For many couples, sex can seem like a foreign topic after pregnancy. After the mandatory four to six weeks of healing are up, you still may not be ready to do the horizontal tango, and that’s all right. You shouldn’t feel that you are forced immediately to have sex with your partner after pregnancy, especially since there are a lot of factors involved. Instead, it’s ideal to take your time and really evaluate if you are physically and mentally ready to be intimate again.
After pregnancy, you have a plethora of things to worry about. Postpartum, irregular sleep patterns, and any sort of healing involved. It is highly recommended you wait the allotted time for healing and go back to your doctor for the routine postpartum checkup before you jump back into the sack with your love. You want to make doubly sure that everything is healed to eliminate any chances of tearing, which will set you back even longer. Remember that having sex too soon can risk further injuries to any tears or even worse, lead to an infection.
Besides the physical problems you need to deal with, you also have the mental aspect as well. After a baby your hormones are a rollercoaster. The mood swings can be exacerbated by lack of sleep and dealing with your new bundle of joy. So when you put pressure of making sure your partner is sexually satisfied, it’s a lot of anxiety and you can be overwhelmed. If you feel this way, perhaps you do need to wait a little while longer until you aren’t so mentally fatigued.
When you are ready to have sex, be aware that the first time may hurt or it may not. Just as with every pregnancy in general, every woman is different and can experience different things. Sometimes a doctor may have stitched the laceration a bit too tight and penetration may be painful or you may have high levels of estrogen which can cause vaginal dryness. Be prepared by keeping a water-based lubrication on hand and to perhaps find other ways to be intimate with your partner if you are experience some pain.
Like a virgin you may seem uncomfortable with your sex life and feel awkward. It’s not something you need to worry about; you’re just a little out of practice and need some time to get back into the groove. Make sure to make time for your partner and schedule sex, I know how unsexy and unspontaneous, but prioritizing it will allow you to spend some one on one time with your partner and get that intimacy back to what it was.
Sex after pregnancy doesn’t have to be daunting. Just make sure you are both physically and mentally prepared for intimacy again. Forcing the issue and pressuring yourself to be the perfect mother, partner, and lover can only lead to disastrous results. Take the recommended amount of time to heal and enjoy the new chapter in your life. Besides sex, there are other fun ways to get the romance back into your life so be creative!
