The Breasts as a Pathway to Pleasure

Breasts are amazing creatures with complete lives of their own. They come in all different sizes, shapes, and sensitivities. Some point straight ahead, others seem to veer out to the sides. Some need a little support, and others seem to defy gravity (and I'm not talking about implants). Some have small and tight areolas, while others have large areolas that cover almost one third of the area of the breast. Some women's nipples are very prominent always, and some only when stimulated or sucked. Some women even have inverted nipples that resemble little dimples which may or may not pop out when stimulated. Breasts function, of course, to provide milk for newborns and infants. But for women, they do so much more. They are the source of great frustration if they develop late, and the source of great envy if they develop early. Some women are shy about their breasts and develop hunched-over shoulders to hide them, while others feel their breasts are powerful and hold them high. I even have a friend who refers to hers as "breasticles." Women feel so differently about their breasts, and even their own feelings about their breasts change throughout their life.

What I am here to discuss today is the way that breasts enhance our sexual pleasure. It's obvious that if you are someone attracted to breasts (man or woman), looking at breasts can be arousing - especially if they are bouncing, or have goosebumps, or are wet coming out of the shower....you get the picture. The fact is that stimulation of the breasts is wonderful way to increase your arousal, and possibly the intensity of your orgasms. Sensitivity can vary quite a bit from woman to woman, with smaller breasts on average being more sensitive than larger breasts. Also, when there is breast surgery, sensitivity can be impaired - either reduced or almost eliminated completely. This usually depends on whether the surgery allows for preservation of the fourth intercostal nerve which is responsible for the nipple-areola area. Surgery aside, breast sensitivity in pre-menopausal women varies with their menstrual cycle, with the time between ovulation and the start of flow being the most sensitive period. Some women even find their breasts too sensitive to touch in the days just before starting their period.

Many people are aware that when women are breastfeeding, they experience contraction of their uterus that can vary in intensity from pleasurable to painful. The body achieves this through the hormone oxytocin, which is released when the breasts and nipples are stimulated. This can alarm some women who find themselves feeling sexually aroused while nursing, but it is a natural phenomenon that is not dependent on erotic thought. This release of oxytocin with breast and nipple stimulation happens in women that are not nursing as well. Oxytocin release is also responsible for the nipple becoming erect with excitement and stimulation, caused by contraction of smooth muscle underneath the skin of the areola which pulls on the overlying skin creating a goosebump-like effect. As the breasts continue to receive stimulation, oxytocin continues to be released into the bloodstream, which has it's most intense effects within the first 5 minutes after release, but can continue to increase contractions for up to an hour. But as breast stimulation continues, so does release of oxytocin. What this translates into is more intense uterine orgasms as well as the feeling of having your whole body involved in your orgasm. Also, about 1% of women can experience an orgasm just from having their breasts and nipples stimulated, which is called the oxytocin pathway to orgasm. Oxytocin is also responsible for that tingly feeling after sexual arousal and/or orgasm, as well as a sense of sexual satisfaction.

Usually stimulation is most intense when started off slow with gentle pressure, building up as the excitement level increases. Breasts can increase about 25-30% when a woman becomes sexually aroused, and as the stimulation continues, more intense pressure, sucking, pinching, nibbling, etc. can be tolerated. The increased blood flow to the breasts during stimulation also accounts for the pleasure of movement with the motion of intercourse. So we see how the breasts are a pathway to pleasure to be savored and experimented with, providing women with stronger orgasms, and wonderful feelings of whole-body involvement in their sexual experience.