Sex After
Giving Birth
How long should you wait
Having sex with your partner again, after giving birth, may
either be very exciting or very anxiety provoking, or both
Some women feel they are ready soon after delivery Others
would like to wait much longer even than their doctor recommends
While some practitioners suggest you should wait at least four
weeks after you deliver, most suggest waiting six weeks At
this point, you should have had your postpartum check-up and
your practitioner can see how you are healing (particularly if
you had an episiotomy)
Although many women feel physically ready to engage in sexual
relations after having a baby, they may not feel the desire they once had
Reasons
for decreased desire
»Hormones:
Sexual desire is often diminished after childbirth due to
decreased hormone levels. This may be particularly true for
breastfeeding mothers, where the hormonal suppression can last
months
»Fatigue:
Fatigue is a major factor
The baby is waking up at all hours, leaving you eternally
exhausted
»Time:
The opportunity just isn't there Life is
suddenly changed to the point of chaos
»Body
Image:
Sometimes women and men feel
differently about the woman's body after she gives birth
»Anxiety:
Many women feel anxiety about the pain
they might experience Intercourse is often uncomfortable at the
beginning Your perineum may still be sore even after the
six-week wait to have intercourse If you are breastfeeding, you
may experience vaginal dryness due to lack of hormones
When you feel that you are ready to
have sex again:
»Make
some time
-
for you and your partner
Wait until the baby is asleep or leave him or her with a friend
Do something fun just for the two of you. Set the mood for your
evening together
»Start slowly
- tell your partner what pleases
you and what is uncomfortable Use a lubricant for vaginal
dryness, if you need to A water-soluble choice is best, such as
KY jelly or a "personal lubricant" usually displayed near the spermicides at your
drugstore
»Try
different positions -
Sometimes
a woman may have more control if she is on her side or kneeling
over her partner
»Prevent
leaking milk -
If you are worried
about leaking milk, wear a bra during sex
»Don't
ignore persistent pain -
If you
have pain that prevents intercourse, lasts throughout
intercourse, or doesn't slowly improve over weeks, discuss it
with your practitioner
You and your partner need to communicate about
any issues that concern you, and only engage in sex when you
both feel ready You may want to explore other avenues of
making love aside from sexual intercourse, such as oral sex or
mutual masturbation, until both of you feel comfortable with
intercourse
Source:
"Pregnancy" magazine
|
AllAboutDress.com
