Sex

Life with a newborn can be exhausting and emotionally overwhelming. As you adjust to your new role as a mother, you may be recovering from vaginal tears, a caesarean section, breast tenderness, hormonal highs and lows and sleep deprivation.

Resuming an active sex life will likely be low on your list of priorities at the moment, but you will once again feel the urge. Do not feel the need to rush, allow your body to recover and remember, very few couples are sexually active within the first four to six weeks after delivery. To reduce the risk of infection we recommend you wait until the bleeding (lochia) has ceased before you resume intercourse.

If you are breastfeeding, your estrogen levels are low so you may experience vaginal dryness. Don’t skip the foreplay and keep a supply of water-based lubricant (K-Y jelly) by your bedside table and if you experience any discomfort, stop. Sex after pregnancy will become easier with each subsequent attempt.

Unless you are looking to expand your family quickly, be sure to use contraception each time you have sex –breastfeeding is not a reliable form of birth control and fertility returns soon after delivery.

For more information visit the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health.