Sexual Aspects of Problems in the Postpartum and Early Parenthood (1st Year)

Abstract

This period, especially after the first childbirth, is the litmus test of young parenthood. On the one hand, the combination of birth, perineal damage, breastfeeding, sleeplessness, and hormonal changes can strongly influence postpartum sexuality. On the other hand, the new baby has suddenly changed the dyad into a triad and is simultaneously a source of pride and pleasure and extreme fatigue and sleepless nights. Sexual tension between the spouses regularly accompanies that process, with many men having more sexual desire and many mothers experiencing a drop in self-esteem and body positivity (next to physically being exhausted), resulting in sexual difficulties. Up to 80% of young parents experience sexual issues. In this stressful transition to parenthood, gender and gender role differences can become painfully obvious. Whereas men usually can separate fatherhood and partnership, those areas are much more intertwined in women. The grimmest consequences are increased family violence and up to 5% of the young parents who separate/divorce within 2 years after the first birth. This chapter will address the bio-psycho-social causes of those troubles and cover strategies to prevent or diminish them. This chapter is part of ‘Midwifery and Sexuality’, a Springer Nature open-access textbook for midwives and related healthcare professionals.