Life

When Can I Have Sex After Giving Birth?

by Autumn Jones

A long list of firsts happen once you have a baby. There's baby first smile, first tooth, first word, and those long awaited first steps, to name a few. And even though you may have thought the firsts were over for you, just remember that you'll get to experience some pretty cool adult firsts as well. If you've been feeling in the mood lately, you may be wondering when can I have sex after giving birth? Because the first time you get busy after delivery can be very different from all the other times.

It's a myth that getting the green light for sex differs based on the type of delivery you had. Whether you gave birth vaginally or via C-section, the typical time period that most health care professionals recommend for resuming sexual activity postpartum is four to six weeks, according to Mayo Clinic. This allows an adequate amount of time for you body to heal from childbirth (and surgery if you had a cesarean). But just because you've hit the mark on the calendar when you get the thumbs up to get down to business, doesn't mean you or your body will be 100 percent ready yet.

As the website for What To Expect pointed out, there are reasons you may want to prolong having sex, postpartum. Vaginal soreness from labor or stitches may take longer to subside for some women. Not everyone feels ready to romp, even after reaching the six week mark. Be sure to listen to yourself and the cues your body is sending. As Baby Center suggested, "after you get your caregiver's go-ahead, it's OK to start having sex again as soon as you feel ready and not before." The bottom line is, after you're in the safety zone for healing, it's up to you to decide when you're ready.

Once you've decided to party between the sheets, remember to grab some protection. As OB-GYN Dr. Maureen Whelihan told Glamour magazine, it's still possible to get pregnant soon after having a baby, since a woman's body will continue to ovulate even when she doesn't have a period. So as long as you've given your body time to heal, feel like you're ready, and use some birth control, you should be all set to enjoy a first you never thought about: your first time having sex after having a baby.