Life after baby is a big thing to prepare yourself for, no matter how many babies you have. Each kid seems to throw everything up in the air, and you're left floundering, trying to find your new version of "normal" and "stable." Unfortunately, the same thing happens to your sex life. And not just because of your baby. Because of your hormones, the physical changes pregnancy has introduced to your body, and that extreme level of exhaustion you're constantly struggling with. If, however, you know how to physically prepare for sex after baby, you may be able to get back into the game a lot easier, and faster, than you think.
One thing you need to keep in mind? Sex after baby is different for everyone. There's no guaranteed way to prepare yourself for the physical parts of sex or the emotional parts after having a baby. All you can do is take the pressure off of your self, let loose, and remember that things are going to be a little different at first.
But if you really want to focus on preparing yourself physically for some postpartum love-making, I have some advice. Because your body? It's going to change. Your breasts are going to leak, you might need some help with lubrication, and you may still be extremely sore from delivery, regardless of what kind you had. You can do all the kegels in the world, but there is only one way to really physically prepare yourself for postpartum sex.
Get you some sleep.
I know, that sounds ridiculous. You just had a baby, you want to have sex, and I'm telling you to sleep. But according to the Mayo Clinic, one of the causes of a low sex drive in women is fatigue. When you add in everything else going on, like your hormones and your physical changes, getting enough sleep is the one thing you can truly control to make postpartum sex worth it.
Think about how much harder everything is when you're exhausted. Spilling a bottle of formula now seems like the end of the world and your SO daring to skip ahead in a Netflix show you're watching is grounds for divorce. Because you can't control the other physical aspects of postpartum sex, like the pain or your boobs leaking all over the place, focus on the one thing you can do to physically get ready. You can sleep. And when you're well-rested, then you'll be more prepared to take on your first round of post-baby sex with some energy, excitement, and a little bit more of a sex drive.
