I had a c-section 8 weeks ago. My hubby and I tried a few nights ago to have sex, but it was painful for me. It was not really a lubrication issue... it just hurt inside. Why is this?? With the c-section, it's not like everything down there got all stretched out and traumatized like it wouldn during a vaginal birth. Anyone else have painful intercourse after c-section? ↓
It could be that it's been a while since you've had sex, and everything has tightened up a bit...that happened to me after my second c-section. It had been 6 months since I'd had sex, and I had gotten tight enough that sex wasn't comfortable at first. ↑
I know exactly what you are talking about! But remember, just because you didn't have a vaginal birth doesn't mean your insides weren't traumatized, exactly the opposite! Your uterus is attached to your cervix and that to your vaginal canal so it stands to reason that manipulation in one area would affect the others. I had a really intense ache inside when I tried sex for the first time and like Jbear said, everything gets forgetful! My friend had a vaginal and her opening didn't hurt from the delivery but she described the very same type of pain I did, so it is just birth in general sometimes. Take it slow and very easy :>) ↑
I had a C-section and also have pain with sex. It's been 4 months now and it is still painful for me. Although I must admit that we don't try too often cuz I know it's gonna hurt.. lol. But I really hope this doesn't last too much longer. Maybe I just need to be stretched out a bit like Jbear said. Glad to know I'm not the only one with this problem. :-) ↑
I had a c section 6 weeks ago and I am having the same problem. I feel like a virgin. My husbabd and I have tried several times but I always have to stop because of the pain. ↑
The reason it hurts inside is because your vagina didn't give birth but your ligaments and connective tissue actually had it worse, they were shoved, pulled, cut and stretched out of their natural position to have the c-seciton. I watched an academic film of a cesarean section during my classes (Nurse practictioner) and frankly there is MORE trauma done during the c-section than what I witnessed so far during a vaginal. Bladder blades and retractors were used internally and it was immediately evident that swelling and trauma to connective tissue was occuring. The ache and pain I experienced with my c was immedicately obvious after viewing this unedited film. ↑
Hailie, what do you mean by bladder blades? Anyone? I thought they just cut, and reached in and pulled the baby out. I am now hearing all kinds of things go on, including something about "manual removal of the placenta" and other things that sound a lot more dangerous than I was led to believe. Is that why it hurts so much after a c-section? I thought that the pain with sex would be better also because I was only thinking of my vagina...but my INSIDES hurt. ↑
They have to get through seven layers to get the baby out and generally take out your uterus to deliver the baby, clean it out, and put it back in, and give you seven layers of stiches. It is a lot more than slice and pull out baby! ↑
So Why did my MIL tell me I had my baby the easy way? I never thought that, and other women who had vaginals were all tearing around town and back to having sex way sooner than me. I am sad others have the same pain, but glad I am not alone. ↑
Because people who have not actually been through a section have the complete and utter misconception that a cesarean section is easier than a regular birth. The process itself may not be as painful, but the recovery is a bitch. Everyone has a different experience, my experience wasn't "terrible" but it wasn't a walk in the park either. As for sex, I know when hubby and I tried approx 5 wks after section, it hurt at first. I think that between the inner trauma with the deliver along with me being worried about it hurting I had psyched myself out some as well. ↑
It's been 4 months since my second c-section. It still hurts to have intercourse. I think it's even worse. Does anyone know how long this will last? Did anyone seek medical attention? To hell with everyone that said a c-section is the easy way to have a child. I think recovery sucks. My internal stiches are still not healed. I also heard each time you have a c-section, recovery time is longer. So if you want 3 or more kids, it's worse. :( ↑
I know exactly what you are talking about too! I am so glad I am not the only one. I thought I had an infection or something really serious wrong with me lol It sucks..I feel so bad because I want to have sex but it just hurts too bad and whenever we try it's like my man has to chase me around the bed because my reflex because I think it's going to hurt lol I really hope it gets better soon. I guess the only thing I can do is just wait it out and try more often to get myself used to it. But no, C Section is NOT easier than vaginal, its WORSE. Those first few days are PAINFUL and my stitches and around my stitches are still really sensitive. C Sections suck but I had to go through induction for 3 days too but my baby was too big so they had to go in and get her lol Anywho, yes it's nice to know I am not the only one experiencing this pain :) ↑
Sex was really painful for me for awhile afte my C's. Going back on the pill for some reason seemed to help. Maybe regulating the hormones or something? ↑
Wow, just noticed how old this thread is, but still it's good to know I'm not the only one. I'm 9 weeks postpartum, and sex is still a little uncomfortable. Egads, I hope it doesn't continue till 4 months. ↑
eeerrghhh still hurts after 12 weeks of my cs. I couldn't even get a mini tampon in the other day from the pain and dont even get me started on when i had a pap smear last week...ahhh I went to hell and back and im too afraid to try sex again..we've only had it 2-3 times and its just to painful that i wouldn't mind living a sexless life until i die LOL ↑
Give it time. Your uterus is in a higher position after a c/s and your ligiments are still trying to go back to their old positions after supporting the uterus. You will still have the same problems with vaginal dryness as those who had a vaginal birth so use a good quality lubricant like Astroglide. I think sex is way better now. I'm just as tight as before, but since my uterus is higher, I can now comfortably do "Cowgirl" and EVEN "reverse cowgirl"! It has been so fun for hubby since he was really worried about what sex would be like pp. ↑
It took till 11wks pp for me to enjoy sex again after my csection. We tried at 8 wks and it hurt so much I made him totally stop! lol - poor dh! It will get better - and I swear sex is actually better now than prepregnancy?!! Maybe it's all the hormones making it better??? ↑
just wanted to say that I didnt experience any of the pain you all are talking about.
we resumed sex after 5 or 6wks...I was tight b/c it had been awhile...but no pain like described above.
Just to give another point of view.
:) ↑
Ok, so I've read all of the responses and no one has said they have gone as long as 9 months with pain after sex. If anyone has let me know. Maybe its because we don't try very often because of the pain. But aparently it is very common to have pain with sex after a c-section. Good to know you're not alone. ↑
Are you still breastfeeding? I remember sex being painful FOREVER with my first baby, and I breastfed her for a year. My 2nd baby was a crappy breastfeeder, so that effort only lasted 12 weeks. I also went back on the pill when I stopped breastfeeding too, and then sex wasn't painful anymore. ↑
I can't tell you how relieved I am to read all these responses, I'm just coming up to six weeks post section and couldn't figure why trying to have sex was so painful - exactly like being a virgin again! IWe've stopped each time because it was so painful. I don't really have anything new to add, just wanted to say how relieved I am that I'm not alone, and that there isn't anything major wrong with me! still, I'm going to ask my midwife about it at my six week checkup and if she has any pearls of wisdom on the subject I'll post them! ↑
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this...hubby has become a red-hot poker, literally (I'm sure he'd be quite chuffed by the description!). Dry, burning sensation and I do feel like a virgin again. Sad, as I had grade 2 placenta previa and no sex for months and months....had been looking forward to resuming our intimate life...hope it doesn't last for long. ↑
This is so me too! I even went back to the doctor after my 6 week check up and told her that I was having pain so she did another exam and said that she was able to crank open the speculum pretty wide so she had no idea why I was having pain. So that made me feel like it was my fault like it was psychological but I know it isn't! She was my GP though not my OB doc. I never had a problem with my husband before and now it hurts - no thank you! Its been almost 3 months. It feels so tight in there now - its not the incision. ↑
I had painful sex after my c-section. It felt like it ached really bad deep inside of me. I used lubricant and so it didn't hurt at the opening, but somewhere inside of me was pretty painful for several months. Doctor said it might be scar tissue. I still have pain with deeper penetration. ↑
4 years Gretta. I am going to get a thorough check-up if this doesnt' stop, but I hear it happens to women who have had either type of birth in some cases, like someone said on here, a change in the way things sit, either to scar tissue or shifting of how the muscles sit. ↑
Oh Susan - I am so sorry but its really sad because none of the books tell you this. Like I said I went to the doctor and she said everything looked fine! And it still hurts. I hope it gets better. ↑
I know after my c-section the best way for me was "doggiestyle". because of the less chance that my dh would like be on top or even holding my leg up ...so all fours worked for me... ↑
hi, I just wanted to say that I posted a reply on a few months ago when sex was still too painful to have. I asked my midwife about it, and she said she didn't know why it would be painful as nothing in that area should have been disturbed - so it seems that this is something most health professionals don't know about! anyway, she recommended doing pelvic floor exercises (pulling up the muscles of the pelvic floor, as if you're stopping yourself going to the toilet), and I did loads of them, around 100 a day. by 10 or 11 weeks we could have very careful sex, and now, five months post section, we have a normal sex life again, though still a bit careful! anyway, pelvic floor exercises probably won't help everyone, as I suspect there are loads of different reasons for the pain, but it's so worth giving it a try... ↑
