Pleasure in Birth

Pleasure in Birth: Wellbeing, Praxis, and Reproductive Justice explores how birthing people experience pleasure in childbirth, challenging dominant narratives that equate birth solely with pain and suffering. Drawing on The Birth Pleasure Study-the first rigorous mixed-methods research of its kind-this book presents rich data from 23 interviews covering 43 birth experiences across diverse racial, ethnic, gender, and socio- economic backgrounds. The book weaves experiential accounts with critical analysis to examine how cultural beliefs shape birth experiences and reinforce the maternal health crisis, particularly in the US. By introducing the Pleasure-Forward Birth Model, the book reimagines childbirth as a site of possibility, resilience, and joy, pushing back against the hyper-medicalized and fear-driven status quo. Pleasure in Birth: Wellbeing, Praxis, and Reproductive Justice is ideal for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professional birth workers in the social and medical sciences, especially those interested in reproductive justice, maternal health, and cultural approaches to childbirth.

Elisabeth Bolaza is a critical sexualities scholar, reproductive anthropologist, and maternal health researcher. She is the founder and lead of SORADA, a research consulting practice transforming maternal, sexual, and reproductive health through research, rigor, and praxis. She is based in Oakland, California.

Introduction Chapter 1: Why We Give Birth this Way Chapter 2: Birth Pleasure Experiences and Perceptions Chapter 3: Pain-Free Birth Chapter 4: Medicalization, Demedicalization, and Praxis Chapter 5: The Sexuality Connection and Birth Pleasure Chapter 6: Race, Class, and Feeling Good in Birth Chapter 7: The Pleasure-Forward Model of Birth Appendix