Is Sex Better After Cesarean Deliveries?

I had always heard these stories about how sex MUST be better after a Cesarean delivery, and to me it somewhat made sense. After having heard several stories about how difficult a vaginal birth can be (ripping, tearing, and cutting just to name a few of the side effects), of course sex after a c-section had to be better – right?

When considering how to deliver my baby, I brought this point up to my midwife who was quick to dismiss what she called a “myth”.

“The fact that a Cesarean section birth will only allow you to enjoy sex more than if you were to have a vaginal delivery is absolutely false,” she laughed. “Statistically speaking, it’s actually more painful.”

More painful? How could that be?

The Time to Heal

You first have to consider the amount of time it takes for one to heal from a vaginal birth versus a c-section. After a vaginal birth, it is recommended that you wait any where from 4 to 6 weeks. Cesarean sections should be allowed 6 to 8 weeks to heal. So really, there is only a 2-4 week difference, right?

Wrong. The repair work that a body must do to “heal” any possible rips and tears from a vaginal delivery are significantly less than the repair work that must be done to heal a cesarean section. Consider the difference: vaginal tearing, if there even is any, is usually only skin. Skin quickly mends itself and will return to how it was pre-birth. A cesarean section requires the doctor to cut through layers of more fatty tissue, as well as strong muscle that has also been progressively stretched out over the past 9 months. So though a woman can have sex after 6-8 weeks from having a cesarean, many will pass on sex due to pain for upwards to one full year.

Perks of Vaginal Birth

Another rather remarkable outcome to one having a vaginal birth is that it “enhances” sex for the woman. For whatever reason, women who were once only able to seldom achieve orgasms quickly found that they were able to experience multiple orgasms – something that both partners certainly appreciate!

Lastly, for any moms who are worried that a vaginal delivery will leave them “looser” and less “tight” for their partners to enjoy, that could not be further from the truth. All women I know who have asked their partner after a vaginal delivery whether it’s just as good as it was before, the answer is a resounding “yes”.

photo by MariaLucila Gomez