Even though you didn't push a baby out of your
vagina, sex is probably the last thing on your mind after a C-section.
Sleepless nights and a wailing infant do not exactly make a sexy
soundtrack.
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| ScienceNordic |
Plus, your hormones are literally
shutting down your mojo:
"The flood of maternal hormones that enter the
system aid in bonding of mom to baby, and generally suppress the desire
for sex for the first few weeks or so,” says Nicole Williams, M.D.,
founder of the Gynecology Institute of Chicago.
But one day, that urge to get it on will come back again.
And then comes the next obstacle: Is it actually
safe to have sex yet? After all, you just had a serious surgery. That’s
why you’ll have to take some precautions before getting horizontal.
Sex after C-section: How soon is too soon?
Plan for six to eight weeks off from sex, says Williams. “The big reason is because you just had major
surgery, which cuts through all the layers of the abdomen to reach the
uterus. All of those layers, especially the muscular layers, must heal,”
she explains.
Sex is a workout that recruits
your core, and you need to give it time to repair. As Williams points
out, the uterus is also a muscle. “When it’s still enlarged and you have
an orgasm, it could lead to cramping through the release of certain
hormones that stimulate it,” she adds. What’s more, vigorous activity
can re-open an incision. (If that happens, stop what you're doing
immediately, of course.)
But what if it's really uncomfortable?
Since
a baby didn’t come out of your vagina, you can count on this part
feeling the same during intercourse. But your core may feel sore
initially, says Williams. That's totally normal.
That said, pay attention to how you’re feeling
during sex. If things are uncomfortable, stop. Sex should be
pleasurable, otherwise, it’s just not worth it. Williams advises waiting
another week and trying again.
What are the safest positions?
Write
this one down: docs call it “lateral vaginal rear entry” but you can
call it spooning sex. Lay on your sides with him behind you as the big
spoon.
It’s great, says Williams, because there’s no
pressure from missionary and you don’t have to flex your abs like you do
when you’re on top.
Oh yeah, and just a
friendly reminder for when you do get back in the saddle: It is possible
to get pregnant again ASAP. Williams says that a woman’s fertility
returns shortly after birth, and “I've had more than one patient return
for their six-week visit pregnant again."
When in doubt: Check in with your doctor.
Williams
asks her patients to come back after just two weeks to talk about
future birth control, postpartum issues, or problems with C-section
recovery. If this isn’t the protocol with your ob-gyn, ask if it’s a
possibility to get an appointment sooner.
And, who knows, you may get the go-ahead to have
some types of sex. “If her abdominal incision is healing well, I would
have no problem saying okay to other types of sexual activity like oral sex before the six to eight-week mark,” says Williams.
Hey, doctor's orders!
Womenshealthmag
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