Ep 101 Description:

“If we can learn to tolerate our feelings of emotional pain, grief, loss, sadness, and anxiety, we open up the possibility of being able to feel more pleasure. And it starts with the body.” —Dr. Nan Wise

Pleasure is a fundamental part of the human experience that enhances well-being and quality of life. The ability to experience joy and satisfaction promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and strengthens our relationships and connections with others. Yet modern lifestyles often leave little time for leisure, play, and mindfulness of sensations in our own bodies.

This week’s episode explores the neuroscience of pleasure and how stress impacts our ability to experience joy with our expert guest, Dr. Nan Wise. Why Good Sex Matters author, Dr. Wise, is a certified sex therapist, relationship specialist, and neuroscience researcher. Her studies help address the gaps in literature regarding the neural basis of human sexuality. Dr. Nan is passionate about teaching her clients techniques to manage stress and experience more pleasure in their daily lives and relationships.

Listen in as Debra and Dr. Wise offer strategies to regulate the nervous system and access pleasure pathways in the brain and tools pregnant women can use to prepare emotionally for birth. They also delve into how stress can "hijack" brain chemistry and impact mental health, the brain's core emotional systems, the importance of self-care for mothers, and redefining sexuality beyond intercourse to embrace embodiment and connection.

If you would like to Positively Prepare for Birth - check out our Pleasurable Birth Essentials online classes or if you are a doula take our free challenge of 5 Essential Tools to Enhance Pleasure-Centered Birth:

https://orgasmicbirth.app.clientclub.net/courses/offers/f09cf842-9294-41f3-941e-ab4cd6833a59

https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/orgasmic-birth-practitioner-training/

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:

03:11 Managing Stress and Anxiety

09:10 Brain Function and Emotions

14:21 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence During Pregnancy and Childbirth

22:03 Redefining Sexuality During Pregnancy and Parenthood

25:15 The Origin of Emotions

Ep 100 Description:

“Birth and sex are transformative, intimate, and deserving of safe private spaces that honor the essence of the experience.” —Debra Pascali-Bonaro

We welcome you to EPISODE 100!!

Our podcast has hit its pleasure peak as it reached its century mark all thanks to you, our dear listeners.

And what better way to celebrate this milestone than to reclaim birth as a natural and pleasurable experience with a heartwarming and insightful message from your host, Debra herself!

Societal conventions have long inhibited an open discussion of birth's inherent sexuality. However, when a woman's experience of her changing and birthing body is shrouded in silence rather than embraced as natural, she is deprived of cultivating an environment to honor birth's intimacy.

In this episode, Debra talks about transforming childbirth from a medicalized procedure to a natural, pleasurable experience by embracing its inherent connections to sexuality. Listen in as she discusses how physiological and psychological factors can either enhance pleasure and flow or diminish these experiences during both labor, delivery, and intimacy. Debra also shares mind-body techniques that can help women get "out of their head" and fully into their body, the role of embodiment practices, how to cultivate a safe space to honor birth's intimate nature, and challenging the societal norms that have stripped away acknowledgment of birth's sexual elements. The overall message emphasizes

If you are a doula, nurse, midwife, or birth worker who would like to expand your practice with pleasure and Orgasmic Birth - Learn more at https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/orgasmic-birth-practitioner-training/

Debra also has a class on positively preparing for a cesarean or a VBAC vaginal birth after cesarean https://orgasmicbirth.thinkific.com/courses/cesarean-vbac

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:

00:50 Guess What?

06:27 Factors That Impact Pregnancy, Labor, and Delivery

14:06 The Importance of Creating a Safe Space for Birth

19:48 Birth is Intimate and Sexy

Ep 99 Description:

“Pleasure was a part of what it meant to feel good in life. Sexual identities are important that these things are worth investing and understanding.” —Alexandra Fine

While male sexuality is frequently encouraged or normalized in mainstream culture, female sexuality and pleasure are often negative and stigmatizing. As a result, women face barriers in openly discussing their bodies and experiences with sexuality. This leads to women's health being politicized and their access to information and tools related to pleasure being restricted. However, perspectives are gradually shifting as more voices advocate for women's rights to explore their sexuality freely and pursue fulfillment in their intimate relationships without shame.

Alexandra Fine is a sexologist and the co-founder of Dame Products, a company that designs tools specifically tailored to help women explore pleasure and reclaim their sexuality. Through her work at Dame Products and as an advocate, she aims to have open discussions around female sexuality and empower women.

Tune in as Debra and Alexandra share insight into navigating sexuality, childbirth, and parenting while challenging stigmas around female pleasure. They also discussed societal attitudes towards female pleasure, the challenges of promoting healthy views of sexuality, how vibrators can be used for pain management during labor and birth, and more.

If you would like to Positively Prepare for Birth - check out our Pleasurable Birth Essentials online classes or if you are a doula take our free challenge of 5 Essential Tools to Enhance Pleasure-Centered Birth:

https://orgasmicbirth.app.clientclub.net/courses/offers/f09cf842-9294-41f3-941e-ab4cd6833a59

https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/orgasmic-birth-practitioner-training/

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:

04:14 The Business of Pleasure

09:30 The Journey: Childbirth, Parenting, and Sexuality

15:39 Societal Attitudes Toward Female Pleasure and Sexuality

20:51 Vibrators for Pain Management