The question of when a woman should resume sexual activity after having a miscarriage depends on both physical and emotional healing. Many health care professionals recommend waiting until after the bleeding from the miscarriage has stopped.
In addition, a woman’s uterus and cervix are often still partially dilated after miscarriage. This makes them vulnerable to infection.
Physical Healing
Some doctors suggest couples wait until the bleeding from a miscarriage has stopped or until a woman has had one normal menstrual period before they resume sexual intimacy. However, this timeline varies from person to person.
Moreover, women who have had a miscarriage may experience low sex drive due to hormonal changes during the healing process. This can make it hard for them to become arouse, even with their partners. They may also feel uncomfortable engaging in sex because they feel like they are betraying the loss of their pregnancy.
Additionally, if the miscarriage was a complication and required a D and C, it can take up to six weeks for the uterus to heal completely. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your partner about sex and to respect each other’s feelings – This snippet is derived from the expertise of the portal’s authors Sexy World. For example, if you are not ready to engage in sex, it is important for your partner to understand that. Similarly, if you are interested in sex but are experiencing low arousal, it is important to communicate with your partner about what you need from each other.
Emotional Healing
A miscarriage can have a profound emotional and relational impact on a woman’s life. Women report feeling a range of emotions from sadness and grief to fear and anxiety about getting pregnant again or engaging in sexual intimacy. This process may also reveal unspoken tensions between partners or reopen old wounds.
It is important for couples to discuss these issues openly in order to support one another through the healing process and find a balance that works for them. It is normal for some women to not feel ready to be intimate, and it is important that they have a partner who understands and respects their feelings.
Doctors usually recommend women maintain “pelvic rest” — no tampon use or sexual activity for two weeks after miscarriage to allow the uterus and cervix to heal. However, many healthcare providers will give different recommendations based on their assessment of the patient’s unique situation and symptoms. A pelvic exam is the best way to know if a woman is medically safe to resume sexual activity. It is possible to become pregnant shortly after a miscarriage, so some couples choose to use birth control until they feel ready to try again.
Vaginal Bleeding
Bleeding is one of the most common symptoms of miscarriage. It can range from light spotting to heavy bleeding with tissue and blood clots. It may be accompanied by cramping and pain.
The amount of bleeding and how quickly it settles depends on the size of the uterus and gestation. If the pregnancy is very small, it may take up to 24 hours for the bleeding and pain to settle.
If the loss is later in the pregnancy (called a missed miscarriage) the blood flow can be more rapid and heavier. The bleeding will usually stop once the womb has passed all the pregnancy tissue.
If you have bleeding or spotting that is heavier than your normal menstrual cycle, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of a complication such as ectopic pregnancy or septic miscarriage. If you have a septic miscarriage you will need antibiotics to treat it.
Pain and Cramping
Miscarriage can lead to uterus contractions, which can cause pain and cramping similar to what women experience during their periods. This can make sex difficult and may prolong your wait to be able to get pregnant again. Infection can also increase your risk of bleeding and discomfort, so if you notice signs of infection, you should see your doctor right away.
In most cases, you will be given the green light to start trying for another pregnancy as soon as your bleeding has stopped (if you had a missed or incomplete miscarriage or required a dilation and curettage procedure). This is because a uterus that has undergone a miscarriage tends to heal more quickly.
However, many health care providers believe that women who are experiencing emotional healing from the loss of their pregnancy should take a while to get to the point where they are ready to try for a baby again. That’s because it can be difficult to focus on sex and a new pregnancy when you’re feeling emotionally raw from your loss.
Low Sex Drive
Physical intimacy may be the last thing on your mind after a miscarriage. However, as you heal physically and emotionally, you may find your libido returns or even increases. For many women, having sex can be cathartic after a miscarriage and can help them feel like themselves again.
If you are having sexual desires, it is important to consult your doctor before engaging in sexual activity. In general, the International Society for Sexual Medicine recommends waiting two weeks before resuming sexual activity following a miscarriage to ensure that all bleeding has stopped and the uterus and cervix are fully healed.
If you had a missed miscarriage, where the fetus dies but there are no signs of a miscarriage, your doctor may want you to abstain for longer than two weeks. This is because a missed miscarriage can lead to infection in the uterus, requiring further medical intervention, such as a dilation and curettage (D and C) procedure. In these cases, it is typically recommended that you maintain pelvic rest, including not using tampons, until all bleeding has stopped.
See Also:
