A woman’s relationship with her vagina changes throughout her life, sometimes even throughout her day. A source of curiosity, discomfort, shame, pride, empowerment, love, and confusion are some of the beautiful and complex ways women might explain their personal relationship with their vagina, even before sex or childbirth enter the picture.
After the traumatic experience of childbirth--and I will say traumatic in the sense of it being a physically tiring, labor-intensive endeavor that pushes parts of the body beyond their typical capacity--women might experience a mind/vagina disconnection. It’s OK. There is nothing wrong with you, your body, or your relationship. While childbirth is no walk in the park, your vagina can handle it. It’s resilient. Still, expect to be navigating new vagina territory for 12 weeks up to a year, before things return to a pre-birth state. As you reacquaint yourself with sex and settle into motherhood, try to avoid putting pressure on yourself to “bounce back.” Honor where you’re at in your recovery journey. To help, we’ve outlined some of the best lubricant to use after giving birth to ease you into arousal.
Best lubricant to use after giving birth
If you’ve recently brought a human into this world, there is no better time to give your vagina some extra love. Lube is a great bedside companion for vaginal dryness, a common condition after giving birth. In one 2018 study of 832 postpartum women, 43 percent reported vaginal dryness six months after delivering their baby.
Even if you are mentally primed to start having sex again, it’s your hormones that are in the driver’s seat, specifically estrogen and progesterone.
Without enough estrogen, your vaginal tissue might become thinner and prone to tearing. After giving birth, and during the breastfeeding phase, your estrogen levels are lowered, which means that your body is no longer producing a clear lubricating fluid, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
If you’re looking to take the best care of your intimate skin, look no further than GoLove Intimate CBD Serum. Apply to the labia and perineal skin daily and say good bye to chaffing! The research-based formula is lab-certified and dermatologist-tested.
Best lube for postpartum sex
The pregnancy might be over, but getting back into your body could take some time. You might feel more sensitive than usual, or experience dryness and soreness that impacts intimate moments with your partner. Always use a water-based lube for postpartum sex to relieve discomfort during sex, and reduce tissue irritation and the risk of tearing.
If sex is miles from your mind during postpartum recovery, there are still many ways to be intimate with a partner that don’t involve vaginal penetration. Recovering from childbirth is a great opportunity for you and your partner to be sexually stimulated by one another’s hands. Need ideas? Try reading GoLove’s Co-Founder Dr. Sadie Allison’s books “Tickle His Pickle” or “The Mystery of the Undercover Clitoris” to get familiar with new techniques and enjoy the post-childbirth healing phase together.