By: Justine Picciano and The Renew PT Team
A recently published TEDx Talk, “We must put the sex back into birth” presented by Kate Dimpfl, raises some important and scandalous considerations for the childbirth experience. The physiologic processes that happens during sex and birth are actually shockingly similar. Why, then, has childbirth become a process to be endured by women versus experienced and enjoyed by women? How can you, your partner, or your support system help create the optimal environment for birth? Read more to find out how you can join the “sexual revolution” and have a sexy and satisfying childbirth experience.
Let’s talk a little bit about the shocking similarities between childbirth and sex. Oxytocin, or the “hormone of love”, is the hormone that produces orgasms, and the hormone that is present during birth which helps you progress through labor by stimulating strong contractions of the uterus. In the TEDx Talk referenced, Kate Dimpfl actually plays two sound clips: one of a woman during orgasm and one of a woman giving childbirth. She challenges the audience to guess which clip is which and it’s a pretty incredible demonstration. Not only are our hormones in the same boat, but our brain during childbirth and during sex are also essentially one in the same: our rational mind, or neocortix, quiets while the limbic system takes over. The limbic system supports a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, and motivation. Where the limbic system thrives is in a safe, supportive environment where emotions can be freely expressed. What does this tell us about birth and sex? For women to have the most satisfying experience, a safe, secure, and supportive environment must be created.
What’s the problem with birth and labor then? The World Health Organization states that C-section rates above 15% are unnecessary. Why, then, do 1/3 of women in the United States give birth by Cesarean section? As Kate Dimpfl states, technology is not the enemy here. Cesarean sections and other medical interventions during birth can be necessary and life saving. However, the rate in the US is clearly elevated and the recovery from a Cesarean birth is extremely challenging. After all, a C-section is major abdominal surgery that can result in scar pain, scar adhesions, severe abdominal weakness including diastasis recti (or separation of the abdominal muscles), pelvic pain, and sexual pain. At Renew PT, we see women as early as 2 weeks after a C-section birth to begin rehabilitation and pain relieving techniques such as our cold laser therapy, scar massage, gentle abdominal strengthening, postpartum belt fittings, and body mechanics and postural re-education, just to name a few. Our cultural beliefs and societal notions about labor and delivery seem to have steered us in a direction in favor of medical intervention over raw, primitive and mammalian female instincts.
So, what factors play the biggest role in a woman having a satisfying birth experience? Surprisingly, factors such as having an epidural versus giving birth naturally, hospital birth versus home birth, and C-section versus vaginal birth DO NOT correlate to having a satisfying birth experience. What does play the biggest role in having a satisfying birth experience is HOW the woman was treated during labor: Was she educated and given informed consent during the process? Did she experience emotional safety? Did the woman feel empowered and was she able to be an active decision maker during her labor? Essentially what I’m getting at is – did the woman feel safe and supported enough so that the limbic system and other natural physiologic processes during childbirth could be fully expressed and the body allowed to do what it is suppose to do on its own? These factors were most highly correlated with a pleasurable birth experience.
You may be wondering by now, what can I do to have a satisfying birth? Here are 5 simple tips that Kate Dimpfl outlines for you to create the optimal environment to have a pleasurable, satisfying birth experience:
1. Know your provider. When seeking out your healthcare team for childbirth, make sure you and your provider are on the same page. Do you desire an OB/GYN or Midwife? What is your providers C-section rate? Ensure that you and the provider you choose are in alignment with what you desire for your birth experience.
2. Educate yourself! Reading this blog is a great first step to getting to know what your body goes through during childbirth. To become an even better advocate for yourself, consider purchasing a copy of Isa Herrera’s newest book, “Ending Pain in Pregnancy”, to learn all about your body during pregnancy and to have your own self-help healing guide for before, during and after birth. Click here (insert link to Amazon) to order your copy now!
3. Have an amazing support system. Doulas are individuals who provide emotional and physical support during and after labor, and can be an incredible advocate for you through the childbirth process. One study actually showed that women who had a female supporter in the room during their labor (whether it was a doula, mother, grandmother, etc.) actually had decreased rates of using Pitocin, having an epidural, using narcotic drugs, and lower C-section rates than women who did not have this presence. AND their sense of pleasure during the birth was much higher!
4. Reinvent your birth plan. Many women we see at Renew have a 20 page document created that lays out exactly how they want their birth to happen. In reality, your birth is an unpredictable and amazing event that can’t be bullet-pointed with an itinerary. What Kate suggests is to lay out your emotional needs during the birthing process- what kind of touch do you like? How do you define support? What is informed consent? Open mindedness is essential in creating your birth plan.
5. Change the future. How can you take small steps to change the views of childbirth and empower women? Well, did you know that the biggest indicator of how a woman views her body is how her mother feels about her own body? So, how do you talk about yourself around others? Do you have self worth and feel beautiful? Most women, of course, do not express this but rather put themselves down and practice negative self talk. Know that this can create a perpetually negative environment, especially for young women around you, that facilitates misunderstanding about the body that can manifest itself for years.
One last stitch to empower you to feel amazing about the woman you are: women who understand the vagina and vulva actually have better sex, less anxiety about their bodies, and are more likely to engage in reproductive health care. At Renew PT, we can help you understand your body, your vagina, and improve your sexual health and function before, during, and after child birth so that you can feel empowered and sexy in all phases of your life. We specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy, as well as prenatal and postpartum care to empower you to heal yourself and learn the tools you need to be a better you. Please call us at 212-213-4660 to schedule your prenatal or postpartum appointment today to join the sexual revolution!
To view the TEDx Talk, please click here:
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