A Dad’s Guide to Sex After Pregnancy and Childbirth

The (Not-So-) Endless Wait

When your favorite wide receiver busts his ankle, he can’t resume practice until the trainers clear him for football activity. Your partner faces a similar situation after having a kid. Many medical professionals liken the whole birth thing to “trauma,” noting that after all that pushing (and, in some cases, after surgery), ladies need to rest the area before resuming…well, you know. Dr. Brent Davidson, service chief for Women’s Health Services at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, says most women are advised to wait at least six weeks before having sex. “We have [moms] hold off out of fear of infection,” he says. “The idea is to make sure everything’s healed.”