Sex before 6 weeks post-partum...what could happen?

[Katigre]

Not scriptkitten, but to answer your question, BF hormones can cause vaginal dryness, and that makes it very uncomfortable. Might be a good idea to get some lubricant just in case

Hands down the best lubricant for vaginal dryness is Coconut oil - comparing it to something like Astroglide or Ky, there is just no comparison. CO is awesome and I know a lot of nursing mama friends who swear by it for their own comfort .

[Melanie]

I thought it had something to do with making sure you were no longer dialated due to risk of embolism and the '6 week' rule was just b/c that's when most people have their first internal exam.

[Beth24]

I had my first post partum visit at 3 weeks and got the ok then.

[LadyPeter]

Not scriptkitten, but to answer your question, BF hormones can cause vaginal dryness, and that makes it very uncomfortable. Might be a good idea to get some lubricant just in case

Will definitely do that. I had read that BFing could cause dryness, but since scriptkitten said sex was a "disaster" and lubricant is a really easy fix, I wondered if there was another problem caused by BFing?

[mrspeachykeen]

I am having a similar issue as scriptkitten. In addition to dryness there is definitely a lack of desire that I am experiencing that I attribute to BF. I will say though that i just got my first period post-partum a couple of weeks ago and things are seeming much better. Even though I am still BF I don't have the extreme dryness, my libido is getting better and it is finally starting to feel good to have sex. Even with extra lubricant, I will honestly say that there wasn't any pain, but there wasn't any pleasure either with sex. Thankfully it is getting better, but DD is 8 months old already so it has taken time.

[Katigre]

Will definitely do that. I had read that BFing could cause dryness, but since scriptkitten said sex was a "disaster" and lubricant is a really easy fix, I wondered if there was another problem caused by BFing?

For some women it is not just dryness - it is that the vaginal tissues lose their elasticity due to the bf'ing hormones. This means sex is painful since your body isn't stretching/adjusting during sex like normal (compare how it feels to pull on regular skin vs. skin that has a scab on it - one stretches with elasticity and no pain and the other pulls/tugs/hurts). There are hormonal creams you can use and ways to do sex that make it less painful - but it's more drawn out process. Usually once your cycles resume and/or breastfeeding stops things go back to normal. Not all women experience this but it is more than a matter of just 'dryness'.

[pastrygirl]

It was very painful for me for months, after a c-section with barely any dilating, and a VBAC. FWIW, I was always ready mentally and libido-wise as soon as the bleeding stopped.

[hillview]

get some lube!
/hillary

[amm40]

For some women it is not just dryness - it is that the vaginal tissues lose their elasticity due to the bf'ing hormones. This means sex is painful since your body isn't stretching/adjusting during sex like normal (compare how it feels to pull on regular skin vs. skin that has a scab on it - one stretches with elasticity and no pain and the other pulls/tugs/hurts). There are hormonal creams you can use and ways to do sex that make it less painful - but it's more drawn out process. Usually once your cycles resume and/or breastfeeding stops things go back to normal. Not all women experience this but it is more than a matter of just 'dryness'.

Oh, thanks! I've been close to tears several times due to the painful burning stretching feeling that made no sense given my c-section, and lube only made things messier. 6 months past weaning, its finally bearable. Your explanation hits it right on the head. Why didn't my GYN know about this elasticity theory?

[karstmama]

op, if you can insert a finger or two (in the shower, perhaps) without pain & your bleeding has stopped or slowed way down, sex should be fine. remember, though, to use some method of birth control.