How a C-Section Affects Your Love Life
A woman’s body usually requires at least 6 weeks to heal after childbirth, whether it’s a vaginal delivery or a C-section. Experts suggest waiting at least 6 weeks before resuming the pleasurable act. During the healing period your cervix has ample time to recover and post-delivery bleeding ceases, you can wait longer if you feel you need to.
When it comes to making love after C-section some women don’t feel the same pleasure they enjoyed before giving birth. A C-section, or Caesarean, delivery involves an incision in the abdomen for the purpose of delivering the child.
Many women experience painful sensations which may be due to pregnancy fatigue or vaginal dryness caused by breastfeeding-induced hormone changes. There could be other reasons too, a new study suggests that the mode of delivery may affect your love life. The study says women who undergo C-section delivery or vaginal delivery with vacuum extraction are more likely to experience pain when “getting it on” even 18 months after delivery than those with spontaneous vaginal deliveries.
The study included participation from 1244 pregnant women who were asked to answer a questionnaire about their relationship with their partners and their love life before giving birth and at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after delivery.
The Childbirth Connection Organization states that women who “hook up” are likely to experience dissatisfaction after a C-section, this may be from increased recovery time which results in reduction of interest in “hooking up”, increased pain or sensitivity around the incision can also put a damper on things. Women are also likely to feel pelvic pain after giving birth.
Stephanie Brown, principal research fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, says, “Two things surprised us, [including] the fact that almost all women experience pain the first time they “get it on” after childbirth, whether they resume the pleasurable act in the first six weeks or delay until three or even six months postpartum.” There is often a burning sensation more than stretching pain after a C-section. Some women who have multiple C-sections have painful experiences each time they resume “hooking up”, it takes a few times for the pain to go away. You can use lubrication to ease pain and discomfort or wait until the pain goes away. Once it’s gone you can enjoy “getting it on” as before.
It’s important to note the study only found a link between C-sections and pain, there is no proof that it causes painful love-making. The study also found that some women who suffered painful “hook ups” post-childbirth suffered from painful “hook ups” before getting pregnant says Robert Atlas, M.D., chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
The study also found that a violent streak in the partner and postnatal fatigue were also connected to higher risk for dyspareunia (a condition where mothers suffer painfully through making love ). The results are not clear how all these factors result in painful “hook ups”.
In the end what matters is you and the health of your baby. Mode of delivery should be chosen considering your health and its impact on your baby and you. If pain persists for more than 6 months see your doctor.
