I gave birth six months ago. It was a vaginal delivery with vacuum extraction. I also had an episiotomy which took more than a month to heal. Prior to giving birth, I had a fantastic sex life with my husband; however now I experience pain during sex - to varying degrees. My husband tries to be gentle and we use a lot of lubricant, but it still hurts. I'm getting really frustrated as I find myself sometimes feeling scared to do it! I miss the old me who used to be wild and uninhibited in the sack. Any advice is much appreciated!
A friend of mine is having pelvic floor work after birth to help repair her vagina.
Here is the website for the practitioner she is using... Maybe you could write to that woman and ask her some advice. My friend is having great success with it.
Good luck! It can take a while to heal.... acupuncture it pretty great too!
I had a similar problem and waited 9 months before going to my ob. I had a 2nd degree tear from vaginal birth and the scar tissue was very tough and sensitive. Sex varied from painful to excruciating.
My ob was very understanding and said this problem is really common. She prescribed Premarin which is an estrogen cream usually used by menopausal women. Each evening I would apply a tiny bit to my finger and gently massage the scar tissue to break it up. After 2 weeks of this sex was not painful anymore! I continued the treatment for about 2 months. The premarin gave a little extra lubrication which was nice as I was (and still am) breastfeeding.
Go see your Doc! I think this is a very common complaint and one women don't talk about much at all. My husband highly approves of the "v-j remodel."
Best of luck..
Hi There
I am in the boat as you. My son is 6 months old and I had an emergency c section after pushing for 3 hours.
We have only had intercourse 3 times since then and each time was very painful for me. We use to have sex 2 or 3 times a week. Now I have zero interest it.
I have done some research on this and believe this is mostly hormonal, it's nature's birth control. Are you breastfeeding? I am, I think that plays into it too. I have read many moms don't enjoy sex for up to a year after birth.
I have my yearly exam in a couple of weeks and will bring this up with my doctor but I imagine she will say it's normal.
In the meantime I recommend sharing in other intimate activities with your husband, snuggling, massages, etc...
Best wishes!
Not sure if this is your issue, but after having twins and a c-section (no vaginal trauma), I had extrememly painful intercourse. I was finally given a weeks worth of estrogen cream to use vaginally and have been fine ever since. I've heard it can take up to a year after birth for estrogen levels to come back up.
L.
