Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Sex and Pregnancy and Postpartum

How long before delivery should I stop engaging in sex?

How long should I wait to heal to start having sex after delivery?

Answer:

These are very common questions that many women (and men) have.

The general rule of thumb on pregnancy is that if you want to have sex, have sex. You can have sex right up until you go into labor. You can even have sex during early labor - though midwives usually advise you do not have sex if your water is broken.

If you've had complications during your pregnancy your doctor or midwife will probably advise about sex. But in general, sex is ok all the way through pregnancy.

Postpartum varies. Conventional wisdom states you should wait six weeks.

I tend to recommend you wait as long as you feel comfortable with. If you want to make love a couple of weeks after the baby comes and it feel OK to you, then go ahead. But if it's painful or if you're not comfortable with the thought of lovemaking, don't.

If you're not ready at six weeks, talk to your partner and explain to them how you feel. You may be physically healed but not emotionally ready. Or your body could be healing more slowly than others. Many, many cultures traditionally had a much longer period of abstinence than six weeks for the couple after childbirth.

I think you should have sex postpartum when you feel ready, and don't worry too much about "rules." You do what feels right to you.

Remember to enjoy yourself ;)