What's The Deal With Anal Sex Post-Episiotomy?

For most women, things can become a little complicated in the sex department after delivering a baby. Unforeseen complications, surgical procedures, and recuperating from extracting a human from your body are enough to stand in the way of your desire to get busy. But when the urge does return, you'll want to make sure you're protecting yourself from any further complications or pain. So if you've been wondering, "Can I have anal sex after having an episiotomy?" you'll want to proceed with caution.

If your delivery required an episiotomy, that means the doctor made a surgical incision into your perineum area during childbirth in order to prevent excessive vaginal tearing or assist in the delivery of a large baby, according to Mayo Clinic. This procedure typically means stitches, so your lady parts and backdoor won't be feeling like themselves any time too soon. And depending on how invasive your episiotomy is, it can lead to infection, fecal incontinence, and pain during sex, according to The Bump. But does all of this apply when you're wondering about anal sex? Indeed it does. And although it might seem like these rules are here just to cramp your style, there are solid medical reason why it's not a good idea.

Just like you'd care for your body after any medical procedure, giving your episiotomy time to heal is crucial before having anal sex. As Baby Center explained, "anal intercourse could disrupt episiotomy stitches and cause the repair to break down." Attempting this too soon could lead to heavy bleeding and pain — two things you definitely want to avoid. Be sure to talk to your health care provider at one of your postpartum check-ups to ask about how you're healing and when it's safe to resume any kind of sexual activity.

In the meantime, you can get creative with cuddling, making out, and other forms of intimacy that don't involve being touched below the belt. Allowing your body the time it needs to recover from an episiotomy may be frustrating, but it's only temporary. Before you know it, you'll be feeling back to normal and free to do whatever you like in the bedroom.