Following pregnancy, if you don’t want to become pregnant again immediately, and if you are not in a monogamous relationship, you need to consider your options around safer sex and contraception. More information about contraception.
Factors such as how long ago your pregnancy was, whether you had a baby, termination or miscarriage, if you are now breastfeeding are all things that need to be taken into account if you are thinking about having sex.
Wait until bleeding has stopped to avoid getting an infection in the womb. After giving birth, many women don’t feel like having sex for a while and this is normal.
Talk to your GP or health visitor if this is worrying for you. If you have had stitches, let the wound heal and the stitches dissolve before having sex again.
There are many options for contraceptives following pregnancy:
- You can use condoms after birth or as soon as you like – this is ideal if you are not in a monogamous relationship as condoms will offer some protection against STIs also
- You can have an implant fitted from three weeks after the birth
- If you are not breastfeeding then you can use the combined pill, vaginal ring and the contraceptive patch from three weeks after the birth
- You can start the progestogen-only pill any time after the birth
- It is usually recommended that you wait until six weeks after the birth to start the contraceptive injection because then you are less likely to have heavy and irregular bleeding. It is possible to use it earlier if there are no other alternatives you find acceptable
- A coil can be fitted from four weeks after birth
However if you are breast feeding, contraceptive methods using estrogen are not recommended for six months to avoid the affect the hormone has on the flow of the breastmilk – the best thing to do is speak to your local contraception clinic, health visitor or GP about your options.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t have sex after a miscarriage, however this will depend on when you and your partner feel physically and emotionally ready. However, waiting until you have finished bleeding will reduce the risk of infection. If you are planning to try for another pregnancy, it can be best to wait until you’ve had your first period, this way you will know when pregnancy was likely to have happened.
After a miscarriage, there is a possibility that you may bleed for a few weeks.The bleeding should not be heavier than a normal period. Contact your GP if the bleeding becomes heavier or you notice smelly or discoloured discharge. In terms of risks of getting pregnant again and contracting an infection, these are the same as before and it is recommended you practice safer sex if you are not planning another pregnancy.
If you have been through a termination of pregnancy it is likely that someone will have spoken to you about long term contraception. It is recommended that you don’t have sex for two weeks following your procedure in order to reduce the risk of infection. However, your fertility returns to normal as soon as the termination has taken place and it’s therefore important that you use contraception if you don’t wish to become pregnant again. The clinic can arrange this for you at the time, or if you prefer to you can talk to your GP or contraception clinic.
Some methods are effective as soon as you have them (coil, implant, injection) and some will take a couple of weeks to be fully effective.
Again, if you are not in a monogamous relationship it is advisable to consider safer sex methods as this will help to avoid risk of STIs too.