Labor and delivery (13)
- Inducing labor: When to wait, when to induce
- Labor pain: Weigh your options for relief
- Home birth: Know the pros and cons
- see all in Labor and delivery
Postpartum care (7)
- Maternity leave: Tips for returning to work
- Exercise after pregnancy: How to get started
- Weight loss after pregnancy: Reclaiming your body
- see all in Postpartum care
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Sex after pregnancy: Set your own timeline
Sex after pregnancy may be the last thing on your mind. Understand what to expect and how to renew intimacy with your partner.
By Mayo Clinic staffSex after pregnancy happens. Honestly. First, however, vaginal soreness and sheer exhaustion are likely to take a toll. Whether you're in the mood or sex is the last thing on your mind, here's what you need to know about sex after pregnancy.
After the baby is born, how soon can I have sex?
Whether you give birth vaginally or by C-section, your body will need time to heal. Many health care providers recommend waiting four to six weeks before having sex. This allows time for the cervix to close, postpartum bleeding to stop, and any tears or repaired lacerations to heal.
The other important timeline is your own. Some women feel ready to resume sex within a few weeks of giving birth, while others need a few months — or even longer. Factors such as fatigue, postpartum blues and changes in body image all can take a toll on your sex drive.
Will it hurt?
Due to hormonal changes your vagina may be dry and tender, especially if you're breast-feeding. To help ease any discomfort during sex, take it slow. Start with cuddling, kissing or massage. Gradually build the intensity of stimulation. If vaginal dryness is a problem, use a lubricating cream or gel. Try different positions to take pressure off any sore areas and control penetration. Tell your partner what feels good — and what doesn't.
It's also important to focus on the moment. For most women, sexual response requires the entire brain. Keep your mind on yourself and your partner — not the diapers, laundry and other household chores.
If sex continues to be painful, consult your health care provider. A low dose estrogen cream applied to the vagina may help, but can also interfere with your milk production if you're breast-feeding. Ask your health care provider to help you weigh the pros and cons.
Will it feel different?
After a vaginal delivery, decreased muscle tone in the vagina may reduce pleasurable friction during sex — which can influence arousal. This is usually temporary.
To tone your pelvic floor muscles, do Kegel exercises. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're stopping your stream of urine. Try it for five seconds at a time, four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. Once you've got the hang of it, do at least three sets of 10 Kegel exercises a day.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Recovering from birth. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-beyond/recovering-from-birth.cfm. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Handa V. Sexual function and childbirth. Seminars in Perinatology. 2006;30:253.
- Baksu B, et al. The effect of mode of delivery on postpartum sexual functioning in primiparous women. International Urogynecology Journal. 2007;18:401.
- Pastore L, et al. Postpartum sexuality concerns among first-time parents from one U.S. academic hospital. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2007;4:115.
- Frequently asked questions: Depression during and after pregnancy. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.4women.gov/faq/depression-pregnancy.cfm. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Sexuality and sexual problems. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp072.cfm. Accessed Jan. 18, 2010.
- Getting in shape after your baby is born. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp131.cfm. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- Birth control pills. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp021.cfm. Accessed Feb. 4, 2010.
- De Judicibus MA, et al. Psychological factors and the sexuality of pregnant and postpartum women. The Journal of Sex Research. 2002;39:94.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb 4, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on