Orgasmic Birth

Risk vs Pleasure Series

Ep 165 Description:

"If you are focused on the risk, or you're worried or you're anxious about what's going to go wrong, that is taking up too much of your brain. We need to deal with it and put it into perspective so that we can clear the path to joy and pleasure." —Dr. Sara Wickham

Pregnancy is supposed to be a time of wonder, but too often the first word that comes up is "risk". Suddenly, every choice feels like a warning sign, and joy gets pushed into the background. No one talks about how heavy that constant fear can feel—or how much it steals from the confidence and pleasure that should be part of the journey.

After decades as a midwife, researcher, and lecturer, Dr. Sara Wickham saw how the medical model's focus on risk overshadowed women's voices and experiences. Now, through her books and the Birth Information Project, she's breaking down the numbers and challenging the myths, showing women that evidence doesn't have to be scary—it can be liberating.

In this conversation, Debra and Sara unpack how risk talk shapes pregnancy, why many "warnings" don't match the actual evidence, and how women can reclaim joy, confidence, and even pleasure in birth—including insights from her new book Plus Size Pregnancy. Expect tools, clarity, and a refreshing reminder that pregnancy isn't just about minimizing danger—it's about living the experience fully.

Connect with Sara:Dr. Sara Wickham, PhD, MA, PGCert, BA(Hons) is a bestselling author, speaker, and researcher who works independently. Sara is the Director of the Birth Information Project. Sara's career has been varied and includes three decades of experience as a midwife, lecturer, and researcher.

She is the author/editor of eighteen books, has edited three midwifery journals, and lectured in more than thirty countries. Sara provides consultancy services for midwifery and health-related organisations around the world. She is based in south-west England.

Website: https://www.sarawickham.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsarawickham

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saramidwife

Connect with Debra!Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

03:13 The Cultural Obsession with Risk

06:31 The Impact of Risk on Women's Experiences

09:14 Understanding Evidence Around Risk

16:38 Induction of Labor and Its Implications

27:18 Plus Size Pregnancy and Evidence Discrepancies

36:15 The Importance of Reframing Risk

Resources:

💗 Fin Pleasure VIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

💗 Sponsorship

Partner with us to share your offerings with our audience that cherishes authenticity, connection, and family well-being. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.orgasmicbirth.com or email me at: [email protected]

💗 Gift

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about pleasure in birth, parenting, and birth work, visit www.orgasmicbirth.com/more for my free gifts

Ep 164 Description:

"The birthing process and the birthing journey is inherently a spiritual experience, and once we have divorced that spiritual aspect from child birthing, that's when we run into a lot of issues." —Zina Grace

Sometimes, the weight of old wounds and silence around sexuality can make it seem impossible to reclaim our sense of power and connection. There's a different way forward—one that honors our story and opens the door to healing.

Zina Grace's path weaves through deep personal loss, religious trauma, and a relentless search for meaning, leading her to help others transform pain into spiritual and erotic renewal, especially for Black women navigating birth and healing. Zina brings a bold, compassionate perspective on reclaiming pleasure and intuition as essential tools for empowerment.

Join in as Debra and Zina get real on breaking cycles of trauma, finding spiritual rebirth, and bringing pleasure back into birth and life—plus Zina's practical tips, stories, and the truth about black maternal health, intuition, and creating safe, loving spaces.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:58 Birthing Forward

06:08 The Connection Between Sexuality and Spirituality in Birth

09:17 Tips for Healing

12:46 The Importance of Reclaiming Sacred Power in Birth

20:09 Orgasmic Birth in the Black Birthing World

28:05 Healing Trauma Through Pleasure

Resources:

💗Ready to transform how birth is supported and experienced?

Join Debra Pascali-Bonaro's free masterclass on pleasure-centered, empowering birth, and discover practical tools, scientific insights, and evidence-based techniques that make a difference for birthworkers everywhere—enroll today to lead the change and elevate your practice.

Join for free: https://orgasmicbirth.thinkific.com/courses/essentials-tools-to-enhance-pleasure-centered-birth

💗If you are already a doula, nurse, midwife, or birth worker and in need of continuing education units, join Debra's Orgasmic Birth Practitioner Training. Birthworkers gather from around the world to learn together and create an Orgasmic Community. Learn more at https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/orgasmic-birth-practitioner-training

Ep 149 Description:

"Women have the power to transform this world. If we really want to save our world and bring peace and prosperity, and harmony, we need to go the mother's way away from this male-dominated mode, which is not working. Let's save the world one orgasm at a time." —Ibu Robin Lim

Have you ever wondered about the untold stories hidden within the most intimate part of a woman's body? What secrets lie beneath the surface of our most misunderstood and often silenced anatomical landscape? The Yoni is more than just a physical space—it's a powerful narrative of strength, pleasure, and ancestral wisdom.

Ibu Robin Lim is a CNN Hero and internationally renowned midwife who has delivered over 16,000 babies across disaster zones in Indonesia and The Philippines. With decades of experience and a passion for women's reproductive health, she brings revolutionary insights into female sexuality, childbirth, and holistic wellness.

Tune in as Debra and Ibu Robin shatter taboos, celebrate female anatomy, and explore how understanding our Yonis can unlock personal healing, challenge societal norms, and ultimately reshape our collective approach to women's health, pleasure, and potential.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:26 A Unique Model of Care

07:05 Challenges and Successes at Maternal Health Care

13:55 The Yoni Owner's Manual

20:51 The Yoni's Historical and Cultural Significance

27:33 The Role of the Clitoris in Childbirth

33:25 Advice for Pregnant Women

34:48 Connect with Ibu

39:06 Women Supporting Women

Resources:

💗Join me in Bali, Indonesia, for Eat Pray Doula. Our DONA Birth Doula Training is a unique 7-day retreat for beginning doulas, and our Advanced Skills Retreat is perfect for those looking to expand their skillset and nourish themselves amongst like-minded Birthkeepers from around the world: www.eatpraydoula.com

Connect with Ibu:

Robin Lim is a Filipina-American grandmother, midwife, and founder of Bumi Sehat Foundation, which maintains six clinics in Indonesia and The Philippines. She is an accomplished author, teacher, keynote speaker, 2011 CNN "Hero of the Year," and Ashoka Fellow (a prestigious award for the world's leading social change entrepreneurs).

She is most commonly known in Bali, where Bumi Sehat's headquarters and flagship clinic are located, as simply Ibu ("Mother") Robin. She resides there with her husband, Wil Hemmerle, her 92-year-old mother, Crescenia, and many of her eight children and seven grandchildren.

With a vision to revolutionize birth, peacefully, Ibu Robin founded the Bumi Sehat ("Healthy Mother Earth") Foundation in 1993 to provide birthing services and heal the country's devastatingly high maternal and infant mortality rate. Following the tradition of her own Filipina grandmother, who was a traditional healer and birthkeeper, Ibu Robin became a Certified Professional Midwife and led Bumi Sehat's community health and childbirth clinic.

Get your copy of Yoni Owner's Manual: https://a.co/d/eckZP18

Website: www.bumisehatfoundation.org or www.iburobin.com.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iburobin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iburobinlim

X: http://twitter.com/iburobin

Orgasmic Birth Story Series

Ep 162 Description:

"Try and change your mindset, because we're taught that birth is painful and hard and scary and can't be fun." —Tara Muckerheide

Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) is more than a medical choice—it's a profound journey of bodily autonomy and healing. Every woman's birth story carries the potential to rewrite medical narratives that have historically limited her agency.

Tara Muckerheide transformed her birth experiences from medical trauma to empowered motherhood, challenging medical assumptions after two cesarean sections. Through midwifery care and a deep commitment to understanding her body, she successfully achieved two transformative vaginal births, proving that women's birthing experiences can be reclaimed and redefined.

Tune in as Debra and Tara dive deep into a raw, inspiring conversation exploring pleasure-centered birthing, midwifery support, overcoming medical trauma, the power of mindset, partner involvement, and strategies for creating a joyful, empowering birth experience.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:43 Meet Tara: Embracing Labor with Joy and Confidence

09:24 Preparing for Baby Number 4

15:13 The Role of Pleasure in Labor

24:02 Advice for Future Parents

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more

💗If you or someone you love is preparing for pregnancy or birth, join Debra's Pleasurable Birth Essentials to prepare for a positive, safe, and healthy birth experience: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/pleasurable-birth-essentials

💗Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth: https://a.co/d/80xJ1NH

💗Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying Birth Experience: https://a.co/d/gMZnPOB

💗Fin Pleasure VIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

Ep 161 Description:

"If we were born in a loving way into the world, that will change the future generations." —Magaly Buitrago

The moment of birth exists in a liminal space between worlds, where science and mystery intertwine. No technology can fully capture the mystery of bringing human life into existence. And in this critical moment, women become portals of creation, simultaneously vulnerable and invincible.

Magaly Buitrago, aka "La-Maga", is a Colombian-born doula and spiritual guide. Magaly's profound near-death experience during childbirth completely transformed her understanding of life, death, and human potential. Her extraordinary journey from a near-fatal birth to becoming an international birth empowerment specialist reveals the incredible resilience of the feminine spirit.

Tune in as Debra and Magaly dive deep into Magaly's orgasmic birth and spiritual awakening, overcoming birth fears, the connection between sexuality and spirituality, and how positive birth narratives can potentially heal generational trauma.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:37 Magaly's Journey to Birth Work

12:18 First Birth Experience

25:09 Near-Death Experience: Spiritual and Personal Transformation

28:06 Second and Third Birth

34:18 Helping Women Overcome Birth Fears

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more

💗 Fin Pleasure VIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

💗Partner with us to share your offerings with our audience that cherishes authenticity, connection, and family well-being. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.orgasmicbirth.com or email me at: [email protected]

Ep 160 Description:

"Sexuality is ours. It isn't something we bring from the outside. It isn't dependent on having a partner. We can connect to that channel of sexuality, which is pure life force at any moment." —Naoli Vinaver

Pain is not the inevitable companion of childbirth—pleasure is. Women have been systematically disconnected from the profound energetic and sexual potential of their birthing experiences. But what if we challenge everything we've been told about how babies enter the world?

Naoli Vinaver is a veteran midwife with nearly 40 years of experience revolutionizing birth practices. Her groundbreaking work explores the intersection of sexuality, healing, and childbirth, challenging cultural taboos and empowering women to reclaim their most intimate experiences.

Tune in as Debra and Naoli dive deep into the transformative power of pleasure, revealing how masturbation, tantric techniques, and sexual energy can turn childbirth from a feared ordeal into a transcendent, healing journey of self-discovery and empowerment.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:12 Naoli's Journey as a Midwife

06:53 The Role of Pleasure in Birth

11:28 A Case Study: A Lawyer's Birth

20:03 Finding Healing and Transformation

24:45 Introduction to the FIN Pleasure VIBE

28:36 Pleasure Tools Revolutionizing Birth

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more

💗 Fin Pleasure VIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

💗 Join me in Bali, Indonesia for Eat Pray Doula. Our DONA Birth Doula Training is a unique 7-day retreat for beginning doulas and our Advanced Skills Retreat is perfect for those looking to expand their skillset and nourish themselves amongst like-minded Birthkeepers from around the world. www.eatpraydoula.com

Ep 159 Description:

The body knows sensations beyond suffering, and sometimes, liberation comes from the most unexpected tools.

The Fin PleasureVibe is a waterproof, medical-grade silicone finger vibrator designed specifically to support comfort and pleasure during pregnancy and childbirth. Its innovative design offers five vibration settings, allowing individuals to explore pain relief and sensory empowerment during labor.

Tune in as Debra explores how self-pleasure can reduce pain, boost oxytocin, enhance labor progress, support postpartum healing, and transform the birthing experience from a medical event to a deeply personal, empowering journey of connection and pleasure.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

03:57 The Power Of Pleasure In Pregnancy

05:54 Pleasure As Pain Relife In Labor

08:30 Oxytocin, Pleasure & Labor Progress

11:06 Breaking The Stigma: Pleasure In The Birth Space

18:55 Practical Tips For Using The Fin PleasureVibe In Birth & Beyond

21:17 Healing and Empowerment in Birth

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more/

💗 Fin PleasureVIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

Ep 158 Description:

"If something feels good and you are not harming anyone, keep doing it, because pleasure will give you health, as simple as that." —Samara Ferrara

Imagine for a moment that your body's capacity for pleasure is your greatest strength in birth. That every fear, every past pain, could be transformed into a source of profound power and release. This isn't a fantasy; it's an ancient wisdom rooted not in fear, but in profound joy, release, and presence.

Samara Ferrara is a professional home birth midwife in Mexico who brings a blend of science, spirit, and sacred care to her work. Having witnessed birth as a child and later birthing her own three children at home, she embodies a deep trust in the body's innate wisdom. Her courageous journey of healing from past trauma offers profound insight into how women can reclaim their sovereignty and transform the birthing process through pleasure.

Tune in as Debra and Samara dive into the heart of Samara's practice, exploring how her personal story with pleasure and spiritual connection guides her work. She also shares a moving homebirth experience that revealed birth as a rite of passage and opens up about how motherhood, loss, and life's deepest cycles have shaped her sacred service to others.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

03:23 Introduced to Home Births

08:38 The Role of Doulas and Support Teams

13:31 Addressing Trauma and Finding Healing

15:58 Motherhood, Loos, and Deepening

19:51 Creating Pleasure in Birth and Parenting

25:26 Educating Children on Pleasure and Health

28:42 Explore Joy

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more

💗 Fin Pleasure VIBE, a wearable finger vibrator that can be used in pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum for pleasure, oxytocin enhancement, pain reduction, and healing: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/fin-pleasurevibe/

Birth Story Inspired by Podcast

Ep 157 Description:

"In birth, I should also trust myself more than I would trust the doctors or anybody else." —Augusta Sofija Lagauske

What if birth could be powerful, calm, and even ecstatic—no matter what you've heard? If you're tired of fear-based stories and want to believe in your body's strength, this episode is for you. It's time to rethink what's possible in the hospital.

Augusta Sofija Lagauske, a Lithuanian jeweler, shares how a tough pregnancy and a sea of doubts led her to trust her intuition and prepare for an empowering hospital birth. Her story isn't just about luck—it's about mindset, support, and reclaiming your experience. Now, Augusta is on a mission to help others find confidence and pleasure in birth, no matter their circumstances.

Hit play to hear Augusta's honest journey, from bed rest to a fast, empowering water birth, and learn how she used relaxation, the Bradley Method, and self-trust to transform her experience. You'll get real talk on overcoming fear, building a support team, and practical tips for making birth your own.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:22 Meet Augusta: From Active Athlete to Bed Rest

07:00 Overcoming Setbacks and Reclaiming Your Body

09:30 Preparing for a Positive Birth

12:30 A New Perspective: Orgasmic Birth

16:07 Mind Preparation: Meditation, Nature, and Trust

18:00 Labor to Hospital Birth: Trusting the Process

26:00 The Birth: Fast, Intense, Empowering

29:22 Advice: Facing Fear and Finding Support

Resources:

💗 Sponsorship

Partner with us to share your offerings with our audience that cherishes authenticity, connection, and family well-being. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.orgasmicbirth.com or email me at: [email protected]

💗A pleasurable, safe birth begins with quality, positive childbirth education. Join Debra's online childbirth class, Pleasurable Birth Essentials: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/pleasurable-birth-essentials

Ep 156 Description:

"You birth the way you live. This is key." —Anna Lundqvist

What if the very thing you've been taught to fear about birth could actually be powerful—even pleasurable? If you've ever wondered why your desires for a calm, connected, or sacred birth feel "too much" or "too radical," you're not alone. In a world where women are told to numb, silence, and surrender their bodies to systems, reclaiming joy in birth isn't just brave—it's revolutionary and rebellious.

Anna Lundqvist is a former midwife and the founder of Sacred Birth International, where she mentors birth workers and empowers women through education on physiological, sacred birth. With decades of experience witnessing both clinical and intuitive birth practices, Anna offers grounded, spiritual insight into how women can birth with sovereignty and sensuality. Her global perspective and deep reverence for the feminine make this episode a transformative deep dive into what's possible when we invite pleasure into the birth space.

Ready to challenge the narrative and rewrite your own birth story? Hit play to hear how reclaiming pleasure, presence, and power can change everything—from the way you prepare for birth to the way you meet your baby. Expect real talk on orgasmic birth, embodied wisdom, the mind-body connection, and why choosing pleasure is the most rebellious act of all.

Connect with Debra!

Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orgasmicbirth

X: https://twitter.com/OrgasmicBirth

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/OrgasmicBirth1

Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@orgasmicbirth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471

Episode Highlights:

02:12 Why Choosing Pleasure is a Rebellious Act

04:46 Who Can Experience Orgasmic Birth

08:30 Intimacy in the Birthing Room

13:00 Practitioners' Perspective

19:19 Tools for Meeting the Intensity of Labor

21:50 Your Body is Made to Do This!

Resources:

💗 Enjoying the episode? Debra has a free gift for you! Visit: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/more/