Sex and contraception after birth

It’s normal to feel like you never want to have sex again after giving birth.

At some point you probably will want to have sex, so it’s good to be prepared and to think about contraception.

Your fertility can come back quickly even if you’re breastfeeding so it’s a good idea to talk to your midwife about contraception.

You can speak to your midwife about contraception before your baby is born.

Take your time

Physically, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have sex as soon as:

any bleeding has stopped
cuts or tears have healed

If you have sex before then:

it can hurt
there’s a chance you may get an infection if cuts and tears haven’t healed

Doing pelvic floor exercises can help your body recover.

Many couples wait longer – it’s entirely up to you. The important thing is that you only have sex when you’re ready to.

Having sex after birth

There are many different ways to have sex. After giving birth you may feel you want to try something other than penetrative sex. As everybody’s different, talk to each other about how you feel.

You and your partner may feel too tired for sex, and you may feel bruised after the birth or not ready emotionally.

When you do decide to have sex again you’ll both probably be a bit nervous, so use some lubrication and don’t rush it. If you’re finding sex hurts, stop and talk to your partner.

Choosing a contraceptive

There’s a large choice of contraceptives available. What you choose will depend on whether:

you’re breastfeeding
you want to have another baby and, if so, when

Ask your midwife, health visitor or family nurse to give you information about:

the different kinds of contraception
how effective they are
any side effects

If you decide not to use contraception, talk to your midwife, health visitor, family nurse or GP about what this could mean for you.

A video about contraception after birth

Watch this animation to find out more about contraception after birth.

Types of contraceptive

The main types of contraception are:

long-acting, reversible contraception (LARC), such as implants, intrauterine devices (IUD or the coil) and injections. These are the most effective forms of contraception.
condoms
the pill (combined and progestogen-only)
diaphragms
permanent contraception, such as sterilisation and vasectomy
natural family planning

More about the different types of contraception

Breastfeeding as a contraceptive

Some women use breastfeeding as a method of contraception. This method isn’t as reliable as other forms of contraception such as LARC.

If you choose to use this method you need to start it straight away or within 3 weeks of birth.

How effective is it?

Breastfeeding as a contraceptive is likely to be most effective if you’re:

using it in the first 6 months after your baby’s born
not having any periods
fully breastfeeding and not also giving infant formula

It becomes less effective:

when your periods start again
when your baby’s 6 months or older
if you start reducing the number of times you breastfeed, for example if you stop night feeds or start using infant formula feeds