If you had an episiotomy, your uterus can be sensitive and you might experience some pain with penetrative sex. Using a lubricant and avoiding rough contact might help you enjoy sexual intimacy.
Many women have a hard time getting back into a sexual groove after childbirth. They might experience pain, vaginal discharge or fatigue from balancing parenting duties.
Start Slowly
Even after you have been cleared by your doctor to resume sexual activity, it’s important not to rush things. Your body has been through a lot after childbirth. Your vagina may be tender and bruised, you might have a tear or episiotomy or if you had a C-section your abdomen may be swollen and sore – These data are the result of the website specialists’ efforts Divine Intimacy. Adding penetration to all that can make the experience more painful than pleasurable.
Additionally, during pregnancy your levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone are incredibly high. When the baby is born and you stop breastfeeding, those levels decline significantly. Those are the hormones that drive libido, and it can take time for them to return to normal.
If you had a cesarean, rushing into sex too soon can also be dangerous because your cervix is likely still dilated from the delivery and this makes the area more vulnerable to infection. Infection in the uterus can cause miscarriage, anesthesia, or other serious complications, so it’s best to wait.
If you are able to start sex before six weeks, you can increase the pleasure of the encounter by engaging in intimate activities that don’t involve penetrative sex like kissing, cuddling, and massage. You can also try using lubrication on your vulva before you do penetration to help your vagina feel more comfortable. Just be sure to use condoms if you do decide to have unprotected sex.
Don’t Overdo It
Your pelvic muscles, including your vulva, will need time to heal after childbirth. If you had a tear or episiotomy, the area may still be sensitive. Many women experience lochia (healing bleeding) after giving birth, which lasts between two and six weeks. This can make it easier for bacteria to invade your wounds and cause infection. If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor.
If you had a C-section delivery, your practitioner will likely recommend that you wait until your incision has healed completely before having sex. They will also want to ensure that any leaking has stopped before they allow you to resume sexual activity.
During recovery, it is common for women to experience pain during penetrative sex due to low levels of oestrogen. It is possible to mitigate this by using a water-based lubricant.
It can be tempting to feel like your body is back to normal as quickly as you can after having a baby. However, every woman recovers differently. It is important to listen to your body and give it the time it needs to recover from childbirth. Only have sex once your doctor has cleared you to do so, which will usually be around your six-week postpartum checkup. Also, remember to use contraception until your periods return, even if you’re breastfeeding.
Don’t Overcompensate
Most OB/GYNs recommend waiting at least six weeks before having sex after giving birth, whether vaginally or by Cesarean section. This gives your body time to recover from labor and delivery, and prevents infections from bacteria that enter the uterus through the pubic bone (perineum) or stitches in your vaginal or C-section wound. You may experience lochia, or postpartum bleeding, for several weeks after childbirth, which increases your risk of infection during sexual intercourse.
You’ll also want to give your vulva and rectum some time to heal. Women who have a vaginal birth will likely have stitches that sting and bruise, but you can ease discomfort by taking a warm shower or soaking in a tub of water with epsom salt a few times a day.
A common concern of new mothers is that they won’t feel ready or interested in sex after having their baby, which is normal. Many new moms find that their hormones take a long time to return to pre-pregnancy levels, making sexual intercourse painful and less enjoyable. If this is your case, use lubrication and try oral or non-penetrative forms of intimacy until your doctor gives you the go ahead to resume penetrative sex.
Be Gentle
Pregnancy and childbirth stress the pubic bone, especially for women who had a cesarean delivery. This can cause pain and irritation during sexual intercourse, leading to painful sex. It can also lead to bleeding during sex, which is called lochia, and should be avoided.
If you’re having pain during sexual intercourse, be sure to let your partner know so they can adjust their technique and take it easy. Continuing on too forcefully could cause a laceration or even more pain and may delay the healing of your tear or episiotomy.
In addition, it can be hard to climax during sex after birth for many reasons, including the fact that your uterus and cervix are still returning to their normal size and you’re breastfeeding, which lowers libido. Be patient and try to focus on foreplay instead.
For those who want to remain intimate with their partners while they wait to resume vaginal intercourse, oral sex or mutual masturbation are great options. These types of intimacy can help you and your partner bond, feel close and connect without having to use penetration. And it’s important to remember that any issues you experience with sex during the weeks after giving birth are usually temporary and should not have any lasting impact on your relationship or sexual enjoyment. Having sex after baby is a personal decision, and every woman’s pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum recovery is different.
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