Doula

Category - Postpartum

A postpartum mother asks you how soon she can have sex. Your BEST response is:
  1. Most doctors recommend waiting at least six weeks after the birth, but some women feel up to it sooner.
  2. You can't get pregnant again right away, so don't worry about contraception.
  3. You won't have time to even think about having sex.
  4. Leaking breasts are a turn-off.
Explanation
Answer: A - While a woman's uterus is healing, healthcare providers typically recommend she abstain from intercourse. Women all react differently to the hormones of birth and breastfeeding - for some, a decreased libido is the result. For others, the return to normal sexual relations is quick and easy. Intercourse may also be uncomfortable at first due to a healing episiotomy or laceration, or to a lack of lubrication. Return of ovulation is idiosyncratic, and cannot be predicted. So, as soon as partners resume a sexual relationship, they should use contraception. Some couples are so busy with babycare, their sex life takes a back seat for a while. Breast do tend to leak during sex - oxytocin is the hormone of love and of orgasm, while at the same time being the milk-ejection hormone - though whether or not it is a "turn-off" is very individual.
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