This summer I attended a screening for ‘Orgasmic Birth’. This fascinating documentary was created by internationally respected childbirth expert, Debra Pascali-Bonaro. The film sheds light on the beauty and “other” side of childbirth, the side that has not been discussed in the out and open. Babies are created using all of the same sex organs and hormones that are used to deliver the baby. Now this statement I am about to make may come off a little blunt and graphic, but I feel that it gets the point across. If a woman is being forced against her will to have sex, then it hurts tremendously. The fear, the violation and all of the other emotions make her sexual mechanisms resist. The result is pain, uncontrollable breathing and so forth. Now when a women feels safe, is connected to the act for which she is performing, and for the most part, in a private setting for which she feels is her own space, then she is able to relax and reach an orgasm. So to tie this together to my point and the message behind Orgasmic Birth, if a women is allowed the respected space to labor at her own pace, surrounded by supportive birth partners and medical team, then she is more inclined to feel safe, let down her inhibitions and open to and surrender herself to the miracle of birth. And yes, pleasure and ecstasy are possible during labor.

For far too long there has been this projected notion that childbirth is nothing but a scary, intolerable act (This is so not the case). For the most part, the common visuals one has of childbirth are those from mainstream TV and movies (definitely, not the best examples) those clips show the typical cliché of a women screaming at the medical staff & partner, confound to the bed and not happy at all. Then you have the media’s grid lock focus on statements made by celebrities whose fears becomes instilled and influence the general public (by no fault of their own for there are definitely stories that can be told about hospital births in the US).

Thankfully, ABC’s 20/20 is taking a bold step in a great direction to shed light on the “other” side of the story of childbirth Friday, January 2nd. The show will be featuring a segment on ‘Orgasmic Birth’. Though I am excited that such a topic will be discussed on such a popular show, I am going to wait and make my rave or rant after it airs. After being excited to watch the doula segment air on the Today show a few weeks back, I was disappointed with the overall tone of the segment. (Every women deserves the right to have continous support through out labor. That is not a luxury. And while yes doulas can range between $500-1500+ for childbirth, the benefits are so much worth it. That segment failed to mention the astonishing cost of hospital birth, epidurals, and c-sections. Doula have a major impact in reducing the need for epidurals and c-sections)

So check out Orgasmic Birth’s website and watch the segment on 20/20 and share your feedback.