Exploring Co‐Parent Experiences of Sexuality in the First 3 Months after Birth

Connecting through touch: Attitudes toward touch in pregnancy are associated with couples' sexual and affectionate behaviors across the transition to parenthood

Touch is a universal nonverbal action often used by romantic partners to demonstrate affection and care for each other. Attitudes toward touch might be particularly relevant across periods of relational strain-such as the transition to parenthood-when couples face many novel stressors and shifting priorities which can interfere with their sexual and affectionate experiences. New parent couples (N = 203) completed self-report measures online across six time-points (two prenatal). We tested whether couples' attitudes toward touch (touch aversion, touch for affection, touch for emotion regulation) at baseline (20 weeks mid-pregnancy) predicted their frequency of sexual and affectionate behaviors from mid-pregnancy through 12-month postpartum. Both partners' more positive attitudes toward touch (i.e., for affection and emotion regulation) and lower aversive attitudes toward touch, as measured in mid-pregnancy, predicted couples' higher frequency and variety of sexual and affectionate behaviors at 3-month postpartum. Touch attitudes generally did not predict the degree of change in the frequency or variety of sexual or affectionate behaviors, with one exception: non-birthing parents' more positive attitudes toward touch for emotion regulation in mid-pregnancy predicted a slower decline in couples' affectionate behaviors across pregnancy. Findings underscore a link between new parents' attitudes toward touch and their subsequent sexual and affectionate behaviors, particularly in the early postpartum period. New parents need to navigate novel sexual changes and a nonverbal strategy such as touch might be useful to promote intimacy and care.

Recovering Sexuality after Childbirth. What Strategies Do Women Adopt? A Qualitative Study

This study aimed to determine the strategies used by women to adapt to the changes that affect the first sexual relations after childbirth. A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach used three data collection techniques (in-depth interviews, discussion groups, and online forums). Thirty-six women in the first six months postpartum participated in the study, from physiotherapy centers with maternal child specialties in several locations in Spain. Women with different types of delivery, presence or absence of perineal trauma during delivery, previous deliveries, and different types of breastfeeding were included. Among the strategies, closeness support and understanding were the ones that women used to adjust to the new situation, in order to improve the couple's relationship, intimacy, and cope with the significant changes that appear in the first six months postpartum. Changes and adaptations in sexual practices become a tool for coping with a new sexuality, especially if it is affected by the presence of pain or discomfort associated with physical changes. Personal time facilitates emotional management and improvement of emotional changes related to the demands of motherhood. Accepting the changes that motherhood brings is critical to dealing with the new situation. Strategies used by postpartum women focus on acceptance, self-care, partner, couple time, personal time, and adapting encounters. The findings of this study are of interest to health professionals as they provide insight into how women cope with the changes that appear in the first six months postpartum. In this way, the findings will be able to transmit to couples the alternatives they can adopt before the resumption of sexual relations to improve satisfaction both as a couple and in terms of sexuality after childbirth.

The importance of sleep and parity in understanding changes in weight and breastfeeding behavior among postpartum women

BACKGROUND

Breastfeeding duration has been linked with the health of both women and their children, but research that considers women's weight change postpartum and practical factors that may impact their quality of life (i.e., sleep quantity, number of children) is limited.

METHOD

A survey was administered to 568 women (M age = 31.32 years; SD = 4.21) who had given birth within the past year. The survey included assessments of pre- and post-pregnancy weight and height, breastfeeding practices, current sleep quantity, presence of breastfeeding-specific support, and other demographics including their total number of children.

RESULTS

Greater pre-pregnancy to postpartum weight increase was related to shorter duration of breastfeeding. Mothers who exclusively breastfed for the first six months had less postpartum weight increase (i.e., the discrepancy between their pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy weight was smaller) than those who did not. Fewer children and greater hours of sleep were significantly associated with longer duration of breastfeeding. Sleep partially accounted for the relationship between body mass index change and breastfeeding duration. Breastfeeding-specific support did not impact the effect of low sleep on shorter breastfeeding duration.

CONCLUSIONS

Duration of breastfeeding may suffer due to fatigue. Sleep plays a key role in understanding the ways in which weight change impact breastfeeding behavior. Greater holistic support for mothers in the postpartum period is needed to foster an environment that encourages breastfeeding.

A Close and Supportive Interparental Bond During Pregnancy Predicts Greater Decline in Sexual Activity From Pregnancy to Postpartum: Applying an Evolutionary Perspective

A common topic for advice given to parents after childbirth – both from relationship experts and popular media – is how to “bounce back” to one’s pre-pregnancy sexuality, with warnings that postpartum declines in sexual frequency will take a serious toll on one’s relationship. However, these admonishments may not accurately reflect the ways in which the unique reproductive context of pregnancy and the postpartum transition alter associations between sexual frequency and relationship quality. Evolutionary perspectives on reproductive strategies would suggest that in the postpartum context, decreased sexual activity would help target parental investment in the current offspring (rather than creating new offspring); however, if the parental relationship is lacking in intimacy and support, continued sexual activity may help seal the cracks in the bond. We tested this theory in a longitudinal dyadic study of changes in relationship quality and sexual frequency from pregnancy to 6 months postpartum among 159 heterosexual couples. We found that across three different measures of relationship quality taken from interviews and behavioral observation of couple interactions, higher relationship quality (i.e., greater support, intimacy, and responsiveness) predicted greater decline in sexual frequency whereas sexual frequency remained relatively stable in lower quality relationships. These findings suggest that, during the postpartum transition, decreased sexual frequency may not be a reliable signal of poor relationship quality.

Sexual well-being and perceived stress in couples transitioning to parenthood: A dyadic analysis

Background/Objective

The transition to parenthood encompasses several psychological and relational changes that might contribute to couples’ high levels of stress postpartum. Although common across the postpartum, couples’ sexual changes are frequently overlooked.

Method

We surveyed 255 mixed-sex new parent couples to examine the associations between sexual well-being—sexual satisfaction, desire, and postpartum sexual concerns—and perceived stress postpartum. Couples completed self-report questionnaires assessing perceived stress and sexual well-being.

Results

For both mothers and fathers, greater sexual satisfaction was associated with their partners’ lower perceived stress and, for fathers, this was also associated with their own lower perceived stress. For mothers, greater partner-focused sexual desire was associated with their own lower perceived stress whereas, for fathers, greater partner-focused sexual desire was associated with their partners’ higher perceived stress. In addition, greater solitary sexual desire and postpartum sexual concerns were associated with both parents’ own higher perceived stress.

Conclusions

This study highlights the association between sexual well-being and couples’ postpartum stress, suggesting that more positive sexual experiences are linked to lower perceptions of stress across this vulnerable period. Couples’ sexual well-being may be an important target for interventions aimed at helping postpartum couples cope with stress.

What are the prevalence and factors associated with sexual dysfunction in breastfeeding women? A Brazilian cross-sectional analytical study

OBJECTIVE

This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with sexual dysfunction in breastfeeding women.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analytical study.

SETTING

Population-based study of individuals living in the northeast region of São Paulo state, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

From May to August 2017, 372 women aged ≥18 years were selected who gave exclusive, predominant or complementary breast feeding up to 23 months postpartum, and who did not have contraindications for the resumption of intercourse. Pregnant women, those diagnosed with mental health problems, users of medications that affect sexual function (antihypertensives, antidepressants or antipsychotics) and women unable to read or understand the instructions for the study were excluded.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The breastfeeding women completed the Female Sexual Function Index, the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index and a questionnaire to collect participants' sociodemographic, clinical and interpersonal data. A bivariate analysis was performed, and variables with p values<0.20 were analysed by multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Sexual dysfunction was present in 58.3% of the study population. Factors significantly associated with female sexual dysfunction (FSD) included placing a low importance on sexual intercourse (adjusted OR [AOR]=2.49, 95% CI=1.22 to 5.09), limited communication with the partner (AOR=2.64, 95% CI=1.43 to 4.86), decreased frequency of sexual intercourse (AOR=2.17, 95% CI=1.30 to 3.61) and low quality of life (AOR=2.23, 95% CI=1.33 to 3.74).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of FSD appears with a great magnitude in breastfeeding women. The risk factors for sexual dysfunction are biopsychosocial and these findings may lead to improved counselling for prenatal and postnatal care.

Determinants of Female Sexual Function in Breastfeeding Women

Knowledge about the determinants of female sexual function in breastfeeding women is limited. A total of 355 breastfeeding women completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Qol-8 quality of life questionnaire. FSFI scores decreased in the first six months of breast feeding. There was a positive relationship between FSFI scores and the importance of sex, level of communication, income, quality of life, and receiving brief sexual counseling.

Degree and Direction of Sexual Desire Discrepancy are Linked to Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction in Couples Transitioning to Parenthood

Many new parents are concerned that they have different levels of interest in sex than their partner. Understanding the role of desire discrepancies in their sexual and relationship satisfaction could help promote adjustment. In community couples, larger desire discrepancies have been inconsistently linked to lower sexual and relationship satisfaction. However, these studies rarely accounted for both the degree and direction (e.g., which partner has higher desire) of the discrepancy. We surveyed 255 mixed-sex new parent couples to assess their sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. Using polynomial regression with response surface analysis (RSA), we found that desire discrepancies between partners (i.e., when partners were more mismatched as opposed to matched on their levels of sexual desire) were associated with lower sexual (but not relationship) satisfaction for both partners. However, the direction of desire discrepancy mattered: Parents felt less satisfied when mothers were the higher-desire partner compared to when fathers were the higher-desire partner. In addition, when partners' level of sexual desire was in agreement, they were more sexually and relationally satisfied if both partners reported higher compared to lower desire. Results demonstrate the important role of both the magnitude and direction of desire discrepancies in new parent couples.

Sexualidad en embarazo y postparto: la necesidad de educación afectivo-sexual

El estudio de la sexualidad femenina durante el embarazo y tras el parto ha sido infravalorado hasta la fecha. Sin embargo, son numerosos los factores biopsicosocioculturales asociados a estos acontecimientos que influyen en la vivencia de la sexualidad, la intimidad y el placer de las mujeres, y la de sus parejas. Por ello, por medio del presente trabajo se pretende visibilizar dichas condiciones especiales de la maternidad y poner en valor la educación afectivo-sexual como estrategia de acompañamiento a estos desafíos vitales.  

For new mothers, the relationship matters: Relationship characteristics and postpartum sexuality

Postpartum sexuality has traditionally been studied using a biomedical framework, which focuses on how the physical and biological changes that occur during pregnancy and childbirth affect the resumption of pain-free intercourse. The current study sought to use a more inclusive and contextual approach by investigating how relationship characteristics are related to postpartum sexual desire and predict the resumption of a variety of sexual activities. A total of 188 new mothers who were within one year postpartum completed an online study. The Sexual Desire Inventory was used to measure solitary and dyadic sexual desire. Relationship satisfaction was measured using the Relationship Assessment Scale and perception of partner's sexual desire was measured using three modified questions from the Sexual Desire Inventory. New mothers were also asked to report when they resumed a variety of sexual activities in the postpartum period. Relationship satisfaction and perceptions of partner's desire were negatively correlated with solitary sexual desire, and relationship satisfaction was positively correlated with dyadic sexual desire. Birth-related factors were not related to postpartum sexual desire. New mothers' perception of their partner's desire predicted the resumption of most sexual activities in the postpartum (i.e., manual stimulation of new mother's and partner's genitals, oral stimulation of partner's genitals, penile-vaginal intercourse). Relationship satisfaction predicted the resumption of oral stimulation of the new mother's genitals. The results of this study support the incorporation of contextual factors, such as relationship characteristics, and the inclusion of non-penetrative sexual activities in the study of postpartum sexuality.

[What do we know about perinatal sexuality? A scoping review on sexoperinatality - Part 2]

The intimate and sexual dimension of future and new parenting couples' relationship is the most affected and the most vulnerable during the transition to parenthood. The purpose of this scoping review is to present the portrait of perinatal sexuality through 123 empirical articles published in the last 15 years. This second article in a series of two is about sexuality during labor and birth, during the postpartum, and in relation to breastfeeding. A total of 29 sexual variables were analyzed. Sexuality during the intrapartal and postnatal periods is very diversified. Some recurring items, however, can be identified: a period of non-sexuality in the first postnatal months, followed by a gradual return of sexuality from 3 to 6 months postpartum and continuing until 12 months or more. Sexuality during the intrapartum is considered taboo and couples' experiences can be at opposite ends: some couples' experiences are sensual and erotic during childbirth, while others experience birth trauma with a negative sexual impact postnatally. Sexuality during breastfeeding is also taboo with a negative impact on women's sexuality. In all of these circumstances, women's and men's sexuality are affected and a multitude of simultaneous physiological and psychological factors affect their experiences. Fluctuations in the intimate and sexual dimensions of the conjugal relationship are considered as a natural phenomenon but temporary. Sexoperinatal interventions should be part of holistic perinatal health care in order to help couples maintain a positive intimate and sexual relationship.

Understanding the phenomenon of sexual desire discrepancy in couples

Given that desire levels tend to fluctuate over time, discrepancies in sexual desire are an inevitable feature of sexual relationships. However, we know little about how such desire discrepancies relate to a couple's sexual satisfaction. Past studies that have examined the association between sexual desire discrepancy and sexual satisfaction in college/university samples have had inconsistent findings. Also, the results may not generalize to more established romantic relationships. The current study compared two different conceptualizations of sexual desire discrepancy; perceived sexual desire discrepancy was assessed by asking a participant to subjectively compare his/her own level of sexual desire to that of his/her partner. Actual desire discrepancy was computed by subtracting the female partner's score on a self-report measure of sexual desire from the male partner's score on the same measure. In Sample 1, we examined the relationship between actual sexual desire discrepancy and sexual satisfaction for 82 couples in committed long-term relationships. In Sample 2, we investigated the association between perceived sexual desire discrepancy and sexual satisfaction for 191 individuals in committed long-term relationships. Our results showed that higher perceived, but not actual, desire discrepancy was associated with lower sexual satisfaction. In addition, we found that perceived desire discrepancy outcomes differed when measured using different response scales. Findings highlight methodological issues to consider when measuring sexual desire discrepancy and extend the literature by showing that perceived sexual desire discrepancy is associated with sexual satisfaction for couples in committed long-term relationships. Limitations of the current study and implications for future research are discussed.

[Female sexuality and parenthood]

From the child conception to the early years of life, couples generally present less sexual activity. Parenthood constraints are a burden for the couple's relationships. Generally, persistent sexual difficulties six months after delivery, despite those generated by depression or altered health raise the question of an alteration in the quality of the couple's relationships and lack of satisfaction of the mother with her partner's involvement in family life. Numerous parameters can be implied, especially with persistent trouble of desire, such as fatigue, body image problems and libido lessening of the partner due to modifications of his status. Women who presented sexual difficulties before pregnancy remain the same. In all cases, appropriate information can avoid the intimacy's difficulties and contribute to maintain pleasure and intimacy even when vaginal penetration remains difficult.