Sex after pregnancy

Sex after pregnancy is often delayed for several weeks or months, and may be difficult and painful for women. Painful intercourse is the most common sexual activity-related complication after childbirth.[1] Since there are no guidelines on resuming sexual intercourse after childbirth, the postpartum patients are generally advised to resume sex when they feel comfortable to do so.[1] Injury to the perineum or surgical cuts (episiotomy) to the vagina during childbirth can cause sexual dysfunction. Sexual activity in the postpartum period other than sexual intercourse is possible sooner, but some women experience a prolonged loss of sexual desire after giving birth,[2] which may be associated with postnatal depression. Common issues that may last more than a year after birth are greater desire by the man than the woman, and a worsening of the woman's body image.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ a b Jones, Claire; Chan, Crystal; Farine, Dan (2011-04-19). "Sex in pregnancy". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 183 (7): 815–818. doi:10.1503/cmaj.091580. ISSN 0820-3946. PMC 3080531. PMID 21282311.
  2. ^ "Optimizing Postpartum Care". www.acog.org. Archived from the original on 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  3. ^ Pastore, L; Owens A; Raymond C (2007). "Postpartum sexuality concerns among first-time parents from one U.S. academic hospital". J Sex Med. 4 (1). Wiley-Blackwell/International Society for Sexual Medicine: 115–23. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2006.00379.x. PMID 17087807. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05.
  4. ^ Olsson, Ann; Martina Lundqvist; Elisabeth Faxelid; Eva Nissen (2005). "Women's thoughts about sexual life after childbirth: focus group discussions with women after childbirth". Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 19 (4). Wiley-Blackwell/Nordic College of Caring Science: 381–7. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2005.00357.x. hdl:10616/39344. PMID 16324063. Archived from the original on 2013-01-05.
  5. ^ Wenzel, Amy (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology. Oxford University Press. pp. 231–251. ISBN 9780199984336.