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image depicting belly press during sex
Image courtesy of Getty Images

The bottom line: If a little belly press during sex helps turn you on more, that’s what matters most.

If you’ve spent much time on our site, you may have noticed that we focus primarily on improving the health of your pelvic floor, particularly if you are having issues due to illness, life changes like pregnancy or menopause, and/or recovering from an injury. But once your pelvic floor is in shape, we also love to present various techniques that help you enjoy sex more. So when Cosmo did a deep dive on the “belly press during sex” craze, they reached out to me for some input on the how’s and why’s about the technique, why it works (or not), and if and when there are times you should avoid it.

Heather Jeffcoat, DPT

The article begins:

If you’re thinking there’s no way that could possibly feel good, hear us out: Gently applying pressure to the lower abdomen during sex can feel amazing and potentially amplify your orgasms. You’ve just gotta figure out how to make it work for you.

The method first came to light when TikTok creator Nurse Ria (@love.ria.nurse) posted a video claiming that for people with vulvas, the belly press sex thing can “stimulate the G-spot from the outside.” The video quickly went viral, garnering over 1.2 million likes and racking up thousands of comments—both from enthusiastic supporters and more hesitant TikTokers saying “no thanks.” Although Nurse Ria’s video has since been deleted, the method sparked a ton of interest online—but considering it might sound low-key uncomfortable and the G-spot doesn’t actually exist, the post also left people wondering if it’s legit.

Cosmo Aks Me “What Exactly *Is* The Belly Press Method?”

As I mentioned to Cosmo, “belly press”-induced arousal makes sense anatomically. The belly button and external genitalia are all derived from the same structure, and this includes the clitoris. Since pressing on the lower belly can activate a variety of sensitive areas, the method may amplify orgasm.

Does the Belly Technique Help Stimulate the G-Spot?

Holly Wood, PhD(c), LMFT says that the “G-Spot” is really just an anatomical interaction between the clitoris, urethra, and anterior vaginal wall, called the clitourethrovaginal (CUV) complex, which is located about 2-3 inches inside the vagina on the front vaginal wall (the top wall if you're lying down on your back). And it makes sense that since many women find internal stimulation of this area arousing, that external pressure on this same area might just increase that arousal. Which leads us to…

How to Do the Belly Press Sex Thing

Clearly, there’s a lot going on anatomically that can make the belly thing a physical turn-on. So, how do you try it? “You can experiment with this by pressing down—or having a partner press down—on the abdomen, just above the pubic bone,” Wood suggests. “You can also try stimulating from the outside and the inside at the same time by using a finger or toy internally while applying that external pressure.”

When Should You Avoid the Belly Press Thing?

[Some people] find that pressure on their bladder causes them to tense up (often because they’re afraid of peeing), which can hinder orgasm,” O’Reilly says. “The bottom line is that some people love pressure against their bladder and others do not. You may also find that this type of pressure feels good on some days or not others; it may align with your menstrual cycle or the differences may be entirely random,” she says.

In short, if you’re dealing with incontinence or you are experiencing menstrual discomfort, trying the belly press during sex may not be the right thing at the moment. If you are suffering from conditions like painful bladder syndrome, you may want to try the belly technique during solo play before you involve your partner. If you’re dealing with endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and other similar issues, you may want to avoid the technique as well. If the idea of pressing on your belly during sex appeals to you, great! But if not, that’s OK, too.

Go here to read the full article at Cosmo on the belly press during sex technique, and go here if you think you might need some therapy before you're ready to try it for yourself.

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Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide To The Sex Life You Deserve

Haga clic aquí para la versión española Sex Without Pain: A Self-Treatment Guide To The Sex Life You Deserve was written by Heather Jeffcoat, DPT, a physical therapist with countless successes in treating pain of this type. Women with vaginismus, overactive pelvic floor, painful intercourse, vulvodynia, vulvar vestibulitis, vestibulodynia, dyspareunia, interstitial cystitis have all benefited from her unique program. Heather uses her orthopedic background to approach treatment of these muscles like they are....muscles! She utilizes a self-treatment tool called a dilator to provide massage and other muscle relaxation and stretching techniques in a gentle fashion to return a women's muscles back to a resting, rather than guarded, state.


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