During the period of pregnancy, a couple may not have had the opportunity to be intimate. Now that the baby is here and a wife’s body is more or less back into shape, there is that desire for a woman and her husband to re-establish the loving bond and intimacy that existed between them.
However, there are certain problems which may make sex after pregnancy difficult.
1) Your body is still not ready for sex
Let us say weeks have passed since you gave birth. Any soreness in your intimate parts and your cesarean section incision seem to have healed. But for some reason, you still do not have the urge to have sex even if your spouse is dying to.
This is because your body is still undergoing repair and healing following the trauma of childbirth. Your hormones help you in breastfeeding by shrinking your uterus to its normal size. These hormones also unfortunately end up lowering your libido. Of course, let us not forget that you are still frazzled by the never-ending tasks that come with being a new mother.
SOLUTION: You do not have to show how much you love your spouse through sex. Instead, show your affections with each other through intimate touches, warm hugs, cuddles and kisses. Give him the reassurance that once your body heals, you cannot wait to get into bed with him.
2) You are ready and wanting, but your body is not ready
In some cases, you may want to have sex with your husband even if your body has not fully healed yet. Again, blame this on hormonal fluctuations which are increasing your libido. However, if you have had an episiotomy or a cesarean, it may cause pain during intercourse.
SOLUTION: Experiment on sexual positions with your spouse. Try positions that will not put too much pressure on your stitches or prevent penetration from going deeper. In fact, instead of going for deep penetration, you might want to try loving foreplay or mutual masturbation.
3) Having sex after birth seems different
If you have undergone natural childbirth, you would know that the act of pushing the baby out caused your vaginal muscles to stretch. As a result, you do not feel the snug clamping of your muscles around your spouse’s penis.
SOLUTION: The best way to get your vagina back into tip top condition is by performing Kegels exercises. With Kegels, you strengthen your pelvic muscles including the muscles in your vagina so that they regain their strength and tightness.
4) Leaky breasts during sex
Swollen, leaky breasts during sex can be problem. The pressure between two bodies can cause your breasts to become compressed, which can be very painful. In addition, it can also be embarrassing when your breasts leak or spurt out milk while the two of you are intimate.
SOLUTION: If you have particularly painful breasts, ask your spouse if he could refrain from touching them. On the other hand, if you are okay with your spouse’s touching them, let them do so. Many women have found it particularly sensual experience when they allow their spouse to suckle on their nipples.
5) Painful sexual intercourse
Because of the hormonal fluctuations in the body after pregnancy, you may experience vaginal dryness which can lead to pain while having sexual intercourse. Breastfeeding also has the effect of reducing lubrication in the vagina.
SOLUTION: Explain to your spouse about the changes that are going on in your body and ask if you could defer having sex for a later date. But, if you are also eager to have sex and the pain is a bother to you, you can purchase water-based lubricant and apply it to yours and your spouse’s genitalia prior to sex.
6) You feel conscious of your body
If you had been slim and sexy prior to your pregnancy, you might be feeling conscious of your post-pregnancy body. You may still have extra weight and you’re afraid that your husband might not love you because of your figure. You also have those unsightly stretch marks, your cesarean scar, and perhaps your legs are still swollen.
SOLUTION: It is now the turn of your husband. Let him tell you that your appearance does not matter to him. Let him tell you how much he loves you and the baby you have given him. If you are still conscious about your body, you can star exercising again as soon as you have completely healed and you have the go-signal from your doctor. Begin with light exercises before moving on to the more rigorous ones.
