to ask if sex changed for you after pregnancy?

[mamaland]

a bit personal i know but i’m just so confused here. i had a csection 4 months ago and sex is so painful? it feels like glass going through me and i don’t understand how considering i didn’t labour naturally at all so no tears, stitches etc.

everytime i’ve asked my hv or gp they’ve said oh it’s normal just wait it out but how??? it’s really affecting my relationship because it’s totally stopped any intimacy and i’m getting really down about it

tried lube and it makes no difference too

any other experiences with this please and anything that might help?

You’re still healing inside and aggravating the healing wound internally getting frisky and using those muscles.

You don’t have to be sex free if you’re feeling it but treat your body gently for a while. A section is major surgery.

I'm so sorry OP. Can I ask (and sorry that this may be delving into TMI) but where exactly is the pain?DD was born 2 years ago and sex is still painful. Not sure if it's the same though.

Hi,

Are you breastfeeding?

I had this after my first baby and eventually went to the GP. Breastfeeding lowers the levels of Oestrogen in your body (similar to menopause) and basically dries you out (sorry if TMI).

My lovely GP prescribed an oestrogen cream which you insert internally a couple of times a week (I tend to do it a few hours before sex if I know it’s coming haha) and also the lubricant Sylk. Both have helped massively and the oestrogen cream is safe for breastfeeding too.

With my second baby I just asked for it to be prescribed at my 6 week check up and it’s been so much easier this time. It still hurts on insertion and takes a little warming up but it’s 100x better than before.

And if you’re not breastfeeding then none of this has been helpful but maybe someone reading the thread might find it useful

Oh and PS I also had C-sections both times so I was shocked that sex was painful and couldn’t understand why!

Oh gosh i had this, it felt like it was hitting a wall and felt like a lightening bolt going through me, it went completely after 6 months, i think because my cervix was lower down that was what the sensation was

Initially it did, then we started to get "it back" as in back it our old selves, old moves etc after I'd fully healed and felt better in myself plus at this point we were sleeping better due to DS routine and I wasn't breastfeeding anymore. Month later I fell pregnant so we're back at square one!

But we'll get it back. I started to fully feel normal after about 8 months post partum, but we had sex before then but it wasn't the most exciting type of sex but it was intimate and kept us close

I found sex really painful after my cs, it was a bit better after my VBAC but not great. I find bf doesn’t help. I’ve kept bf and stopped having sex!
It does get better when baby is also eating solids but tbh I’m still not interested and dd is 11 months.
DH would like some sex but he’s fine without ( his major faults are in other areas)

I had a (planned) c-section and breastfed and didn't experience this. It hurt a bit the first few times which I expected and think I was a bit tense worrying it was going to hurt.
Sorry that isn't much help but wanted you to hear from all perspectives, hopefully some others users can help.