From falling in love and getting married to pregnancy and childbirth, it's a process that most parents go through. For many new parents, welcoming a new baby is a time of joy and excitement. However, along with the joy and excitement that your baby's arrival brings, many parents find themselves facing a new set of challenges, and in addition to the juggling act of coping with their new role, one of these is the change in their postpartum sex life. While this may not be an easy topic to talk about, understanding and coping with these challenges is important to maintaining your intimacy and family relationships. Next in this blog we'll explore common issues new parents may face regarding their postpartum sex life and offer some advice and solutions to help them through this transition.
Frequently Asked Questions about Postpartum Sex
Physiological changes
It takes time for the body to recover
Mothers are weaker for a longer period of time after giving birth, so it takes some time for the body to recover. This includes uterine contractions, wound healing, etc. First of all, generally speaking, in the case of a normal delivery, your doctor will advise you to wait until 6 weeks after the baby is born before you start having sex again. This is because the uterus and cervix of a new mom change a lot during labor and delivery, and it takes some time to recover. During this recovery period, the mucous membranes of the vaginal walls are more fragile and prone to damage. At the same time, the uterus has not yet fully recovered, sexual intercourse is easy to bring bacteria into and cause endometritis and inflammation of its organs. In addition, the delivery to the vulva, vagina and other injuries caused by premature sexual intercourse will also delay the healing, and even cause infection. If it is a cesarean section of new mothers, should be in the birth of three months before resuming sexual life.
Hormonal changes have a big impact on libido
After a long pregnancy, the moment the baby is delivered successfully, many mothers will welcome a moment of relief, but at the same time, affected by the body's hormone levels, new mothers will experience hormonal imbalance after delivery. However, this hormonal imbalance is reflected in the loss of libido. In addition, physically, there will also be pain during sex. Due to the excessive muscle exertion during labor, the pelvic floor muscles are prone to reactive contraction, resulting in pelvic floor muscle tension.
psychological factor
The most obvious manifestation of the impact of psychological factors is that they can be emotionally agitated or even manic, making it difficult to control their emotions, which can seriously affect the relationship between couples and their sex life. In addition, some women may also face self-image and self-confidence issues, which may also affect their sexual experience.
Relationship changes and communication problems
When the baby arrives, your lifestyle will change a lot. Taking care of the baby may take up most of your time and energy, and what used to be a once-a-week date turns into taking care of the baby. The intimate times in the evenings before may be interrupted by the baby's crying, which will undoubtedly lead to a certain degree of shock to the intimacy between the couple. In addition, miscommunication and lack of understanding may also have a negative impact on a couple's sex life.
Solutions and recommendations
Postpartum physical recovery is the first step
Recovering your body is a prerequisite for resuming your sex life, and it is very effective to promote recovery through exercise and diet after childbirth. For example, postpartum yoga, postpartum fitness classes or walking can help restore core strength and body flexibility. In addition, for the vaginal laxity that tends to occur after childbirth, you can do Kegel training or with the help of a vaginal barbell or other aids, which are effective means of exercising the pelvic floor muscles to restore vaginal tightness.
Make sure you get enough nutrients in your diet, including protein, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Avoid excessive processed foods and sugary drinks as well as limiting caffeine and alcohol intake. This will not only help your laboring body recover a lot it will also ensure adequate nutrition for your baby.
Start with simple intimacy
During the postpartum period, hormonal fluctuations can significantly impact a woman's sexual desire and arousal. Lower estrogen levels are common among women, leading to symptoms like vaginal dryness and discomfort. Additionally, men may also experience hormonal changes due to the stress and lifestyle adjustments associated with parenthood. To address these challenges effectively, consider the following strategies:
- Open Communication: Maintain open and honest communication with your partner to ensure emotional intimacy during this transformative period.
- Lubrication: Utilize water-based lubricants to alleviate vaginal dryness and discomfort. Ensure you select products specifically formulated for this purpose and avoid using oil-based lubricants, as they can damage latex condoms.
- Foreplay: Engage in extended foreplay activities such as striptease, kissing, cuddling, watching ethical pornography, or exploring sexual desires and fetishes. These activities can enhance arousal and contribute to a more comfortable sexual experience for both partners.
- Sex toys：For some women, they may feel an increased threshold of arousal and sensitivity after giving birth. Therefore incorporating sex toys into their sexual activities becomes an effective way to improve this. Stronger stimulation newer experiences will make them feel better, and if you're considering a new sex toy, then our ice cream vibrating toyis definitely the best choice.
Safer sex and birth control
Discussing birth control options is crucial for couples who want to resume sex after childbirth but are not ready to get pregnant again. Don't wait for your first period to return before considering birth control. This is because a new mother in the puerperium can become pregnant even if she does not have a period. The ability of a new mom to get pregnant again depends on the presence or absence of ovulation. And many new moms ovulate before their periods return, especially new moms who aren't breastfeeding, and ovulation tends to return earlier. That's why it's important to think about birth control once you're both ready to resume your sex life after having a baby.
- Birth control through condoms, as it is the most efficient and safest method, is suitable for breastfeeding mothers after delivery.
- In the case of non-breastfeeding moms birth control can be achieved by taking birth control pills.
- Seek the support of a medical professional to find the right contraceptive solution.
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