orgasmic birth
A while back, a few members of the community suggested the book Orgasmic Birth to me, and I happened to be reading it at the time. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to or thinking about having a baby! I think this book was my favorite birth book of all the books I read. If you are pregnant now, read it ASAP. It was such a good read, and there is also a great film called Orgasmic Birth. The film was just amazing - I can't recommend it enough! I hope every woman in the world gets to see this film and read this book. What a gift!
The film is a documentary about the natural process of birth, and how women can get back to experiencing birth as an intensely joyful event. It was very informative.
I watched the film with my dear friend Alex (you know her from her previous guest blog), who was visiting me from Alabama. She said she couldn't stop talking about the film to all her friends after she saw it. She felt kind of gypped, because she saw it after she'd already given birth to her three super cute, healthy babies! I couldn't stop talking about it either - it was so trippy and intense and wonderful - it made me almost cry every single time a woman held her baby!
So, for any of you who are contemplating a new baby, this documentary is a must-see! And be sure to pick up the book too. Are there any other great pregnancy or childrearing books you would recommend?
32 comments
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I don't know...I just think it's a little weird or creepy to be having an orgasm while your baby is being born. Having an enjoyable birth or a happy birth, whatever you want to say is fine. its awesome...but orgasm? i don't know...it really makes me ill and queesy inside..like someone touching you in a place they shouldn't when you're younger...it.just.feels.wrong.(to me)
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The Gentle Birth Method and the Gentle First Year... I loved these books so much I give them to all my pregnant friends now. They are the kind way to give birth. Dr. Motha is very loving in her text and her devotion to a healthy diet while you are pregnant. I've followed her methods as closely as I can living in rural Colorado. There are no creative healers, massage therapists here. But, while following everything can be difficult, some things are just natural. Like the fact that you shouldn't be afraid of what your body was built to do.
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I had my two children in the 1990's and both were natural child births. At the time I asked for medication and/or an epideral but my labors were so short and the babies both came too fast for that. At the time I felt a bit frustrated that I had to be in pain but now I am so glad it turned out that way. By the time baby number 2 rolled around I was more relaxed and able to focus. I realize now that there are so many ways to ease the pain of child birth...it's really hard when it's your first and you are afraid of the process. So important to see others experiences and then know it doesn't have to be that way. If I had a 3rd child even if the labor was longer....I would choose a natural child birth! I am so glad it turned out the way it did!
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The Business of Being Born is really good too! Very powerful!
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Dear Alicia
Thank you so much for sharing about Orgasmic Birth, both our documentary and book as well as your personal journey with pleasurable birth. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you in NYC one day and share more about how changing our language and beliefs about birth is helping to create a discussion and I hope is beginning to shift the paridym of birth around the world.
Warmly
Debra
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I've read a lot of those and am currently ordering the others on Amazon! Our Midwives gave us Birthing from Within at our first visit-very inspirational. I am also renting Orgasmic Birth from Amazon for $1.99 tonight. Another good breast feeding book was written by the La Leche League.
My hubby and I are having our first baby at home in January and are so excited. Thanks for all of the suggestions:) I'd love to know if Alicia had a homebirth or if any of you have.
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Alicia,
I work for Debra Pascali-Bonaro, producer of the Orgasmic Birth movie & co-author of the Orgasmic Birth book - I just wanted to say a big "thanks" for sharing this on your website, as well as congratulate you on your baby!
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orgasmic birth is a great film--still need to read the book, though. also love yours, alicia--and congrats on your new babe!
i've got another series of birth documentaries for you--"at home in maine": www.mainehomebirth.wordpress.com
these are authentic, unique, artistically crafted portraits of the homebirth experience. enjoy!
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Ina May Gaskin Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and her latest most awesome book with the tagline "America's leading midwife explains why birth is a feminist issue." Birth Matters
And for parenting I really enjoy Alfie Kohn, Becky A Bailey, and Hilary Flowers.
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I have now had two children, both at home (in our little apartment!) with a licensed midwife - who just happens to be my mother in law. :-) Both births were actually very difficult with positioning issues and not at all "orgasmic" - however, I was very blessed to have attending midwives (in both cases there were two besides my mo in law) who knew enough about baby positioning to help me have my babies naturally (for more on positioning, check out spinningbabies.com). If I was in a hospital there is NO DOUBT that I would have ended up with a c-section for both babies.
And the beautiful thing about homebirth? Though the labors were hard, I felt totally secure. I was in my own home, able to walk around and labor as I wished, using a birth pool to help with the pain. I had no stress and could focus completely on giving birth. And after the babies were born (both wide eyed and alert), I was already in my own bed, also fully alert/ unmedicated, with nothing to do but nurse my baby and relax.
With the seccond birth I even had my 2 1/2 year od around until Transition hit. She was such a sweet distraction between contractions - she even helped the midwives fill the pool, and comforted her mama with a warm washcloth. :-)
I was very sad not to get good birth pictures with the first birth, so I was very happy to help someone else by taking birth pictures. That was the first birth I attended outside my own, and after attending it I was HOOKED. From that day on I knew I wanted to be a birth photographer. :-) It was just SO amazing. I still get teary eyed at every birth I attend.
You find out more about my birth photography here: http://www.edahlphotography.com/?page_id=5
And you can view photos from my own birth here (yes, of course I hired a birth photographer!): http://www.erikalauricephotography.com/blog/?p=735
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I am so grateful that you have read the book, seen the documentary and are sharing it here with so many others. I am one of the lucky moms in the documentary and have seen this movie through the world, sort of under the radar. Debra, the creator, has literally been all over the whole showing this film to medical schools, midwifery groups, government agencies and as well as women like us.
The more exposure to the true nature of birth we give women, the more they can be empowered to have the birth experience that we were all meant to have. Birthing your baby is a rite of passage and women simply need to be supported (and not scared) through the journey of birth and motherhood.
Keep doing what you're doing. Every blog post, link, book club selection means so much. The Kind Life is now on my radar as a new favorite!
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This is an amazing book/documentary. Orgasmic birth is entirely possible. Every woman deserves to have a normal, natural and beautiful birth. thank you for posting this <3
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The best advice I got was to read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. It talks about one of the most important subjects - sleep. We followed the advice from day one after our son was born and are now enjoying a happy and rested 2yr old.
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My youngest child was born 4 years ago today. His birthday always brings to mind the birth experience I had at the hospital. It was pretty horrible. I wish I'd had this book to read back then!
--Emily Sweet http://www.onesweetvegan.com/
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Oh my goodness, Alicia, I am so glad that you are carrying the torch for so many women on this...Beautiful!!
Thank you so much for being open & sharing your story so that people are exposed to what can be ! As a society, we have totally bought into the generally unnecessary intervention of modern medicine when it comes to giving birth & made it downright frightening to new mothers, which is a shame~ Orgasmic Birth is such an amazing resource!
Many thanks & best wishes to you, again~ hope that you are basking in every spectacular new moment with your beautiful little fam :) Enjoy!
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How wonderful! This chapter, for me, has passed, but even with all the medical intervention in the births of my babies, it was abundantly clear that bringing a child into the world is a MIRACLE! We birthing mothers are amazing, powerful creatures. Nursing my babies also helped me to understand how powerful and amazing our bodies are. I'm so glad I did -- 12 months for my son and 18 months for my daughter. Best of luck with your own miracle!
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Highly recommend "Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering" by Sarah Buckley, "Primal Health" by Michel Odent and "Well Adjusted Babies" by Jennifer Barham-Floreani. These books seek to inform all prospective mums of the choices available to them. Both the female authors have had 4 pregnancies and share their birth stories in their books as well.
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My absolute favorite book was Ina May Gaskin's "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth." It became my pregnancy and birth bible, especially since I had a homebirth. I also like her "Spiritual Midwifery" book - a great read even for those of us who are not midwives. "Birthing From Within" was also good, and my husband found that one easier to read than Ina May's books.
I am now very curious about "Orgasmic Birth," and will have to check it out when I get preggers again! ;) Thank you for the suggestion. :)
ox
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I really liked secrets of the baby whisperer by traci hoggs. It helps you to understand what your baby is feeling.
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I loved reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. The first half of the book is made up of different women's experiences with natural birth. Reading their stories made me realize how empowering birth was for some women. It made me want to learn more! After the birth of my daughter in December, a friend suggested I write about the experience. I shared it with a few people and ultimately decided to post it on my blog - I would love to share it with you too if you are interested in reading.
Thanks, Alicia, for all of the great discussion about nutrition, pregnancy and childbirth!
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The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin for those who want to be a part of such an amazing adventure. I also read Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth (Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Series) by Kalena Cook, Margaret Christensen M.D. and Christiane Northrup and The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer to name a few. They had such good information that further proved I had made the right choice on how I was going to give birth.
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Sorry that was supposed to say Scots Bay and I forgot the book and author haha just one of those days.
The Birth House by Ami McKay
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This is amazing and definitely the path I would take if/when I have children.
I'd like to recommend a great novel based on the clash between midwife births & modern medical births in Nova Scotia in the early 20th century. It's a fictional story but based in truth and history of Sctos Bay, NS. The author moved into the town and later found out that her current house was known as "The Birth House" in the village. I adored this book and the writing style and definitely recommend it.
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I would suggest "Birthing from Within" http://www.amazon.com/Birthing-Within-Extra-Ordinary-Childbirth-Preparation/dp/0965987302/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305134187&sr=8-1
I am 5 month prengnat and planning a home water birth.
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