Postpartum Sex: When, Where, How

Pregnancy sex can be fun, differnent and exciting, so it’s natural to ask if sex soon after birthi and during breastfeeding will change for the better, or not. Some women are either pleasantly surprised, or embarrassingly shocked to find that their breasts and uterus, and vaginal tissues respond to the breastfeeding baby with erotic feelings and arousal. Only 5% of women will state their sex life is better at 6 months post partum than it was prior to having a baby.

1. Ask about how soon you are going to be able to have sex after delivering, and be sure to ask whether you are firs cleared for oral, vaginal, and anal sex. General rule is a week after a chemical pregnancy, and 6 weeks after a full term delivery.

2. Fatigue factor may not be just the lack of sleep and unnerving from the crying you are handling, but fatigue can be from the bursts of oxytocin that one gets from breastfeeding. There are hormonal slumps that occur after those surges that can paradoxically make us feel more vulnerable

3. Thyroid issues in breastfeeding can be more common, so if you aren’t functioning down there get a simple thyroid screening blood test.

4. Pelvic floor issues, studies show those with the fewest pelvic floor complaints after delivery c-section moms) have less complaints of sex problems. So check checked for the plevic floor health, and consider treatment if you have issues. Early treatment and preventative Kegel’s and radiofrequency treatments can ward off sexual dysfunction problems.

5. Vaginal dryness. There are a variety of reasons women have vaginal dryness and irritation after delivery. The most common reason is a relative estrogen deficiency. The estrogen levels drop, the prolactin levels rise, and during pregnancy the very high levels ov progesterone have caused some of this dryness.

6. Human milk has some fat, so it is more lubricating than say, water, but milk is not a lubricant. If you need a lubricant virtually all are safe for use during breastfeeding, and natural coconut oil is helpful.

7. A common sex question we get is it safe for dads to take a sip of breast milk, or will that cause an infection. Nipple infections are from the suckling source, so baby yes, but dad too, neither is common, so yes, it is safe for dad’s to take a sip if they want to!