Sex during your pregnancy
Today, gynaecologist Drs. Florien ten Cate tells us everything about sex during and after pregnancy.
Sex during pregnancy
During pregnancy, your body changes under the influence of hormones into an optimal environment for the growing embryo/fetus and eventually your body is prepared for childbirth. Various hormones contribute to this. In particular, the levels of progesterone, estrogen and HCG in your blood increase significantly from the beginning of pregnancy. You will notice this in many different ways, such as nausea (HCG), pigment changes in your face and on your body (estrogen), constipation, feeling full and hair growth (progesterone). But your desire for sex is also influenced by changing hormone levels. Where you often have less desire for sex in the beginning (due to nausea and fatigue, caused by the rising HCG levels), you often have more desire for sex in the second trimester (14-26 weeks) (due to the higher estrogen level in your body).
At the end of your pregnancy, you may have less desire for sex due to the size of your belly, but also due to pelvic complaints, or perhaps you are too tired or do not feel attractive. During your pregnancy, your pelvic floor is already more heavily burdened, you will notice this because you can sometimes have a heavy feeling in the pelvic region, and you can also have urine loss, for example.
It is important to know that sex during pregnancy is generally harmless, it is not dangerous for the baby. Only in certain situations it can be harmful and you should not have sex, this is especially the case if the placenta is in front of the cervix (placenta praevia), if you have bleeding or signs of threatened premature birth or of course if your waters have ruptured.
Baring
During your delivery, your vagina changes into a birth canal. This means that, after reaching full dilation, the baby's head gradually descends deeper and deeper until it emerges through the vagina. This stretches the vaginal wall, and tears can occur in the vagina or on the outside of the vagina in the labia or in the perineum (the part between the vagina and the anus). It is also possible that your delivery ends with a vacuum pump and/or that you have had an episiotomy.
In addition to tearing, childbirth also puts a strain on your pelvic floor muscles, which have to stretch to allow the head to pass.
The body has an enormous capacity to recover, and usually everything will be fine after giving birth. The first recovery occurs in the first 6 weeks after giving birth, but it takes a few months before your body is completely "de-pregnant". So give your body time to recover, do pelvic floor muscle exercises to allow the pelvic floor function to recover as well as possible and discuss it at your follow-up check (6 weeks after giving birth) if you still have pain or complaints from the stitches or the tearing. As long as you are bleeding after giving birth, you should definitely wait with sex because you increase the risk of an infection. Keep a period of approximately 4-6 weeks after giving birth for this.
After giving birth
Even after giving birth, your body is influenced by hormones and changes.
The first period is all about recovery from childbirth. Whether you had a smooth natural birth, a caesarean section or a difficult long labor, your body needs time and rest to recover. So you should wait with physical exertion (sports, lifting heavy things) and with sex until you have gone through the first recovery phase (the first 4-6 weeks).
If you feel like having sex afterwards, it is no problem to start again. Take your time, especially in the beginning, to get aroused and keep in mind that it may feel different than you were used to. Also give clear feedback to your partner if it is still painful, continuing with sex when it hurts can cause more complaints in the long run and that is a shame.
After giving birth, it takes a while for your menstrual cycle to start again. If you are breastfeeding, this can take a little longer. Under the influence of the hormone Prolactin, your cycle is suppressed but the estrogen level in your blood is also kept low. This causes your vagina to be drier, more sensitive and more likely to feel painful or burning during sex. So, especially if you are breastfeeding, keep in mind that it is extra important to take enough time for foreplay and possibly use extra lubricant if the vagina is very dry. If you start to reduce your nutrition, or if your child is given supplementary food, this sensitivity will disappear by itself.
Of course, your life is turned upside down when you have just had a child. You sleep more irregularly, you are busy taking care of and feeding your baby and your body has also undergone the necessary changes, which means that it can sometimes take a while before you feel attractive again. It is therefore important that you and your partner take the time to rediscover sex and that you report back to each other what you notice and feel. Then your partner can take the changes in your body into account as best as possible and you can build up a pleasant sex life together again.
What can we do for you?
Women's Healthcare Center provides expert care and support for women. Our team of specialisten will do everything they can to help you get the right diagnosis and find the best treatment options.
