# sex after c-section



## prancie (Apr 18, 2007)

I attempted a homebirth a month ago. I labored at home for about 12 hours, dialted to 7-8 cm, but ended up transferring and getting an emergency c-sec because the baby's heart tones were depressed during contractions (babe was posterior, cord turned out to be alongside the head being compressed). Not much fun at all, but I have recovered freakishly fast from the surgery. One problem though...we tried to have sex a couple nights ago and I couldn't do it. Intercourse was too painful, much worse than when I lost my virginity. I was surprised because I didn't give birth vaginally, so I figured I'd be good to go. My sister thought it was because my cervix had dialated to 8 cm and that I would be fine in a couple more weeks. I don't know what to think...any ideas?


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## KariM (Mar 13, 2004)

I don't think I tried it that soon because my incision site was still too sore at a month.

I dialated to 7cm before DS's c-section, but don't recall cervical pain. Then again, I couldn't tell you exactly when we had sex. It's 16 years ago now!

I guess I'd give it just a little more healing time and try again.

I know that after both of my children's birth a little lubricant helped. Breastfeeding and the hormonal changes made things a little drier than normal.


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## jrojala (Aug 10, 2006)

Exactly how long has it been since the cesarean?
I had very painful sex for many months after my cesarean, turned out to be a real physical problem fairly common among cesarean mama's, http://www.vaginismus.com/, check out that site for more info. Really, sex was never 'good' until after my VBAC, just tolerable, it is so sad yk?
Also, have you looked in to the ICAN yahoo groups email list? or just the ICAN website, it is under construction right now, but still worth a look, www.ican-online.net


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## pampered_mom (Mar 27, 2006)

I didn't dilate/go into labor at all, but I don't really remember any pain, either. I do know that we didn't even attempt anything until I was feeling much better and that was more like 12 weeks for me...and it was probably even longer after that. Sorry I can't be of more help! I guess I'd say to give it more time.


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## PreggieUBA2C (Mar 20, 2007)

I had two c/s and without any labour at all. It took four months for the swelling inside my body to go away, so regardless of my wearing my normal clothes and how I felt otherwise (which was terrible, but I digress), my insides were a mess. I was so swollen at 7 wks pp (1st c/s) that our midwife tried to use a speculum designed for children to take a swab, and she couldn't insert it as far as needed. I had no infection; I was just swollen and I couldn't tell I was that swollen or sore unless dh and I tried to have sex (or I had a swab...). We didn't do the check-up with c/s2 because of the first time. We also waited three months that time before trying and like a pp wrote, sex wasn't actually enjoyable for me until after my first UBAC; we waited 8 weeks that time and everything was fine, though a bit tender at first, but not painful, and after a few times following, GREAT!

I don't know about anyone else, but my vaginal birth recovery was far more conducive to sex than either of my c/s's'. Actually that's a great understatement. My c/s's caused a lot of trauma; my UBAC healed me and gave dh and I back what we had before and then much much more.

I don't think your experience is strange or unusual at all.


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## bekkers (May 24, 2005)

omg, I am so glad to have a link to the site about vaginismus, I feel SURE that is what was/is causing my discomfort even now. It was SO awful for months after the c-sec, and I couldn't explain it except it hurt really really badly to dh, and he was a huge jerk about it, and I couldn't understand WHY it was so awful b/c I hadn't even managed to push the baby out, so what could have made me so tight/swollen/whatever the problem was? Thanks for bringing this up. Anyway, things are somewhat better now, if dh gives me a LOT of, ahem, attention, I can sort of enjoy everything, but it is still very painful at first. I am hoping that this birth (due in march) is as healing as the others with hbacs have said theirs were.


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

It's been a few years since I've read this, so this information may not be 100% accurate but from what I remember...

Your body produces hormones to help tighten the vaginal area after the baby is out - regardless of how the baby came out. So, if nothing was "stretched", than it will be much tighter than normal. I'm assuming the pain is just in "that" area. If it is higher (pain around the incision site), it could be caused by adhesions or the incision not being healed completely.


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## majormajor (Nov 3, 2006)

i had pain right at the opening of my vagina for months after my c/s, but nursing was the big culprit for me. i didn't get AF back until DD was about 18 months old, but by the time i did, sex was back to normal. i think things gradually got better between 6 and 12 months post-partum. using LOTS and LOTS of lube helped before that. for me, though, it was really an issue of not making enough lube myself.


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Honestly, the first time it didn't HURT was about 6 months postpartum the first time, and about 4 months postpartum the second time (attempted VBAC but didn't happen







). We'd give it a shot every couple weeks, but it was just too painful we couldn't do it until I hit those points each time.


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## wifeandmom (Jun 28, 2005)

First, I'd give it a few more weeks. It's still relatively soon after surgery to expect things to be 'normal' again.

However, if after several more weeks, gentle attempts, and plenty of lubrication, things are still bad, I'd consult your midwife or doctor. It could be something related to the c-section itself, it could be breastfeeding related, but whatever the cause, perhaps they could give you some suggestions.

I've had three sections, but I never dilated at all before any of them. Labored (very mild labor with ruptured membranes) with the second one, but no cervical changes whatsoever with any of them.

We had sex again at 12 days, 6 days, and 6 days respectively.

First two were absolutely fine. Fabulous actually. Third one, not so much. It wasn't painful really, but it burned some. Not enough to stop, not enough to not enjoy it, but enough that we didn't do it again til 12 days. Then things were fine.

Had I dilated significantly or been bleeding with any of the sections, we would have waited longer.

For some bizarre reason, I am in the mood for more sex than any other time in my life in the first few months after having a baby.


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## BetsyS (Nov 8, 2004)

I had painful sex after my c-section, too. It was actually probably the worst part of my c-section. I felt like I didn't get to have my baby the "right" way and now, I don't even get to reap the reward of my vagina feeling the same because nobody came barrelling through there.

For me, it turns out that breastfeeding was the culprit as well. I started using Replens, which is a long lasting vaginal moisturizer, designed for women in menopause. It helped alot. Getting my cycles back at 7 months pp helped alot, too.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

For me, it was like 2 1/2 weeks, just briefly, but it didn't hurt all that bad, really, at all. I would definitely check into it.

Also, I did have adhesions that started to show up just after that, that were extremely painful, but they were slightly above the incision site. Is it possible you have adhesions? They are very common after surgery, and can affect a large area around the insicion site.
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/c-section_adhesions.html
there are many other sites that talk about them, I just grabbed the first link I found


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## mom2tillie (Aug 22, 2007)

I dilated to 9cm and we resumed our sex life (slowly) at 5 weeks postpartum. I didn't have unusual pain, but I did have a lot of dryness throughout the entire year that I was nursing. Astroglide worked for us!


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## nausicaamom (Feb 8, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Amylcd* 
It's been a few years since I've read this, so this information may not be 100% accurate but from what I remember...

Your body produces hormones to help tighten the vaginal area after the baby is out - regardless of how the baby came out. So, if nothing was "stretched", than it will be much tighter than normal. I'm assuming the pain is just in "that" area. If it is higher (pain around the incision site), it could be caused by adhesions or the incision not being healed completely.

I just wanted to second this - it took a while for me to get stretched out again.


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