Sex After Birth Of Baby - Will It Hurt?
There are several questions people have about the after-effects of childbirth.
One being, “Will sex hurt after giving birth?”
This question is a common concern for both females and males.
A woman’s body goes through different changes during and after pregnancy, so let’s talk a bit about this question to get some clarity and peace of mind about sex after giving birth.
Postpartum Sex Hurts For Most Women - But Why?
Do you wonder if you’re the only woman suffering from painful postpartum sex? You are NOT alone.
Nearly nine out of ten women experience pain after childbirth. Women who gave birth vaginally with vacuum extraction or cesarean section were reported to experience painful sex up to 18 months postpartum.
These four reasons are why most women experience postpartum sex.
- Scar Tissue
- Bad Tear
- Episiotomy
- Vaginal Dryness
Pregnancy Actually Changes The Way Your Body Functions
You may notice hormonal changes. Hormonal changes not only affect your mood, but it also creates that pregnancy glow.
- Pregnancy comes with some weight gain - weight gain slows the circulation of bodily fluids and blood to the lower limbs. This may result in swelling during pregnancy
- Lungs Expand - lungs increase in capacity to take in more air to provide oxygen to your baby
Your body changes during pregnancy in many other ways.
Giving Birth DEFINITELY Changes The Way Your Body Functions
After giving birth, you may notice several changes in your body.
- Breast - engorged and leaking with breast milk
- Hair - some hair loss
- Back pain - stretching of the abdominal muscles during pregnancy
- Vaginal pain and discharge - your vagina may feel tender stretched after giving birth. Cold packs can help ease this pain. You will experience vaginal discharge made mostly of blood and remaining uterine lining.
To help ease the discomfort of vaginal pain and discomfort due to dryness, look for a natural lubricant.
When Are You Allowed To Start Having Sex Again?
There is no required waiting period for having sex after childbirth. However, many health providers recommend waiting four to six weeks after delivery. This will allow your body to heal.
What You Can Do To Make Sex Less Painful After Having A Baby
Your body may experience hormonal changes after having a baby, therefore making sex more painful due to these changes.
You may notice more vaginal dryness or discomfort due to vaginal tears.
If you are breastfeeding or healing from a perineal tear or an episiotomy you may notice even more vaginal dryness.
Here are a few steps to take to help ease the pain of sex after giving birth.
1. Use Healthy Lube
Using a healthy lube can help vaginal dryness.
When searching for a vaginal lube, you want to ensure
- It’s pure and FREE of chemicals
- It stays on the skin to hold natural fluids to help aid against dryness
By adding a healthy vaginal lube to your sex life, you can help decrease vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.
2. Consider Masturbating To Increase Natural Lubrication
When you experience vaginal dryness, you may be lacking blood flow to your genital area. Masturbation can help increase your blood flow and increases natural lubrication.
Add a little spice during sex. Self-pleasure side by side can help get you in the mood, as well as bring the spark back into your bedroom.
3. Do Kegel Exercises
Kegel Exercises are great to build or rebuild the strength of a woman’s pelvic muscles.
In addition to building strength to your pelvic muscles, kegel exercises help increase lubrication and give a woman more control in how they pulse and how hard they squeeze their vagina during sex. This can provide more control over sexual pleasure.
4. You Don’t HAVE To Have Sex To Experience Intimacy
Intimacy doesn’t always mean sexual intercourse.
Experiencing intimacy with your partner in non-sexual ways is important.
If you are looking to connect sexually, it doesn’t have to be with penetration.
Talk with your partner about exploring oral or manual stimulation. These two options may be less painful but yet provide sexual pleasure.