Your Brain on Nipple Stimulation
Why Our Breasts Are So Erogenous, Especially the NAC (the “Nipple Areola Complex”)
Breasts have a big role to play in a woman’s sexual arousal. When the nipples are stimulated a waterfall of hormone releases occur, mimicking a genital orgasm. Pioneering French obstetrician Michel Odent (now in his 90s) called this release the “orgasmogenic cocktail.” First comes the release of oxytocin, then the release of pain killing endorphins, then the release of prolactin. All of these produce deep relaxation and calm the “monkey mind”—which is to say that they reduce activity in the neocortex, and prepare the body for an orgasmic experience.
But why? There’s more information available now than ever before on why the NAC is so sexy. First, the NAC has tissue formations that are the same as those of the clitoris and penis: specifically genital corpuscles, golgi-mazzoni corpuscles, and vater-pacini bodies. Secondly, nipple stimulation activates the neurons of the PVN (paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus), which is the common pathway for oxytocin secretion (you remember that from a few months ago? See this post on oxytocin, the love hormone.)
Third, “nipples light up the brain the way genitals do.” This study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, shows that “the sensation from the nipples travels to the same part of the brain as sensations from the vagina, clitoris, and cervix.” It is the first study to map the female genitals onto the sensory portion of the brain.
try these on nipples and breasts
We can use this knowledge to have better sexual experiences, alone or with others. Some women actually report nipple orgasms with no genital stimulation. Blended orgasms (from stimulating the nipples and genitals simultaneously) can be deeper, and make orgasms in general more accessible for women.
There are so many stimulation techniques! You can self-stimulate your nipples, or ask a lover to do it. Set aside some investigation time, and notice what lights up in your body as your breasts are touched. Play with pressure, intensity, and duration. Manual stimulation—caressing, pinching, pulling, twisting, turning, squeezing—is often enough. Try pulsing pressure on and off. Notice what is too much and what is just right for you. The breasts and the NAC are especially sensitive to deep or heavy pressure. Some women like more intense mechanical stimulation, using nipple clamps (the round, spring-loaded ones hold best) or clips, or with breast ties. All create different sensations as well as a focusing effect. You can also stimulate the breasts and NAC topically, with substances that activate the adrenergic receptors in the NAC.
The role of the breasts in female sexual arousal is yet another gift of our bodies, and we encourage you to explore it in every way you can. Rosebud Woman's pure plant based products support full body health and pleasure. Try Arouse on your nipples, and Anoint for breast massage.
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