It is true that after child birth, some women start feeling different about their post-pregnancy body and self-image/ body image suffers. The body undergoes number of changes both physically as well as mentally due to pregnancy and childbirth. So, what can you really do to get your sex life back on track? Explore this article to relive your sex life with your partner! First and foremost, couple should apply a more realistic approach to this new life and accept the change with an open heart. Yes, you guys can still enjoy exciting intimate moments together as a couple, but they'll be little different this time and probably may take more time than before. The standard 'back to normal' time frame after childbirth is 6 to 8 weeks. Your body is still recovering after childbirth.

At 6 week check-up, you can ask your doctor to assess you properly and see whether you can have sex with your partner or not?

The assumption is that if everything goes fine, the couple can get back to having sex straight away. You can also talk to a group of parents as well to have better idea on how to get your sex life back on track after delivering the baby. There is lot of fatigue after childbirth especially during first few months after childbirth which usually crashes your libido to have sex with your partner. The lack of sleep not just affects mother but father as well. As the post-pregnancy hormones start settling down, the libido may come back again but in uneven stages. Keep in mind that if you are breastfeeding, your libido may take even longer to return to normal. It is nature's way of getting mum to focus on the baby, rather than on doing something that may make her pregnant again. Body image is another issue pertaining with both the partners. It is natural for a woman and her partner to experience some transition issues with it. It is important to note that pregnancy and childbirth can leave everlasting differences on a woman's body as well as her self-esteem. But one should see all these changes in a positive way. You need to start seeing the beauty in yourself as a mother. A positive response and support from the partner helps in a big way in making the women feel more secure and confident about her body and herself. But if you feel really low or potentially are suffering from post-partum depression, do take professional counseling and talk to your partner and family about it. In the meantime, create positive impact by pointing out good things in yourself at least once a day. Do not feel pressurized for sex and also don't avoid sex altogether either. But keep in mind that if you delay the problem, it can turn bigger and become harder to bridge a solution. Plan date nights; send flirty phone messages to ignite romance back into your relationship. Touch each other lovingly, offer pampering sessions and take bath together to bring excitement in your relationship again. You can ask your partner or a close family member to take care of the baby for few hours to temporarily exit 'mum mode'. Husbands/partners can be more expressive and assure their partners that they are there for her and how much they adore her. When a woman feels sexy, even when she has body image issues, her self-esteem will lift and she'll feel more energized. Make her feel that you love her a lot as a woman and not just as the mother of your child. Very often it has been seen that couples get caught in the full time work of parenting, and lose themselves. You can get your sex life back on track after childbirth but it's how you do it that will determine how sizzling it will be.

Contributed by Dr. A, Chakravarthy, Sexologist on Oowomaniya. Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in these publications are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of Credihealth and the editor(s).