mamashonestjournal

We hear a lot about the six week clearance, but very little about what sex actually feels like after having a baby. Being medically cleared does not mean you feel ready physically, emotionally, or mentally.

For many moms, postpartum intimacy comes with struggles no one prepares you for.

Some of the uncomfy truths many women experience include

• Low confidence and body image struggles in the bedroom

• Painful sex even after healing and being cleared

• Episiotomy scars and lingering tenderness

• Vaginal dryness, especially while nursing

• Sexual frustration on both sides

• Extremely low libido due to breastfeeding and hormonal shifts

• Feeling touched out and emotionally depleted

• Less sensation or stimulation, sometimes feeling numb

These changes can feel isolating and scary, especially when you start wondering if this is just how things will be now.

What helped me persevere was patience. Letting go of the expectation that intimacy would return to how it was before. Allowing my body time to heal and relearn pleasure. Communicating openly instead of pushing through discomfort.

Having a partner who is patient, loving, loyal, and understanding made a huge difference. But the biggest shift came from learning to be patient with myself and trusting that healing is not linear.

Now, sixteen months postpartum, I can proudly say it does get better. Not all at once, not perfectly, but slowly. Desire can return. Sensation can return. Confidence can grow again.

If you are in this season, you are not broken. Your body carried life, and it deserves time, grace, and compassion.