When is sex okay? (coupled with questions like will it hurt? And will it feel different to me/him?)

This is a super common question and often asked by the new Dad. I tell my patients to wait on average 4-6 weeks after delivery before becoming sexually active. This allows vaginal tears and laceration repairs time to heal and for the uterus to properly involute (shrink) and stop bleeding. Vaginal tissues may feel less lubricated and tender postpartum and require the use of water-based lubricants to lessen discomfort. Sleep deprivation as a new parent, and postpartum hormonal shifts physiologically result in a lack of sexual desire. Acknowledgement of this common issue as temporary is important to new parents as both worry if their sex life will ever be the same. I encourage women to begin strengthening the pelvic floor with Kegel exercise asap. After four weeks, other pelvic floor exercise like Pilates, yoga and barre classes can help restore muscle tone to the pelvic musculature and make sex as pleasurable as before pregnancy.