An obstetrician and gynaecologist, Abosede Lewu, has said that sexual activities should only commence from 42 days or six weeks after delivery or childbirth if the woman’s overall well-being is great.

“The ‘Puerperium’ is also a critical period in the life of a woman that has just had a pregnancy and it is the first 42 days or six weeks after delivery,” Mrs Lewu said in an interview on Sunday.

Nonetheless, she said, “this 42-day period is not set in stone. The well-being of the woman is what determines when to resume sexual intercourse as a couple”.

She warned that having sexual intercourse immediately after childbirth can result in bleeding, infection, painful sex, and break down of perineal tear in women.

“If she resumes sexual intercourse without allowing the body to recover, there can be complications such as bleeding, infections, poor healing, painful sex, break down of perineal tear and other health problems,”.

She said that the well-being of the woman immediately after birth would determine when to resume sexual intercourse after childbirth.

“The vaginal area can feel sore and painful after childbirth and there might be stitches after perineal tearing during the birth.

“Therefore, the woman’s body after pregnancy needs to recover and go back to normal.”

Mrs Lewu said the time couples could resume sexual intercourse after childbirth had been a topic of controversy and discord in some homes.

“A woman could have had a difficult pregnancy, difficult delivery, postpartum mental health challenges, stress, fatigue, absence of physical or emotional support, loss of libido, and multiple babies.

“And in some instances, she just does not feel like resuming sexual intercourse yet. So, it is inadvisable to say once it is six weeks, a woman must resume sexual intercourse.”

Mrs Lewu further urged husbands, families, and friends to support women immediately after delivery so that they could recover and resume all their activities as soon as they could.

(NAN)