Woman Says She Got Through Childbirth by Masturbating

If you've ever pictured how you might give birth, you've probably envisioned yourself getting the epidural, delivering via C-section, or having a natural birth — maybe in a hospital, or maybe at home. But those aren't the only ways to bring a human into the world. You can also ... masturbate through labor. A mom of two, birth photographer, and doula from Australia named Angela Gallo shared in a recent blog post that her painkiller of choice during childbirth was "clitorial stimulation."

Gallo described her first experience with childbirth as "highly medicalised," in that she had an epidural and felt like it caused her to be disconnected from her body. It also lasted 45 hours. But the second time around, she says, "masturbated to avoid other interventions, and the labor lasted just six hours.

"Masturbation made the MOST sense to me as I labored through my surges," Gallo wrote. "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."

She explained that the sensations she experienced weren't "orgasmic in a sexual way." Instead, she felt "pleasure. It was my glorious instinctual pain-relief system coming to life! I am so proud of myself for exploring an avenue so typically shamed."

Gallo isn't alone. Other women sing the praises of the practice, citing as their inspiration books like the 2010 title Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying, and Pleasurable Birth Experience by Elizabeth Davis and Debra Pascali-Bonaro.

Sure, self-pleasure during childbirth probably isn't gonna work for every woman, but for those who do, it can feel like a win-win.

Here are images photographer Lacey Barratt took of Gallo during her orgasmic birth.

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