JFF - How Long After Birth Did You Wait to Have Sex?

Updated on July 23, 2012
R.J. asks from Seattle, WA
22 answers

Yep. Says it all.

Another Q got me thinking.

My one and only: couple weeks. Ahem. American definition of a 'couple' (which is anywhere from 2-4). Super rough pregnancy balanced out a bit with an easy recovery.

V-birth, no tearing or episiotomy. My doc said 'Try whenever you feel like it, go slow, you'll know if it's too soon. Have fun!'

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Long after the 6 week mark. WAY too terrified to get pregnant again. My pregnancy was pretty rough and almost traumatizing.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.F.

answers from Houston on

All three were vaginal births no tears and we waited 8 weeks. I could actually have waited a year and would have been totally okay. And yes I like my hubby, we're both in shape yada yada but that first year I would choose sleep over sex any day. I also was not one of those horny pregnant ladies either(unfortunately). when debating over #4 my hubby is like well two years with barely any sex is tough...

2 moms found this helpful

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M..

answers from Detroit on

Doctor told me with all 3, nothing enters the vagina for 6 weeks. Couldnt even use tampons.

7 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I had had c-sections.
Typical "recovery" time, is 6 weeks.
I waited for that length of time.
And then some.
Ahem.
Internally, you still feel it/the incision, even if it is past 6 weeks. There are layers, of tissue that is sutured up internally. I didn't want to tear my incision etc.
But well ya know... other things can be done besides, "sex."
So that is what we did.

6 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Pretty much depended on the child and my feelings towards the now ex. :p

With my first I think it was close to six weeks. Second was so dang easy to have it was around two. Third was around four but mostly because I was so dang busy running kids to games and stuff. Fourth, well I wish I could have stretched it to the end of my marriage. :p

4 moms found this helpful
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S.F.

answers from Boca Raton on

I had a c-section, so I had to wait 6 weeks.

3 moms found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

how funny!! I had to wait six weeks - my doctor had put me on bed rest in January - I kept on asking when we could have sex...I was RARING to go...I got an empty Rx jar from the nurses that they typed up and said:

Cheryl

Put all of your sexual fantasies in here. At six weeks postpartum, please take one slip out at a time and have fun!

I LOVED IT!!

3 moms found this helpful
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L.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I stick with the docs suggestion of 6 weeks and after that I wait till Im ready...wow there are some real interesting people out there, I thought everyone heeded the 6 week rule.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

I don't know, both times...8 weeks maybe? I wasn't even dreaming of it sooner than that. My first child was 9 lbs and I had plenty of stitches. #2 was only 7 lbs but came out in one push, don't know how ready my body was for that, so yeah I needed some time to heal!

2 moms found this helpful
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P.N.

answers from Denver on

You all are a bunch of nymphos! (Or liars, maybe)...LOL!
I don't know ANYONE IRL who waited less than about 10-12 weeks with each baby, myself included. We usually waited about 4-5 mos, mostly b/c, between healing from multiple stitches, leaking breasts, not to mention having those suckled 10 times a day by a non-sexual source, the LAST thing I wanted at the end of the day was to be touched, especially THERE.
Plus, if you breastfeed, vaginal dryness is, ahem, a big problem. We will likely wait that long with this baby too (due in 7 weeks). I can't hardly get thru the fog of being a "new mom" again just trying to focus on everyday things, let alone the extra focus of trying to be sexual. That sex time sucks up precious sleep time!

2 moms found this helpful
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T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

Both of mine were 4 weeks. Honestly, I was ready. It did take some finesse that early (and I even had c-sections so nothing even came out that way but things were still sore!) but we've never been abstinent for that long and we have a healthy sexual appetite I guess! ;)

2 moms found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

with my first we waited 4 weeks I think and with my 2nd I think we waited the full 6 weeks.

1 mom found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Chicago on

6 weeks or more with each of the 3. With all 3, I had tearing and episiotomies, so I had to heal and for whatever reason, I went into my regular cycle right away. We took it slow. I think the wait was worth it because it didn't hurt at all when we finally did.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.B.

answers from Missoula on

I had two C sections, and it was about two weeks after with each. Those hormones are powerful stuff :)

1 mom found this helpful

E.D.

answers from Seattle on

My situation after birth = Fractured tailbone and a few vaginal skid marks + totally bummed out by my husband's behavior + little one who was a great sleeper...as long as she was on TOP of me and in my bed.

7 weeks until first try. Hurt like the dickens, so I *think* we waited at least a few more weeks on top of that, and shoot - our sex life was abysmal the first few years of my daughter's life. My sex drive drops to zero when I'm anxious and hurt.

1 mom found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I too am in the C-section club, 6 weeks.

1 mom found this helpful

J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

I had tearing and an episiotomie so 6 weeks...ouch!! that was worse than labor times a zillion!

1 mom found this helpful

B.M.

answers from Pocatello on

I've had 3 babies all c-sections. Even though my vagina was still the same you still have to be very careful of the incision which is very low. So my first was 3 weeks, second was 2 weeks, and my third I had while hubby was still in Iraq so we didn't get to do it until he was home on leave. 3 months after she was born!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.W.

answers from Shreveport on

First was a vaginal birth with I think 2 stitches afterwards...barely into week two we were both going crazy...but dr had told us to wait at least 4 weeks even though he would have preferred 6 weeks if possible. When he gave us that info we both just stared at him like he was crazy. He said 4 weeks would be fine. That 4th week hit and we were raring to go. lol
With our second he was c-section and dr said 6 weeks. Again we were going nuts by week 2 and barely managed to get to week 6.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.C.

answers from Savannah on

Mine were V-births, no episiotomy, my first son required 2 or 3 stitches but none for the second. We waited the prescribed 6 weeks both times. Some of that was just that the doctor said to so we obeyed, we didn't know what was going on down there and wanted him to say all was well...but part of it was also due to his size vs my size, I was a bit scared. So was he.

We were very happy after the 6 week check up so we could proceed, though we were careful. We had sex the same day as the 6 week check up after each pregnancy, very soon after getting home. We love sex, we had healthy "appetites", we just didn't want to be concerned something was going to break, lol. There were other ways to show our love besides just intercourse while we waited though. NO WAY would we have been able to have sex in a "couple" weeks. YIPES!

1 mom found this helpful

⊱.H.

answers from Spokane on

I had c-sections and was good to go after about 2 weeks of recovery.

1 mom found this helpful
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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

C-section, 6 weeks, but we're pretty creative and while we didn't have sex, we still enjoyed each other.

1 mom found this helpful
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