Breastfeeding Orgasm: Fully Explained

Just when you thought you’d delved into all the 'breastfeeding topics that shouldn’t be taboo but are,' the breastfeeding orgasm comes along.

The struggles of breastfeeding are real—engorgement, latching difficulties, dry nipples, breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding at work… The list is long.

But breastfeeding is also wonderful for so many different reasons.

It promotes bonding with your baby, lowers your risk of everything from type 2 diabetes to breast cancer, and provides some A-grade nutrition.

But it turns out, breastfeeding has another secret weapon: it can make you feel good—like really, really good.

Welcome to the world of the breastfeeding orgasm. 🤯

In this article: 📝

Note: Before we go any further, talking about unintentional orgasms is complex—particularly for survivors of sexual assault. If you need a quick answer as to whether or not having an orgasm during breastfeeding is a normal experience, yes, it is—but that doesn’t mean you’re required to just accept it and move on if it brings up negative feelings for you. Counseling can really help. As can reaching out to trusted loved ones. Peanut’s also a place where you can talk about these things, with zero shame. Head here to join the conversation.

Do you feel pleasure from breastfeeding?

If you’re thinking pleasure and breastfeeding in the same sentence is a little taboo, you’re not alone.

Breastfeeding arousal may not be spoken about widely (or loudly), but that doesn’t mean it’s uncommon.

In fact, the relationship between sex and breastfeeding has been the subject of study for many years (with some interesting findings).

For example, physiologically, when a woman is lactating, there’s no vaginal wetness should she become sexually excited.

And despite being erogenous zones, when lactating, your nipples may be sensitive, but they don’t spark the typical aroused response during breastfeeding.

That’s not to say you can’t experience pleasure from breastfeeding.

It just means this involuntary response isn’t the cause of sexual feelings.

Baby’s suckling is simply stimulating the release of the hormones oxytocin (street name: the love hormone) and prolactin.

Oxytocin is responsible for the let-down reflex, which causes breastmilk to flow and can feel like a tingling, warm sensation.

This rush of oxytocin also causes a satisfying, relaxing, and even pleasurable experience—those same sensations that connect this little hormone to love and sensuality.

But it's worth remembering that oxytocin is an important player in female reproduction, being released in large amounts during childbirth and breastfeeding.

And the beauty of oxytocin and prolactin is the sense of calm and ease they stimulate in mom—and the bonding with baby they encourage.

It just so happens that oxytocin also plays a role in orgasms.

Is it common to orgasm while breastfeeding?

So, the science is in (and has been for decades): orgasms and breastfeeding have a complicated relationship.

And it’s perfectly ok if this makes you feel in any way uncomfortable—these are not terms we would expect to see in one sentence.

Type lactation orgasm into Google, and the search results are most probably not the answers you’re looking for.

Really, breastfeeding arousal is a sign your hormones are doing what they're meant to do exceptionally well.

As we saw above, when you breastfeed, you may experience intense pleasure because of oxytocin—the very same hormone that is released when you orgasm.

While oxytocin is getting busy stimulating milk production as you breastfeed, it also does the job of causing contractions in your uterus to help it get back to its pre-pregnancy state.

Put this all together, add some physical nipple stimulation to the mix, and the potential for experiencing an orgasm from breastfeeding is most certainly there.

And then, of course, there’s the orgasm that comes from having sex during the period that you’re breastfeeding.

But that's not always a sure thing either...

Does breastfeeding affect your sex drive?

Often, new mamas don’t feel like having sex, and not only because they’re knee-deep in baby bodily fluids.

You see, after you give birth, your estrogen levels drop.

And, when you breastfeed, the release of prolactin further drives estrogen down.

Why does this matter? Well, because estrogen and libido are happy bedfellows.

And a lack of estrogen may also lead to vaginal dryness.

All in all, orgasms may be hard to come by (forgive the pun), and sex may be the last thing on your mind. (Don’t worry, it’s not forever).

Postpartum recovery can be rough, and for some new moms, adjusting to the wild physiological and psychological changes can take time.

The bottom line?

The world of the breastfeeding orgasm is a confusing one.

On the one hand, it can be perfectly normal to have an orgasm while breastfeeding your baby.

On the other, it might be more difficult to have an orgasm (or even feel like having sex) when you’re a breastfeeding mama.

Is it OK if I breastfeed my partner?

Whether you want to breastfeed your partner is entirely up to you.

The breasts are a very common erogenous zone for many people, so if this is what you’re in the mood for, go for it.

In fact, there’s a whole school of fetishism called erotic lactation.

So that you’re in the know, your breast may leak when you orgasm.

Use it, or don’t--up to you!

Heads up, though, if either you or your partner has an infection or virus, it’s best to steer clear as it could be transmitted between the two of you.

Also, make sure that you talk about expectations beforehand and afterward.

This should be a pleasant experience. If it’s not, it’s not worth it.

Breastfeeding orgasms: the final word

Having an orgasm while breastfeeding may not be the most talked about subject in your parent support group, but it can happen.

And it may even be common.

Call it another random paragraph in the weird chapter called postpartum.

Your body is going through some wild changes, and this can present in totally unexpected ways—whether that’s a blow to your sex drive or an orgasm out of left field.

So if you need to hear this right now, you can still be a sexual being and feed your child.

These concepts are not mutually exclusive.

Equally, orgasmic sensations are not always sexual.

Our hormones can make us feel all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons.

Sometimes these feelings are sex-related, sometimes not.

Either way, there’s no shame in however your body responds to what it’s going through. ❤️