Table of contents:
- Is it normal for sex drive to decrease after childbirth?
- How can there be a decrease in sex drive after childbirth?
- 1. Mother is exhausted
- 2. The mother's body needs time to recover
- 3. Breastfeeding affects the production of hormones related to sexual arousal
- 4. Mothers are afraid of getting pregnant again
- So, what should I do?
Most of you may feel your sex drive after childbirth has decreased. In fact, after giving birth, you may not think anymore about when to have sex with your partner. Unlike the case felt by your husband who still wants to have sexual relations with you.
Yes, after giving birth, the mother's duties have not ended. Instead, new, heavier tasks have emerged. This is probably why most mothers do not want to have sexual intercourse after giving birth. Then, what exactly causes a woman's sex drive to decrease after childbirth?
Is it normal for sex drive to decrease after childbirth?
It is normal for your sex drive to decline after giving birth. This can take several months. One study of women who had recently given birth, found that 20% of women in the study had little or no desire to have sexual intercourse for 3 months after giving birth, and 21% completely lost the desire to have sexual activity.
How can there be a decrease in sex drive after childbirth?
After giving birth, many changes occur in your life, including in your sexual life and that of your partner. This is normal for all mothers who have just given birth, especially if they have just given birth to their first child. There are several factors that can affect this decreased sexual desire.
1. Mother is exhausted
The mother's sexual arousal is masked by the fatigue that the mother feels when caring for a newborn. Newborns need a lot of attention, this can be physically and emotionally draining for the mother. Even if the mother is having time to rest, most mothers prefer to sleep rather than have sexual intercourse with their partner. It seems, sex is at the bottom of the priority at this point. However, after you have sexual intercourse, you will usually feel completely refreshed and you may want to feel it more often.
2. The mother's body needs time to recover
The mother's body still needs time to recover after giving birth. The mother's body is still making various changes, including hormonal changes. These changes in the body may also affect the mother's sex drive after childbirth. Mother also needs to readjust to her new body shape. Some mothers feel the need to rebuild their body image. In some women, sexual intercourse for the first time after giving birth may make them uncomfortable. This feeling usually makes you feel less sexy.
3. Breastfeeding affects the production of hormones related to sexual arousal
Breastfeeding after giving birth also affects the decrease in the mother's sex drive. During breastfeeding, the mother's production of the hormone prolactin increases so that the mother's body is focused on producing more milk than releasing eggs. So that breastfeeding is one way to prevent pregnancy too quickly. During breastfeeding, the mother's hormone estrogen decreases so that it affects the production of mucus in the mother's vagina. So, if the mother is having sexual intercourse at this time, the mother may feel uncomfortable because the vagina feels dry. It may be necessary to have lubricants during sexual intercourse at this time.
4. Mothers are afraid of getting pregnant again
After giving birth, mothers still want to focus on taking care of the one child they just gave birth to before they are ready to have another child. Consciously or unconsciously, this fear may affect the mother's desire to have sexual intercourse. Yes, it is a bit inconvenient to get pregnant while still having a baby.
So, what should I do?
You and your partner do not need to panic or fear because this decrease in sexual desire is only temporary. You just need to calm down and give understanding to your partner to be patient, this is a normal thing to happen and will not last long. Always keep your communication with your partner. You may need time alone with your husband after a lot of time you have spent with your little one. Maintaining intimacy with your husband is also an important and necessary thing for both of you. You can find other ways to maintain intimacy with your husband, apart from sexual intercourse.