Giving birth means growing your family and welcoming new life and new love into your heart. But, while this is a joyful time for you and your loved ones, the physical strain of childbirth can have lasting effects. One unwelcome side effect of giving birth may be that you experience pain during sex when you’re ready to return to intimate activity.
You need to nurture your positive relationship with your body—and with your partner—in the postpartum period. If you’re affected by painful sex after childbirth, medically known as dyspareunia, why is this happening, and what should you do?
The women’s health experts at Advanced Urogynecology of Maitland, Florida, led by board-certified urogynecologist Dr. Kristin M. Jackson, help you to understand better what’s happening in your body postpartum, and suggest therapies, treatments, and approaches to allow you to enjoy sex with more pleasure and less pain. If you’re having a hard time with sex that hurts after giving birth to your baby, reach out for personalized sexual wellness support.
Did you know that around a quarter of women report painful sex after childbirth? It can be difficult to talk about this personal problem, but if you’re affected by dyspareunia, you’re far from alone. We actually know a lot about why this can happen, and what to do when it does.
Your body goes through so much during pregnancy and childbirth. Vaginal birth can result in tearing, tissue strain, or the presence of tender scar tissue in your perineum. A C-section can also produce scarring and discomfort.
And, no matter how you give birth, your pelvic floor muscles have spent nine months supporting your growing pregnancy. That has an impact on your sexual function, as well as on your pelvic organs.
Your pelvic floor muscles may stay tight after labor, causing pain during sex. Alternatively, pregnancy and childbirth can weaken your pelvic floor muscles, damaging their ability to coordinate, causing pain when penetration is attempted. These muscles may even spasm when you try any intimate touching.
There’s also a hormonal aspect to painful sex after childbirth to consider. This is especially true if you’re breastfeeding. After the end of your pregnancy, your estrogen levels plummet, which can result in vaginal dryness and reduced elasticity in your vaginal tissues, leading to discomfort during sex.
Whether sex hurts for you after childbirth due to hypersensitivity from tissue damage, pulling scar tissue, damaged pelvic floor muscles, or changes in your hormones, you have treatment options available to you to improve your condition and reduce your painful symptoms.
Pelvic floor therapy often helps with postpartum dyspareunia. This type of treatment is gentle, non-invasive, and focuses on your whole-body healing. Pelvic floor therapy can include tissue or scar tissue release, as well as retraining and strengthening for your pelvic floor muscles.
You may also benefit from hormonal support, breath retraining, or posture retraining. And, Dr. Jackson provides her patients with Uberlube, a medical-grade personal moisturizer and lubricant, to increase their comfort and enjoyment during intercourse.
With compassionate, knowledgeable support, you can reconnect with your body, your partner, and your pleasure after the achievement of childbirth. To schedule your confidential, personalized consultation, call Advanced Urogynecology of Maitland, Florida, today.
