Like Self-Stimulation, pushing can be defined as "spontaneous pushing" and "directed pushing."

One popular idea regarding Clitoral Self-Stimulation is that it will help the contractions get stronger, and feel less painful. Does it work?

There is going to be a significant increase in serotonin, and oxytocin, as would be the case, though not quite as strongly, with nipple stimulation, and full body massage, in descending order of effectiveness.

The added hormones that self-touch brings, aside from any other factor, may be the best indicator that this practice is worth considering.

The hormones, basically, make the birthing process happen.

Should A Laboring Woman Actually Orgasm?

When deliberately self-stimulating during labor, there's always the question of how much stimulation.

At the very least, know it's okay to gently self-soothe and self-stimulate.

It's a nearly universal behavior during birthing to hold, touch, and cup one's own pelvis and genital area, at times.

As far as deliberately bringing oneself to the point of orgasm, that is not universally observed, or even common.

We could argue that if that's what Nature needed a woman in the second stage of labor to do, then we would see this behavior happening more widely.

Or, perhaps it's social mores? What do hunter-gatherer societies do? Was this ever popular, anywhere?

Is There Such A Thing As "Too Much" Stimulation? And, Can The Practice Be Harmful?

Firstly, the practice of self-stimulation, to any degree, doesn't seem harmful, as it's been described for a while, and there seem to be no ill effects.

Will an orgasm encourage greater organized, stronger rhythmic contractions in the uterus, or interfere with the body's own rhythms?

Regarding how effective this practice may be for helping to create stronger contractions, it's always true that more hormones due to stimulation can only help.

Regarding the uterine contractions associated with full orgasm, it's not known whether these contractions may interfere with, or strengthen, the body's own birthing contractions.

There is also a refractory period after orgasm when hormone levels may actually drop. That may affect everything.

More research is needed. Proceed cautiously if planning anything beyond static holding and gentle touch, and first discuss everything with the medical professional overseeing your birth.

Other Benefits To Self-Stimulation During Labor?

Could self-stimulation replace epidurals for dealing with pain? Will a woman have a shorter time in labor, overall, with self-stimulation? Will the elevated hormones help the new Mom's milk to come in more quickly?

These, and other questions are good fodder for future research. The fact is, we just don't know. Yet.

The Clitoris Plays A Role In Birthing, Some Researchers Theorize

Even without any direct manual stimulation, the clitoris is involved in birth, invariably.

Just what that role is, and how important, remain debatable, as no new research is forthcoming.

In fact, some researchers theorize that the clitoris plays a major role in birthing, due to the larger part of the structure that is not visible, and support their theory with good argumentation and facts about the female reproductive system, hypothesizing that the clitoris plays a major role in helping to ease the baby out.

See "The Clitoris In Labour" by Margaret Jowitt' for more information. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336848170_The_Clitoris_in_Labor/citation/download

Jowitt, Margaret. (2019). The Clitoris in Labor. 10.1111/1471-0528.15026).

Self-Stimulation Likely Less Popular in The U.S. Than Some Other Nations

Due to the hyper-sexualization and objectification of the female body in our culture, many people would likely find the thought of Self-Stimulation During Labor to be outside acceptability, as they likely wouldn't be able to understand a woman's body parts as anything other than within a sexualized context.

However, this is not a sexual act, to be sure.

Literally, self-stimulation for the purpose of helping labor would not even qualify under what is legally defined as a sexual, or lewd, act.

In the United States, there exist many strains of thought ascribing shame to the female body.

Without checking, the author would guess that self-stimulation is probably not as popular in the U.S. as might be the case in other countries that have a more holistic view of the body/mind/emotions/soul, but who knows?

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