Labor may not harm post-pregnancy sexual function
By Wildchyld • Sep 9th, 2006 • Category: BlogToday Reuters Health posted an article stating that “Though some women worry that labor and delivery will harm their sex life after pregnancy, a new study finds no evidence that childbirth itself affects a woman’s long-term sexual function.”
The taboo surrounding sex and pregnancy has always baffled me, almost as much as the taboo around sexually active parents. Although I’m sure its possible for a virgin to adopt a child without ever having intercourse, most people who are parents, and certainly all women who are pregnant, have sex! As much as we might love the dirty, naughty taboo side of sex, the reality is that sex and procreation are naturally connected. I’ll never forget visiting my grandmother a few months after I married my X husband and hearing her say “Now you two get to bed and make me some grandchildren”. Suddenly, I became aware of the fact that not only was she expecting us to sleep in the same bed under her roof, but that she also knew what we were doing in there! Something shifted in the way I saw him that night. My hot sexy, long haired rocker boyfriend at that moment became the carrier of seaman destined to swim their way up to babyland. Everything was different. If marriage, leads to socially acceptable sex (even to gramma) then why is it that once pregnancy hits, suddenly there is an assumption that the new mother to be suddenly should be a sexless creature. The last time I checked, most families with children have more than one, so why is the idea that women have sex years after having their first child such a shock?
The second thing that disturbed me about this article is that It goes on to comment that “Sexual activity early in pregnancy may be a reflection of sexual function before pregnancy, the researchers note, but the study did not assess the women’s pre-pregnancy sex life.” If you were doing a study on the effects of giving birth on sexual activity, wouldn’t you ask how often they were doing it before?
In reality, it is absolutely safe for most pregnant women to have intercourse up until the point where her water breaks (unless your doctor tells you not to). Some women are ready to go back to having sex within a few weeks while others take more time to feel physically and emotionally ready to take it on. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if pregnant women and mothers were able to talk about sexuality openly? There is a reason why the term “sexy mamma” exists. Motherhood requires having sex to create life. Mothers are sexy!
Wildchyld is a cake eater.
Wildchyld is an activist, adult performer, web geek, and graduate student studying couples therapy. She hopes to change the world one orgasm at a time.
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