Experts say the period of abstinence after delivery is four to six weeks. This is the time for the mother’s body to heal following a normal delivery or cesarean section.
Pregnancy can bring a world of difference to your life and your relationship with your spouse or partner. After childbirth, there may be many fronts where you may feel closer to your partner than ever before, but one aspect of your life that may seem like it may have hit rock bottom is your sex life.
There may be times you may wonder ‘how would sex feel after delivery’, ‘when is it safe to have sex after giving birth?’, ‘Can sex cause infection after birth’ or ‘Why is my libido low after pregnancy’? But take a breather.
Sex after birth is not an alien concept. All you’ve got to do is take a plunge with a bit of caution:
- Warm bath
Taking a warm bath or using lubricants may help ease the pain and vaginal dryness experienced during intercourse.
- Focus on intimacy
Developing intimacy post-delivery may strengthen the bond between couples. Intimacy is not only sex. Try hand-holding, hugging, date lunches or dinners and massage sessions. These can be very useful in keeping the bonding alive.
- Communicate
Communicating with each other about the desire to resume sex and pleasurable experiences goes a long way in nurturing the relationship.
- Consult a medical expert
When you go for a six-week postnatal checkup with your doctor, you can discuss contraceptive options and once she ensures the healing is good you can resume sexual intercourse.