A survey has found that the time it takes for mums to start having sex after a baby varies widely, with some couples waiting longer than six months
Sex has probably gone to the bottom of your agenda while you get to grips with night feeds, nappy changes and total exhaustion.
But a new survey by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (bpas) has found 23% of new mums start having sex six weeks after their baby arrives – usually around the time you have your check-up with your GP.
The bpas survey of 1,350 women discovered that 10% of new mums wait longer than six months before resuming sex, with the delay being blamed on various factors including the type of delivery you have, pain, exhaustion and feeling uncomfortable about your post-baby body.
Interestingly, the survey also compared the research with data from the 1970s, which showed that women in that decade started having sex again much earlier than today’s mums – often between the second and fourth week after birth.
Of course, there’s no ideal time to start having a sex again after having a baby.
‘All that should matter for women is that it feels right for them and that they have access to the contraception best suited to their needs if they wish to avoid pregnancy straightaway,’ says Clare Murphy from the bpas.
‘We regularly see women experiencing unplanned pregnancy in the year after giving birth, sometimes because of confusing information about breastfeeding and contraception.’
She’s referring to the myth that breastfeeding acts as effective contraception. You can, in fact, still get pregnant. Think two under two…
The bpas has produced a guide to contraception after a baby, providing information on the return of fertility and which contraception can be used depending on whether a woman is breast or bottlefeeding, which will be handed out in Bounty packs.
How long did you wait before you started having sex after having a baby? Let us know in the comment box below.