Even though you didn’t push a baby out of your vagina, sex is probably the last thing on your mind after a C-section. Sleepless nights and a wailing infant do not exactly make a sexy soundtrack.

Plus, your hormones are literally shutting down your mojo: “The flood of maternal hormones that enter the system aid in bonding of mom to baby, and generally suppress the desire for sex for the first few weeks or so,” says Nicole Williams, M.D., founder of the Gynecology Institute of Chicago.

But one day, that urge to get it on will come back again.

And then comes the next obstacle: Is it actually safe to have sex yet? After all, you just had a serious surgery. That’s why you’ll have to take some precautions before getting horizontal.

SEX AFTER C-SECTION: HOW SOON IS TOO SOON?

Plan for six to eight weeks off from sex, says Williams. “The big reason is because you just had major surgery, which cuts through all the layers of the abdomen to reach the uterus. All of those layers, especially the muscular layers, must heal,” she explains.

Sex is a workout that recruits your core, and you need to give it time to repair. As Williams points out, the uterus is also a muscle. “When it’s still enlarged and you have an orgasm, it could lead to cramping through the release of certain hormones that stimulate it,” she adds. What’s more, vigorous activity can re-open an incision. (If that happens, stop what you’re doing immediately, of course.)

BUT WHAT IF IT’S REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE?

Since a baby didn’t come out of your vagina, you can count on this part feeling the same during intercourse. But your core may feel sore initially, says Williams. That’s totally normal.

via Sex After C-Section: When Can You Have Sex After A C-Section?