9 Post-Baby Pitfalls and What You Can Do About Them

Connecting with your partner after baby arrives can be a real challenge. Here's how to avoid some of the most common post-baby sex pitfalls

9 Post-Baby Pitfalls and What You Can Do About Them

Problem: Sex is Painful After Baby


Solution: See your doc and grab some lube


If you got the go-ahead for sex at your six-week post-baby checkup but your vagina hurts or feels drier than the Sahara, chances are you’re not jumping into bed enthusiastically.


Vaginal pain is sometimes caused by a little band of scar tissue from a vaginal tear or episiotomy that can take about six to 12 months to soften, says Dr. Nancy Durand, a gynecologist at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.


Make another appointment with your doctor to get checked out. “If we can see that there’s a band of fibrous tissue, we may be able to cut it and it will feel better.”


Breastfeeding—which decreases estrogen levels, putting the vagina into a menopausal-like state—is usually to blame for vaginal dryness in new moms. “But the lack of lubrication doesn’t mean you’re not aroused,” says Dr. Durand.


To make sex more comfortable, use a silicone-based lubricant, which is extra slippery. And rest assured, once you’re done breastfeeding, your vagina will start lubricating normally again.


Photography from iStockphoto.com