ASK THE EXPERT

Sex can seem daunting after everything your body has gone through during birth. Certified intimacy and relationship expert Andrea Tan of Athena Rising shares how you can feel comfortable - both physically and mentally - with post-partum sex.

- ANDREA TAN

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My body feels foreign to me after childbirth. How can I rediscover my body again?

Congrats, mama! Your body nurtured another human being for nine months. Childbirth is a physically taxing process on the body. Do allow an appropriate amount of time to heal physically post-childbirth. Ensure that your basic needs of rest, diet and movement are met, so you have energy and attention to reconnect with your body.

Physical recovery includes pelvic area muscle recovery or rehabilitation, while emotional recovery includes embracing your identity as a mother and as a sexual being, and learning to appreciate your body through the changes of childbirth.

Sexual recovery includes identifying how our body responds to arousal and sexual touch after giving birth, and developing an awareness of how our body cues have changed through the process of pregnancy and post-partum recovery.

Three things you can try: