Intimacy After A Baby

Having a baby does not mean that your sex life must come to a halt. You can still enjoy intimacy with your partner – with a little planning.

- Zukiswa Dlamini

Bringing a life into the world is one of the most fulfilling experiences in life. However, having a baby can also bring with it uncertainty, especially when it comes to issues to do with intimacy. “A lot of women fear that their sex life is over after giving birth,” says Dr Nolwazi Ndlovu from Pretoria. She adds that it is normal not to feel like yourself for the first few weeks or months. And once that initial phase is over, sex can be as enjoyable as before. But, in the meantime, how can you remedy the situation?

GET READY FOR CHANGE

For a lot of couples, changes in their sex life can start during pregnancy. “Some women’s sex drive can increase during this time; and if their partner is also in the same headspace, then you can have a very sexual pregnancy,” says Dr Nolwazi. But, this was not the case for 34-year-old Khomotso*. “My husband and I didn’t have much sex when I was pregnant. He was so excited about the baby that he treated me like some ‘goddess’ and believed that we were not supposed to have sex. In my second trimester, I really yearned for sexual intimacy, but he just wasn’t into the idea. This made me feel insecure, and I questioned if he still found me attractive or not. Thankfully, things got back to normal after giving birth. But, I’m now sceptical about falling pregnant again.”