Sex After Pregnancy - How to Address the Post-Baby Slump

A lot of people ask questions about sex during pregnancy, and of course there is plenty of discussion on sex in the preconception stage, but you don't often hear a whole lot of talk about sex after pregnancy.  CNN's health column just published an article called New moms and the post-baby sex slump which covers some of those less talked about issues. 

According to this article, doctors say its safe to begin having sex again six weeks after delivery. However, there is a slew of reasons why sex after pregnancy might not have the appeal that sex before pregnancy had for women: complications during pregnancy can cause physical or emotional damage that takes time to recover from, hormonal changes in a new mother's body can cause decrease arousal, postpartum depression, which can occur anywhere from right after delivery, to a year after delivery, has the same symptoms and severeness as major depression, and can be emotionally crippling.  Sex after pregnancy comes back easily to some lucky women, but not so much for others. Refraining completely from sex after pregnancy can put a strain on your relationship, so its a good idea to be prepared and know how to work through this issue with your partner. 

Whether you're trying to conceive, pregnant right now, or have just had a baby, its important to know about what happens to a woman's body after giving birth. Chemical changes that go along with the process range from a decrease in testosterone after delivery to the release of a hormone called prolactin when breast-feeding, which actually inhibits arousal. There are no medical treatments on the market to help women recover from sexual dysfunction, but according to the article, a drug called Flibanserin that could do just that is currently under FDA scrutiny. If approved, this drug might become a regular prescription for women having trouble getting back into sex after pregnancy. 

Caring for a newborn is a round-the-clock job, and can be physically and emotionally exhausting for the baby's primary caretaker, usually the mom. The very thought of having sex after pregnancy, delivery, and then watching a new born all day (and night!) can be too much.  To combat this, share responsibilities with your partner and consider setting aside one night out of the week to hire a baby sitter and have "date nights" to try to bring the spark back. 

If sex after pregnancy presents some serious difficulties, there are sex counselors and therapists who are well trained to help restore sexual wellbeing.  Raising a new born can be stressful and time consuming and it can be hard to look after one's partner's needs once responsible for the baby's needs.  As always, the most important part of a relationship is communication, so be sure that you and your partner understand each other well!  Even if you're currently pregnant or just TTC, talk about sex after pregnancy and make sure you're both on the same page :)