SEX AFTER PREGNANCY

 Seeing the post-partum women with their happy and healthy bundles of joy in the consulting rooms is the most rewarding thing. They are glad to be out of the house, most of them bring the little one and some leave them with the grandparents or a caregiver. The dads usually accompany the moms, if it is their first baby they often look exhausted and overwhelmed. Some dads ask the eager question of whether it is safe to have sex again!

Pregnancy and childbirth are transformative experiences that affect every aspect of a person’s life, including sexual well-being. Despite this fact, most clinicians ignore sexual well-being. All we address in the six-week visit is emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding, pap smears, and contraception. Sexual health does not only affect individual well-being; it is an important part of relationship satisfaction. It is common that in the post-partum period the frequency of sexual engagement and desire declines. A lot of women report changes in arousal, orgasm, and sexual pleasure and sex is associated with pain most of the time.

Many factors can contribute to post-partum sexual issues, including hormonal changes, body image concerns, and mental health conditions. Women who are breastfeeding experience amenorrhea which benefits them with post-partum blood loss, but it also causes vaginal dryness and reduced sexual arousal due to hormonal shifts.

The health care providers need to understand the importance of this topic and try to create a safe environment for the patients to start the conversation about sex. Using simple and non-judgemental statements such as saying “Many people notice changes in their sexual desire or pleasure after childbirth. Has anything like this happened to you or your partner?” can encourage women to share their concerns.

Assessing the importance of sexual problems can help direct the need for any intervention. Following up on these concerns and offering support, through counseling, pelvic floor physical therapy, or referral to a sexual medicine specialist or a sex therapist can be some of our interventions. Our women need to know that it is not Ok to feel pain during intercourse in the post-partum period. We are the first caregiver whom they encounter and we need to look for potential problems.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

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