Will episiotomy during normal delivery affect sex life? How long after episiotomy during normal delivery can I have sex?

Episiotomy during normal delivery is a common way to protect pregnant mothers, but many mothers do not accept this operation because they are afraid that it will affect their sexual life in the future. In fact, these concerns are unnecessary, and episiotomy during normal delivery has more advantages than disadvantages.

Will episiotomy affect my sex life with my husband?

In addition to fear of pain, the fear that episiotomy will affect future sex life is also one of the reasons why many expectant mothers refuse episiotomy. Practice shows that expectant mothers who have undergone episiotomy will not be affected in their sex life after delivery. Under normal circumstances, after episiotomy, the vagina and perineum of expectant mothers can heal within a week, and after a period of time, they can completely return to normal. The vagina still maintains good elasticity and has no effect on future sex life. On the contrary, if the laceration is messy and the poorly healed scars are intertwined, it is very likely that sexual intercourse pain will occur.

The sutures of the episiotomy wound should usually heal within 3 to 4 weeks after delivery; if it does not heal by then, or if you still feel uncomfortable, you need to go to the hospital for help. In the first few times of sexual intercourse, it is best to use lubricants and try different positions to find the ones you think are comfortable. Remember, if you feel pain or have no "sexual" interest, it is not your fault. For many expectant mothers, they have close physical contact with their newborn babies, including breastfeeding, in the weeks and even months after delivery, so they do not want to have sex.

During normal childbirth, the new mother's "lower body" is cut, which is called "episiotomy" in medicine. Many people say that episiotomy will not affect postpartum intercourse, but on the contrary, it is beneficial to resume intercourse as soon as possible after delivery. However, many things are contrary to expectations. Many new mothers always have many problems when they are intimate with their husbands for the first time after episiotomy.

How long after a normal delivery can I have sex?

You cannot have sex within 8 weeks after episiotomy. Studies have shown that for new mothers who have had episiotomy, it takes about 6 weeks for the uterus to recover to its normal size after delivery. During pregnancy, the uterus gradually expands and grows as the fetus in the abdomen develops. By the time of delivery, the uterus of the pregnant mother is several times larger than before pregnancy. Therefore, the recovery process is also relatively long, which takes about 42 days. The endometrium of the parturient takes longer to recover, and it takes about 8 weeks to recover. After the ovarian function is basically restored, that is, after the menstrual period, it can be fully restored. Therefore, new mothers with episiotomy are generally not allowed to have sex within 8 weeks after delivery. If you have sex too early, it may cause gynecological diseases such as vaginitis, endometritis, and cervicitis, which will bring endless pain to new mothers. Therefore, new mothers with episiotomy should not have sex within 56 days after delivery to ensure the smooth recovery and health of new mothers.

If some new mothers are weak or have not recovered well after childbirth, they should delay having sex. For the health of new mothers, husbands must be patient for a while. For new mothers who have recovered well and have good physical fitness, they can have sex earlier after episiotomy, but not earlier than 6 weeks after childbirth.

Warm reminder: You cannot have sex within 8 weeks after episiotomy. So in order to better ensure postpartum recovery, we should have sex after 8 weeks. In addition, the editor needs to remind mothers that they must take good contraceptive measures during sex after childbirth. Once they get pregnant accidentally, it will cause great harm to the new mother's body. New mothers must act with caution.

How painful is an episiotomy?

8 natural birth mothers’ personal experiences——

Ranran's mother:

"You've long been numbed by the pain of contractions, and doctors usually give you a small injection of anesthetic before the episiotomy, so you won't feel any pain at all during the cut."

Xiaochuan’s mother:

"I was given a local anesthetic during the episiotomy, so I didn't feel anything! The most painful contractions are the last hour before the baby is born. The doctor can't help you, you have to try your best to give birth."

Duo Ma:

"People who have given birth forget the pain once the wound has healed, while those who have not imagined it to be very horrible. In fact, by the time a mother is on the delivery bed, she can no longer care about that."

Yiyi's mother:

"At the end of the contraction, that part has been stretched extremely thin and the nerves are numb, so it doesn't hurt. It's definitely different from the feeling of having a cut there at a normal time."

Tongxin's mother:

"I had an episiotomy during the contractions, but I felt almost nothing. It was a little painful during the stitches, but I was happy just looking at my baby."

Qian's mother:

"It was almost painless. I just heard a 'click' and then a bang, and I felt the baby coming out. Episode cutting for a natural birth is not that scary."

Hantian Mommy:

"I didn't feel any pain during the episiotomy. I felt the baby coming out soon. Don't be afraid!

Ziang's mother:

"Contractions are much more painful than episiotomy. You won't even feel the pain of episiotomy when it happens. I only realized I had been cut when the doctor said he was going to sew me up."

The obstetrician said: Please rest assured, mothers!

1. Local anesthesia will be given before episiotomy, and the incision is completed instantly at the peak of uterine contraction pain. Some women may not even feel the perineum being incised.

2. The suturing process takes about 20 minutes. During the suturing, the local anesthetic is still effective and the pain will not be very strong. Most mothers can endure this little bit of pain while enjoying the joy of the birth of their baby.