There are many soon-to-be parents out there who are all wondering the same question; what will sex after pregnancy look like? Sure, during the first months after childbirth, sex and intimacy may, understandably, be one of the last things you’re thinking about. After all, with all the energy you have to put into taking care of your new-born baby, there will be little strength left to have some fun. Besides that, vaginal soreness and other body-related aspects will also play a major role in why, most people, don’t have sex after pregnancy straight away.

Nevertheless, although it might take some time before you’re ready again to have sex after pregnancy, it actually is very possible and, in fact, enjoyable to find back that sexual spark between you and your partner after the baby has arrived. All it takes a little bit of time after which you’ll be all set again to get busy under the blankets. Before doing so, however, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Below, Luvkis will answer the most commonly asked questions of young people about having sex after pregnancy.

How long before I can have sex after pregnancy?

Most women undergo a lowered libido in the weeks or even months after giving birth. As of such, although you might think differently now before giving birth, sex after pregnancy often is not on a person’s mind once the baby has arrived. The reason behind the lowered libido lies in the fact that both women and men are often exhausted and, most likely, overwhelmed after giving birth. After all, parenting is an important undertaking that consumes a lot of your emotional strength that, before having a baby, could have been used for other activities such as having sex.

Besides being emotionally tired, a woman’s body also needs time to recover. Naturally, the time of recovery is personal and depends highly on the method you chose to deliver your baby. Women who gave birth the traditional way need a much longer time to recover than those who had a c-section, for instance. Either way, no matter the method in which you gave birth, your body is going to need time to heal.

Generally speaking, it is advised by caregivers to wait 4 to 6 weeks before having sex after pregnancy. As mentioned above, however, the actual time needed is highly personal. Whereas some women may need up to 6 weeks to recover, others feel completely fine again after just 2 weeks. Only you can feel your body and judge the situation so it’s up to yourself to make the decision when you’re ready again to have sex after pregnancy.

Does sex after pregnancy hurt?

The simple and honest answer to this question is that yes, it might. Again, this is highly personal. Normally, however, it won’t feel comfortable to have sex directly after pregnancy as, indeed, it will hurt. As described above, your body simply needs time to recover before it is back to your pre-pregnancy state.

Just the act of giving birth itself is not the only reason why your body may hurt when having sex after pregnancy. During childbirth, your hormones are going through a number of changes. These changes may cause your vagina to become much more sensitive. In some cases, it can also make it more difficult for your vagina to lubricate itself just after childbirth. This latter change is especially common among women who choose to breastfeed their baby. Luckily, there always are other ways to lubricate the vagina if you know how to use lube correctly.

Although the issues above affect the quality of your sex, it does not make it impossible to have some fun together. Actually, it is relatively easy to deal with the extra sensitive and harder to lubricate the vagina. The truth is, you’ll just need to take the most out of foreplay in order to stimulate yourself and your partner so that she can feel comfortable and wet. To do so, you can try mutual masturbation, give a romantic massage, or introduce a sex toy into your relationship. Using a vibrator together with your partner, for instance, is not only exciting and healthy, but it will also help you to lubricate and get into the right mood for sex.

Will sex after pregnancy feel different?

Yes, during the first weeks or months after childbirth, sex is likely going to feel different. Although it is only temporary, when a woman gave vaginal birth, her muscle tone inside of the vagina will decrease. As a result, this naturally will also affect vaginal tightness which, in turn, leads to less friction and thus a different feeling inside during lovemaking. This different feeling is likely to affect the stimulation both the men and women receive from having sex.

Luckily, the vaginal tightness will increase again naturally after childbirth. If, however, you wish to speed things up, you can try the use of Kegel Balls. These vaginal weights help you to tone your pelvic floor muscles which, in turn, increases vaginal tightness. By using these little and highly efficient sex gadgets for women, you’ll be able to speed up to process of vaginal recovery. For more information on this matter; please check out our previous article what are Kegel Balls and how to use them where you’ll find all the information you need about these exciting sexual health gadgets.