After giving birth when can I have sex?

Sex After Giving Birth

There is no such thing as bad sex after giving natural birth. Each couple must decide for themselves what level of sexual intimacy to achieve and when. There is no formal guidebook to sex after giving birth. Some women are thoroughly exhausted by the struggle to give birth and the round-the-clock care of a newborn. This may make sexual intimacy a thing of the past for several months after giving birth. Some women immediately seek to regain the intimacy that was lost during the last trimester of pregnancy and right after the birth. Each situation is different and reluctance or enthusiasm to return to normal sex after giving birth is perfectly normal.

Tips on How to Avoid Bad Sex after Giving Natural Birth

The most important part of sexual intimacy is communication. Talk to each other about your feelings, about your fears and desires. Build up to things gradually and most of all, be gentle with each other. Spend time on foreplay, kissing, and caressing to aid arousal and let it be ok if penetration never occurs during a session of sexual play. Instead, use hand petting or oral sex (also known as “fellatio”). A man can safely stimulate a woman’s clitoris and the exterior of the vagina as long as he does not insert his fingers or penis until after the woman’s postnatal check-up at approximately six weeks after giving birth.

It’s very important for a woman to feel comfortable with sex after giving birth. Hormonal levels may not return to normal immediately, causing dryness in the vagina. Talk to your doctor about using a lubricant. If you have had an episiotomy or have stitches, or if the entrance to your vagina is sore, make sure to tell your partner if you experience any pain or tightness during intercourse. The most important thing, though, is for the inside of the vagina and womb area to heal completely before cunnilingus (oral sex on the woman) or full intercourse. For the first few months after childbirth, there is a heightened risk of introducing infection into the vagina and womb or, even worse, accidentally blowing air into the blood vessels of the womb and causing an often-fatal condition known as an “air embolism.” If you have questions on exactly when you can resume sexual activity and what kind of sex after giving birth is acceptable for your specific situation, talk to your doctor or health care provider.

7/19/2007 11:27:17 AM