ABSTRACT
Birth in Western society is considered a painful experience and a necessary evil. The notion of having a pleasurable, sexual, and orgasmic birth experience is inconceivable for most people in our culture. In this qualitative and exploratory research, eleven women who reported sexual experiences during childbirth were interviewed and their stories were analyzed using the phenomenological approach. Two major scenarios are derived from these women’s experiences. One is the “Unexpected Birthgasm”, where women experienced orgasms without arousal or sexual stimulation while pushing or delivering their babies. The other is the “Passionate Birth” experience, where women purposefully incorporated their sexuality during their birth experience. Themes such as preparation for a pleasurable childbirth, the need to feel safe, the need for privacy and intimacy, the partner’s role, positive body image, open mind-set about sexuality, and the desire to incorporate it in childbirth are discussed. High sexual desire before childbirth and the ability to derive arousal and pleasure from vaginal stimulation were observed. Perception of pain and how sexual stimulation reduced pain perception are discussed. Childbirth is proposed as an integral part of women’s sexual cycles, and an expanded definition of female orgasm is proposed to include orgasms during childbirth.

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