Childbirth is one of those things that few women look forward to.
But now one blogger has lifted the lid on a secret way for the female body to help manage pain during the process.
Angela Gallo told the Daily Mail that she felt “fragile, helpless and overwhelmed” during the birth of her second child, and so she turned to masturbation to help ease the pain.
The Australian birthing photographer shared her story in an effort to help other women – and reveal that there are other pain relief options outside of an epidural and gas and air.
In fact Angela says masturbation allowed her to have a six hour natural birth without any medical interventions at all.
The blogger shared her techniques in a post entitled Why I touched myself in labour – here’s 3 reasons you should consider it, too!
Describing how she tried to alleviate her feelings of helplessness, Angela said:
“Clitoral stimulation worked an absolute TREAT. It shifted my focus to my vagina, to the energy brewing within me. It made me feel connected, and made me feel like I had some control over what I was feeling.
“The surges were much more manageable, and the rest between them was so much more enjoyable. If I close my eyes now, I am taken back to that place. The hot water on my back, my husband’s hands locked in mine, the safety of his presence, the happiness as I rode those wild waves.
“Orgasmic in a sexual way – no. Pleasure – YES. It was my glorious instinctual pain-relief system coming to life! I am so proud of myself for exploring an avenue so typically shamed.”
She then details three reasons why the technique makes perfect sense. The first is “what gets the baby in, gets the baby out,” the second is natural pain relief and the third is that it simply “feels good.”
Angela also quotes Debra Pascali-Bonarao, a “pioneer for orgasmic birth” who says: “It’s such a culture where some women actually feel shamed that they have pleasure, because the expectation is pain.”
Read the full blog post and more of Angela’s work on her website here.
