The first days and months will surely bring you many difficulties with sleepless nuggets, changing diapers, breastfeeding, and holding your newborn.
Besides forming these habits, your health will gradually recover, and your sexual needs will increase. But, when is it safe to have sex after giving birth?
If you are also thinking about this issue, consider your health and psychological state carefully.
Once you have reached the appropriate recovery period, you can connect with your partner intimately without putting yourself at any health risk.
When Is It Safe To Have Sex After Giving Birth?
Despite no prescribed abstinence period, health providers recommend waiting at least four to six weeks postpartum.
Women with vaginal tears requiring surgical intervention must wait longer to return to their old routine.
The pregnant woman’s vagina is often torn and secretes fluid after giving birth, leading to vaginal pain and dryness. In addition, fatigue makes women’s sexual desire lower than usual.
No matter which birth method you choose, taking time to care for your health after giving birth is still a top priority.
Do You Have To Wait 6 Weeks After Giving Birth?
Almost all doctors and health care providers advise postpartum women to wait at least six weeks to have sex again.
It ensures comprehensive recovery and limits the dangers during this sensitive period, including damage to the cesarean section, vaginal tears, and episiotomy.
Because each woman’s recovery ability is different, consider carefully even after 6 weeks of giving birth.
If you’re not ready to return to normal sexual activity, be patient and try other bonding methods.
Try intimate conversations with your partner and bonding activities, such as cuddling under a blanket, walking, getting a massage, or playing games together.
Is It Safe To Have Sex Two Weeks After Birth?
Although some women recover quickly, 2 weeks after delivery is still too early to have penetrative sex.
At this sensitive period, pregnant women are at the highest risk of postpartum complications (for example, yeast infection or yellow discharge), leading to increased requirements for health monitoring.
Intercourse postpartum often comes with the possibility of bleeding, uterine infection, or hemorrhage.
Therefore, healthcare providers advise women to wait at least four weeks after giving birth before deciding whether they are ready.
You can get pregnant from the 3rd week after giving birth, even when your menstrual cycle has not reappeared and you are breastfeeding.
Unless you want to get pregnant again, you must use contraception when having sex, regardless of times or “safe days.”
Will It Hurt To Intercourse Postpartum?
After giving birth, hormonal changes cause the vagina to become much softer and drier (especially during breastfeeding).
You may feel these changes through pain during sex while the episiotomy wounds heal.
Excessive vaginal distension damages the small intestine, uterus, rectum, and pelvic floor during skin transfer.
To not affect the experience between you and your partner, you should prioritize healthy care and recovery before returning to your previous sex life.
Kegel exercises can help a lot in shortening the time waiting for the vulva to recover after giving birth.
Besides restoring sensation and strength in the pelvic muscles, it also addresses many other problems, such as frequent urination.
Imagine you are sitting on a marble, then tighten your pelvic muscles.
Perform the above movements 10-15 times in a row, 3 times a day, do 3 seconds each, and relax 3 seconds after a movement ends.
What Can You Do To Reduce Pain For 4 Weeks Postpartum Sex?
Intercourse during this sensitive time may not go smoothly due to vaginal dryness and pain. If you agree, please refer to the support measures below for the best lovemaking experience.
Seek Pain Relief
Find a way to reduce the pain- sure! Before having sex with your partner, make sure your bladder is empty and use pain relievers prescribed by your doctor.
Be gentle and feel your body carefully to know when it should stop. If that area becomes hotter, you can wrap ice in a soft towel and apply it to the surface.
Lubricant
Vaginal dryness is very common in postpartum women in the first 4 weeks due to hormonal changes in the body. If foreplay does not achieve the desired effect, use lubricant instead.
Thanks to its safety, cool feeling, and impressive witness, this product can relieve your vagina from tension and pain.
Postpartum mothers should choose water-based products instead of oil-based ones to limit the risk of irritation to sensitive tissues.
Experiment
For women who can recover better, the body has begun to secrete natural lubricants for foreplay.
To experience perfect sex, increase your time and diligence for this first step. Try other methods of sensual stimulation, such as mutual masturbation, deep kissing, or nipple stimulation.
Take Time
With the appearance of a tiny family member, you certainly don’t have as much private time for your partner as before.
Schedule your lovemaking sessions to avoid feeling anxious or rushed. Increase the number of times you masturbate and foreplay so that your body gradually returns to the frequency of sexual activity as before.
Communicate
Although sex after childbirth has many limitations, it brings a new feeling to both you and your partner.
Whenever you notice a change within yourself, honestly talk with your partner to understand what you like/dislike about sex. That’s how you enjoy a more fulfilling and healthier sex life.
When Can A Woman Have Sex After Giving Birth And Get Pregnant Again?
For about six months after giving birth, your period has not returned yet while breastfeeding the newborn exclusively.
Sex during this period can prevent pregnancy reliably with a rate of up to 98%.
This number is uncertain because the ability to get pregnant depends greatly on the mother’s constitution and sperm quality.
As there’s no guarantee you are not among the remaining 2%, try safe birth control methods, such as implants, DCTC, and birth control pills.
If you want to get pregnant again, you should wait at least 18-24 months to minimize health problems and the risk of complications during pregnancy.
Any decisions you make during this sensitive time should be made with the advice of a professional doctor.
Is It Safe To Get Pregnant Again In The First Year?
Getting pregnant too quickly after giving birth can increase congenital disabilities or premature birth.
Therefore, all women’s health care experts recommend spacing pregnancies as long as possible.
The March of Dimes advises women to wait at least 18 months, while the Office on Women’s Health recommends at least 12 months between pregnancies.
Due to different physical conditions and care environments, each postpartum woman has a different recovery speed, making it impossible to give an exact number.
If you feel ready for your next baby, discuss it with your healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Is Bleeding During Sex Normal After Delivery?
The uterus has not yet healed in the first weeks after giving birth, causing the mother to bleed frequently.
The vagina is also more sensitive and dry, making the thin muscles more susceptible to injury or tearing.
Having sex during this time is no different from hell, as you must experience persistent pain and vaginal bleeding.
Besides, the vagina is also at risk of swelling and inflammation.
If sexual bleeding persists within 4-6 weeks postpartum or is more severe, go to the hospital as soon as possible.
You may be experiencing severe vaginal irritation or perineal tear that needs thorough treatment before the next sex.
Will I Be Less Interested In Sex?
Struggling with taking care of a newborn all day and postpartum uterine pain makes it highly likely that you won’t have the same sexual desire as before.
Many women even suffer from depression and are haunted by the fear of pain whenever their partner mentions sex or acts too affectionately.
Until you are ready, you can talk with your partner to receive sympathy. Take extra time to show affection to each other in other ways in the mornings or after the newborn has slept.
If you have any first signs of postpartum depression (loss of appetite, mood swings, lack of interest in life, excessive fatigue), share it with your partner and health provider.
Prompt treatment of depression can speed recovery and prevent self-injury due to psychological instability in postpartum women.
Will Breastfeeding Affect Our Sex Life?
Breastfeeding women’s breasts will become softer and no longer feel like erogenous zones.
Therefore, tell your partner how you feel so that you can determine the appropriate stimulation method.
During intercourse, your breasts may also leak and even “erupt” during climax, combined with fatigue.
If this orgasm makes you uncomfortable, empty your breasts (pump or breastfeed) before having sex. As sexual habits become more stable, milk leakage will no longer occur as often.
Conclusion
Besides spending time taking care of your new little angel, it’s time to start paying attention to your own and partner’s sexual desires.
So, when is it safe to have sex after giving birth? Through this article, hopefully, you will have the best answer, as well as build a plan for yourself to return to your previous sex life.
But if you’re not ready yet, be patient and give yourself time to recover physically and mentally.
That way, you can regain those feelings of satisfaction and orgasm without causing any harm to your health. Have a nice day!
