Is it normal to have numb bits over 3 months after childbirth?

[eenysugarplumfairy]

Hi! I had our baby in August. Just attempted sex with DH and couldnt because my bits were so numb I felt no sensation so couldnt get into the swing of things. I had a failed epidural in my labour which was fairly traumatic... Is this normal? When will I get sensation back in my bits?

[lulumama]

did you have a big tear or episiotomy

when you say numb...really no feeling at all..or different feeling?

[eenysugarplumfairy]

no I didnt tear at all although it was a very very hard delivery - induced while baby was prem. It was really really numb. I could feel I was being touched but there was no pleasure or tinglyness or real sensation. It was pretty awful!! My poor DH!

[morningpaper]

well for the first few weeks I could barely feel that I had a vagina at all

I'm assuming that you can feel your clitoris, but you have little feeling in your vagina?

I think what you need is millions of pelvic floor exercises

And oral sex might be a better bet for your sensual life at the moment - but make sure you tie a rope onto DH in case he disappears

(just kidding about that last bit)

[eenysugarplumfairy]

ok to be really graphic - it was oral we were trying and i felt nothing in my clitoris AT ALL.

[eenysugarplumfairy]

it was like it was dead. and for the record my husband is a fantastic lover so it wasnt his technique.

[morningpaper]

have you ermmm been masturbating since you had the baby?

any joy there?

[Quootiepie]

nothing at all? a sensation, or just a feeling? like, could you pinch yourself down there and feel it?

[lulumama]

gosh, morningpaper...glad you got in there,, i was being a little over cautious!!!

no sensation at all is not right..

what happened at the 6 week check ...all healed, no bruising..

[morningpaper]

How are your pelvic floor muscles, do you do a lot?

I think that for some women (ahem) pelvic floor tone is really essential in arousal, even if the sex you are having it clitoris-centred

I would REALLY recommend a lot more masturbation because it will help tone up your pelvic floor muscles and a bit of experimenting with be helpful in understanding how your body is responding (e.g. holding your pelvic floor muscles and seeing how things feel when you do different things).

It's still pretty early days though so don't panic.

[eenysugarplumfairy]

I masturbated once since the baby and it was awful. no orgasm. And now if I pinched it I would feel it but only the pain no real sensation with touch if that makes sense. it feels the way it feels when you have an epidural or at least a partially functioning epidural which is what i had. like I could tell it was being touched but not really get much sensation.

[morningpaper]

A lot of women would still be in quite a lot of pain at this stage

It is very early

[eenysugarplumfairy]

I will try more PF exercises... mine has been pretty poor since the birth as my slight bladder weakness has shown wow what an honest thread! haha

[eenysugarplumfairy]

I will try more PF exercises... mine has been pretty poor since the birth as my slight bladder weakness has shown wow what an honest thread! haha

[eenysugarplumfairy]

I will try more PF exercises... mine has been pretty poor since the birth as my slight bladder weakness has shown wow what an honest thread! haha

[morningpaper]

Hmm I would be in favour of many many pelvic floor exercises

and lots of one-in-a-bed sex

If you are worried, ask to be referred to a gynaecologist - but really, you are doing well to be back in the sack with DH, and it really is early days

[eenysugarplumfairy]

oops sorry about the multiple posts dont know what happened there.

[HelloMamaMoonCup]

It may be that you had some nerve damage during the birth, not necessarily any kind of tear, but the nerves may have been squashed or crushed somehow. Bruised nerves can recover, but this can take a while, sometimes 6 months or perhaps a bit longer I would keep 'at it' (!) and see how it goes, things will probably start to return to normal over the coming weeks and months. If you're are worried, go and see your GP for an opinion.

[morningpaper]

ok stop going on about your bladder

You could also ask for a referral to a physio - they are AMAZINGLY knowledgable about pelvic muscles

[eenysugarplumfairy]

thanks. it was a bit of a failed attempt at some intimacy - especially with baby in the cot in the room making darling little sleepy noises! hahaha oh well. I suppose we will be married for an eternity there is alwasy time to catch up.

[morningpaper]

I think really it will take some time

It took me a while to feel everything normally again - there was definitely a lot of loss of sensation, but it was due to lack of pelvic floor tone and lack of muscle tone in the birth canal region (it was a bit echoey in there I think)

[eenysugarplumfairy]

I must have been getting over excited talking about my incontinence!

[lulumama]

was going to say what mamma moon cup has said re nerves


was it a hard delivery..how long second stage?

and was baby engaged at all before induction....

a lot of pressure on the pelvic floor pre & during birth may have a lot to answer for
!

[morningpaper]

keep at it though sugarplumfairy - and well done on making some time for intimacy, you are doing really well!

[eenysugarplumfairy]

Whats second stage, pushing? It was about... 3 hours I think. He was fully engaged when I was induced but he didnt want to come out! The delivery was awful really. I had an epidural half way through which failed. It paralysed me from the waist down but took away less than half the pain on one side of my body. I wouldnt be surprised if it was the nerve thing. Thanks for your support!

[lulumama]

eeny...my friends DS was fully engaged for a number of weeks before birth....right on the pelvic floor and she has had issues with her pelvic floor ever since......it can make a difference..and a hard & fast birth can cause bruising and soft tissue damage...

give it a while...and good on you for getting back into it!