For many sex is a very different experience while pregnant and newly postpartum. From wondering if you might hurt your baby to the physical discomfort one may experience, a lot of questions come to mind. Today we’re going to talk about sex during pregnancy and after baby. I gathered some of the students together from the prenatal and postnatal classes and asked what their questions were. Questions I heard included: concerns about sex during pregnancy and will it hurt the baby? If the vagina changes forever after birth? How postpartum hormones change sex? And what can you do if sex hurts?
So to have this conversation today on Yoga | Birth | Babies, I have Dr. Sabrina Baxter, a doctor of physical therapy specializing in Pelvic Floor dysfunction. I love that she talks about individualized treatment because, while we’re answering these questions in somewhat broad strokes, it is such an individualized experience what is going on with your body. I hope this just gives you some insight into your body and some curiosity about your body because you deserve to live a really wonderful quality of life and part of that is to have a healthy pelvic floor.
In this episode, you will learn:
- About Dr. Baxter and how she came to focus on pelvic floor physical therapy
- The concern that sex during pregnancy will hurt the baby
- Some reasons that the vagina feels different when pregnant
- When someone should abstain from sex when pregnant
- The most common reasons sex would hurt and what you can do about it
- How the increased blood volume in the pregnant body affects sex
- Advice for those who are nervous about having sex after baby- especially if they had tearing or a traumatic birth
- How one can help their pelvic floor be ready for sex
- How postpartum hormonal changes affect sex and what can be done to help combat this
- Is an orgasm helpful for toning the pelvic floor ?
- How the vagina changes after birth
- One final tip/piece of advice Dr. Baxter would like to offer new and expectant parents
- Where you can can find her work
**Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com
About Dr. Sabrina Baxter:
Dr. Sabrina Baxter is a Doctor of Physical Therapy specializing in pelvic floor health (and recently a birth doula!). She works primarily with women around preconception, pregnancy and postpartum and is passionate about removing the stigmas surrounding bladder, bowel and sexual health. You can find her on social media on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok @drsabrinabaxter.
Connect with Dr. Baxter:
Website: drsabrinabaxter.com
Check out similar Yoga| Birth| Babies episodes:
- Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE
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To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:
Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter
Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center
