It's time to think about contraception
The so-called postpartum period, which lasts from two to six weeks, every mama experiences in her own way [1]. Some are ready to return to normal life, including sex: nothing hurts, lochia has lessened, the baby blues have passed. For some, it takes much longer to recover. There are no universal rules.
WHO recommends that doctors ask a woman about returning to sexual activity and discuss contraceptive options with her as early as two weeks after giving birth [2]. It is worth remembering that breastfeeding protects against a new pregnancy only if you exclusively breastfeed on demand [3].
If you had a vaginal birth
At this time, mothers may be disturbed by such annoying little things as urine leakage when coughing, laughing, and even during sex [1], as well as milk leaking between feedings. For both cases, there are special pads.
If you had a tear or an episiotomy during labor, it may still be painful to sit and go to the bathroom. Gradually, the pain will go away, but for now try to avoid constipation: drink more water, eat more fiber to avoid straining and increase stress on the scars [4].
If you had a cesarean section
Over the past decade, there has been a lot of research on the resumption of sexual activity after surgery. All of them came to the conclusion that the mode of delivery does not affect sexual activity. If the suture heals well, then women after cesarean return to sex as quickly as those who gave birth on their own. And perhaps faster than those who suffered a tear or episiotomy [5].
