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Post Pregnancy Relations and Protection

Once the child is born and the difficult challenges of pregnancy are behind, many couples look forward to having a normal sex life again. Unfortunately those expectations may not be realistic - at least not immediately. Following childbirth, one partner may just not want to have sex. The possible reasons - some physical, some psychological -- are many.

Fatigue is one. The period of caring for a newborn -- especially if it's the first child - can be the most exhausting and difficult phase in a couple's life. For many a new parent fantasies about sex are supplanted by fantasies about sleep.

Most health care providers suggest waiting about four to six weeks before resuming intercourse, to allow the woman's body to heal. The uterus and vagina must return to their pre-pregnancy size, a process that usually occurs more quickly in breast-feeding women.

Resume your sex life slowly, possibly with cuddling and petting, oral sex, or mutual masturbation, but not with penetration.

Remember that even if you're breast-feeding you'll need a good form of contraception. Ask your health care provider's advice.

Although most couples find this a demanding time, they also ultimately find it very rewarding. Keep your expectations realistic, and it can be a time of renewed intimacy and pleasure.

When should women expect normal menstruation to resume?

This depends on whether you are breastfeeding or not. If you are not breastfeeding, your first period will occur about two months after childbirth. However, there is no way to know when you begin to ovulate again - 90 percent of women will not ovulate before their first period. So contraception is essential if you have sex soon after childbirth.

If you are breastfeeding, your period may resume at any time from about two months after childbirth. Some women only get their period back once they stop breastfeeding.

After Birth Contraception

How long after childbirth should women wait before having sexual intercourse and/or using contraceptives? What type of contraceptive is best for a woman who has recently given birth? What type(s) of contraceptives should not be used by women who have recently given birth.

Most health practitioners discourage women from having sex within the first six weeks after childbirth since the genital organs usually have not healed.

Most health practitioners recommend barrier contraceptives for breastfeeding women.

The only form of contraceptive pill which does not contraindicate breastfeeding is the progesterone mini-pill which works by hindering the production of cervical mucus.