May 23, 2012
Parenting & Pregnancy Pregnancy and Sex When is it safe to have sex after giving birth?
When is it safe to have sex after giving birth? |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi i had sexual intercourse with my partner Munson is currently 2 weeks and 5 days old I didn't no you had to wait up until six weeks after you have had the baby to have sexual intercourse as this is my first child and the doctor or midwife didn't let me no either I've been reading up online that you can get infections and in some cases death I'm really worried and wondering what should I do about this situation as I haven't got a clue 3 weeks is a safe time interval in general. If you had no vaginal infection during or just prior to delivery and an episiotomy (cut from vagina toward anus, stitched afterwards) was not done, 2 weeks is acceptable but 3 weeks is more reasonable because it will give more time for the cervix to close. Once the cervix is closed, there are much lesser chances for infections to invade the uterus. If you do not have any bad-smelling discharges or bleeding, or any pain on your genitalia, it is generally safe to have sex 3 weeks after delivery. If you did have a complicated pregnancy or an episiotomy was done, 6 weeks is a reasonable wait. This is to ensure that the wound has completely healed, reducing the risks of nasty infections. Remember that there is a wound outside and inside; even if it seems okay on the outside, you really can’t be sure what is happening inside. Some women heal faster than others but others still feel pain during intercourse 2-3 months after delivery; if you did have an episiotomy, don’t have sex again until 3-4 weeks from now. I do hope this helps and take care always. |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 15 July 2011 ) |
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