Is there a connection physiologically between sexual activity and birth?

In this episode, Elizabeth Davis, a midwife, reproductive health care specialist, educator, and consultant for over 40 years, explores the powerful link between female sexuality and birth and why bringing awareness of plateaus in labor is a key element to having a better birth experience. Elizabeth is internationally active in promoting pregnant person-centered birth and is widely sought after for her expertise in midwifery education and organizational development. Her books include:

Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying, and Pleasurable Birth Experience Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth The Rhythms of Women’s Desire: How Female Sexuality Unfolds at Every Stage of Life The Women’s Wheel of Life In this episode:

How female sexual nature is reflected in the birthing process Discover the sexuality of childbirth in a new way Trust your body completely, and allow yourself to have an orgasmic birth Key Takeaways:

There is a physiologic connection between sexual activity and birth When women are aroused, they release oxytocin even without physical stimulation, and at the moment of birth, it is 10 times higher than at any other point in a woman's life. There are major ways that birth and sex are very much alike–we don't know how long it will last, and we don't know what awaits us at the end Bringing awareness of the plateaus during lovemaking helps prepare you for labor In all of life, give yourself time to pause and regroup Tweetable Quotes:

“In monitoring progress in labor, we emphasize not how much time has passed but the well-being of the mother and baby.” - Elizabeth Davis

“You don't do birth, it does you.” - Elizabeth Davis