Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Childbirth heralds changes, and the changes in your sex life will be rather dramatic.

How you feel about sex after pregnancy is going to depend largely on your health, your birth experience, and your new life with the baby.

Do not discount the emotional changes that will hit you. They, as much as the physical ones, can profoundly affect your sexuality.

A big part of post pregnancy sexuality, like all sexuality, is communication.

Talk to your partner before the birth, and talk to your health care provider as well. Then all of you can get a heads up on the changes and what to expect.

The expressions of sexuality after birth range from a quick re-establishment of the old patterns to a total loss of interest. Some men have a temporary loss in the ability to sustain an erection.

And the underlying cause may be no more than fatigue. New babies are tiring.  But there are a few specifics that you and your partner can know about and prepare for.

Doctors have many different opinions as to when sex can be resumed. Some of it will depend on how the birth went, especially if there was an episiotomy. This is a common procedure and will take at least two to three weeks to heal.

Your doctor will guide you through any post operative care. Of course, you will need to avoid all penetration until that is healed. Soaking baths will help the healing.

Be aware that the area will remain sensitive to any pressure for a long time. Your doctor will usually tell you when it is safe to resume sexual activity.

There will be some additional hormonal changes that will affect you sexually. There will probably be some vaginal dryness. It should be improved in about two to three months.

Until then, there are several very good lubricants that will help things along. Additional foreplay is another good idea.

Sexual arousal may cause leaking of breast milk. Don’t worry. On the other hand, there may be some tenderness or decreased sensation.  Just stimulate your breasts as you find comfortable. The breast milk will be unaffected.

If these issues continue for longer than a few weeks, or there is a profound loss of sensation, there may be some residual nerve damage and your doctor will be able to guide you into another phase of treatment.

The thing to remember is that, no matter what the changes are, they can be managed so that you can enjoy your sexuality again.