Renewing your Sex Life after Childbirth

Irwin Goldstein, MD

Women’s sexual function is a complex integrated phenomenon that reflects both her psychological sociocultural, interpersonal influences as well as her biologic influences including the health of her gynecologic, urologic, endocrinologic, cardiovascular and central and peripheral nervous systems. If a woman has a sexual dysfunction that causes personal distress, she has the right to appropriate holistic (biologic and organic) sexual health management. 

At the Institute for Sexual Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, we have evaluated over 1200 women for psychologic and biologic concerns with sexual dysfunction since 1998. One of the most common complaints has been persistent or consistent sexual dysfunction since childbirth. Post-childbirth sexual complaints include: loss of desire, decreased frequency of sexual activity, painful intercourse, diminished sexual responsiveness, difficulty achieving orgasm, decreased genital sensation, decreased genital arousal and new onset pudendal neuropathy (associated with a forceps delivery).

Hormones and lovemaking during pregnancy

It's perfectly safe to enjoy lovemaking during your pregnancy, unless there are medical reasons why you should abstain for a while. Every pregnant woman has the potential to enjoy sex - and some enjoy it more than they've ever done before.

© Jupiter

How much you want and enjoy sex can vary during pregnancy, not only from one woman to another, but also in the same woman at different times throughout the 40 weeks. Most women feel less interested in lovemaking during the first trimester (especially if suffering from tiredness and nausea). Desire generally increases in the second trimester and declines again in the third.

Sex After Menopause - The Difficulties And The Delights

So what is sex after menopause really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about sex after menopause--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.


The information about sex after menopause presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about sex after menopause or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.


Whatever your sex life was like before the onset of menopause, you can guarantee that the physical and emotional changes you go through at this time will have some sort of impact. While some women find that menopause causes their libido to drop so that they can't bear the thought of having sex, some find their new situation sexually liberating.

Postpartum Depression: It Can Happen Months After Birth HEALTH & WELLNESS

Jessica McFaddenContributor
 

Conventional wisdom poses postpartum depression as "baby blues" that strike mothers in the weeks after baby comes home from the hospital. It is portrayed with an image of a brand new mom in a bathrobe, listlessly rocking a tiny newborn in her arms.

In actuality, postpartum depression can occur any time within the year a child joins a family. Some experts even attest that postpartum depression can appear in mothers within the first two years of baby's life.

My Story: Postpartum Depression at Five Months After Birth

For me personally, between four and six months postpartum with all three of my children is when the despondency, fatigue and anxiety crept in. In fact, during the two or three months directly after the births I have been blessed with euphoria like I have never experienced at any other time in my life. This initial happiness and positive feeling have always been in stark contrast to the gloom that descended on my psyche months later.

Although many women's difficult labors and traumatic births can indeed trigger postpartum depression, I thankfully had easy, non-complicated births and very healthy babies. My husband was supportive and hands-on. My health was good. Breastfeeding was a breeze. I was so blessed and lucky to have my much prayed-for children. What the heck was wrong with me?

Delayed Postpartum Depression is Common

I have since learned that my experience with delayed postpartum depression is common. Approximately half of mothers will feel some level of postpartum depression within the first year after giving birth, and 10 to 15 percent of new mothers will experience a major depressive episode.

Medical Causes of Delayed Postpartum Depression

I have since learned that my experience with delayed postpartum depression is common. Approximately half of mothers will feel some level of postpartum depression within the first year after giving birth, and 10 to 15 percent of new mothers will experience a major depressive episode. 

One theory to explain delayed postpartum depression includes a decrease in breastfeeding frequency as baby grows, sleeps for longer stretches, begins solids or mother returns to work. Other possible causes are a drop in the level of maternal hormones and the return of thyriod hormones to pre-pregnancy levels.

Situational Reasons for Delayed Postpartum Depression

Situational realities of parenting a baby who is no longer a newborn can also contribute to delayed depression. A mother may have less help in caring for the child than in the weeks or months right after the birth. The first few months of life newborns sleep a great deal and may require seemingly less care than a demanding older baby. And of course, the exhaustion of parenting a baby can build, and it make take several months of sleep deprivation before the cumulative effects are felt.

My Story: Treatment for Postpartum Depression

I personally believe my onset of symptoms was due to a hormone shift, as my depressive symptoms have always occurred hand in hand with my postpartum hair loss, which signals a woman's tapering off of progesterone. Untreated, my depression and anxiety remain until I resume menstruation around nine months postpartum, leaving me in a state of prolonged PMS, if you will. Lovely.

Thankfully, I do not feel the need to suffer silently, fighting the urge to claw the walls one day and hole up in my home the next. I would much rather enjoy my children and my life. A low dose of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Zoloft effectively returns me to myself. Considered one of the safest antidepressants for breastfeeding mothers, my "Vitamin Z" helps me immensely. I prefer my intangible well-being to match my rational, true feelings of fierce love and disgustingly gushing happiness at being Charlie, Eve and Alice's mom.

Remember, any prolonged, negative change in your mood in the year or so after the birth of a child is possibly postpartum depression. Call your doctor to discuss your treatment options, no matter how much time has passed.

http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/health-wellness/postpartum-depression-it-can-happen-months-after-birth.html 

All Slideshows » The Real Causes of Breast Cancer

The Real Causes of Breast Cancer

11
• 
  Alcohol
  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.
  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.
  Conclusion: Strong Link
  http://www.thirdage.com/breast-cancer/real-causes-breast-cancer
• Alcohol
  

  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.

  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Stress
  

  Theory: An Israeli study claimed that women who experience more than one stressful event throughout their lifetime are at greater risk of developing breast cancer.

  Comment: Dr. Moffat says that evidence proving a link between stress and breast cancer is weak. She added, The problem is that its very hard to measure or even define stress. And stressful situations can make some people more likely to take up unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or heavy drinking.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  

  Theory: Evidence shows that combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which uses estrogen and progesterone, can increase the risk of breast cancer, especially if used over longer periods of time.

  Comment: According to Dr. Moffat, HRT is still an effective short-term treatment for menopausal symptoms. Using HRT for a few years doesnt greatly increase your risk, but the longer you stay on it, the higher your risk becomes. Only five years after stopping will your risk return to that of a woman who has never used HRT.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Trauma to Breasts
  

  Theory: Physical trauma to the breast can lead to the development of breast cancer.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence to suggest this. Dr. Moffat says that Cancers are fundamentally caused by faulty or damaged genes and take a very long time to develop. Rather, recent injuries to the breast will lead physicians to examine it more carefully, drawing attention to tumors that were already there.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Weight Gain
  

  Theory: The chance of getting breast cancer after menopause increases if you gain weight. A woman who puts on around thirty pounds throughout her adult life before going through menopause doubles her risk for getting the disease.

  Comment: The link between weight gain and breast cancer is strong. Maintaining a healthy body weight can reduce your risk of getting the disease. Dr. Moffat notes that Fat is not inactive its actually pumping out hormones and other chemicals that can affect your risk of disease.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Household Cleaning Products
  

  Theory: Some believe that household cleaning products lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly after a recent US study found that women who used air freshener sprays were twenty percent more likely to develop the disease.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence that links cleaning products to breast cancer. Dr. Moffat notes that the studys subjects may have had recall bias, in which their memories were affected by their beliefs of what is true. This may be the case in this study especially because women were asked to recall insignificant behavior from years before.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Using the Pill
  

  Theory: Taking the Pill, which contains both estrogen and progesterone, will increase your risk of breast cancer. It can take ten years of being off the Pill to bring your risk back down to levels as if you had never taken it.

  Comment: While there is strong evidence suggesting that the Pill slightly increases your risk of developing breast cancer, Dr. Moffat also points to the fact that the Pill can also protect against other cancers. She notes, It halves a womans risk of ovarian and womb cancers, and this protective effect continues for about 15-20 years after stopping.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Underwire Bras
  

  Theory: It had been suggested that wearing an underwire bra will obstruct lymph flow and put pressure on lymph nodes in the armpit.

  Comment: There is no strong evidence linking underwire bras to breast cancer. Rather, it has been theorized that women who dont wear bras regularly tend to be thinner, which is the actual reason for their lower risk of getting breast cancer.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• Smoking
  

  Theory: A study from the California Environmental Protection Agency found that secondhand smoke and breast cancer have a causal association amongst pre-menopausal women. Additionally, exposure to smoking during childhood and puberty may also lead to breast cancer.

  Comment: According to Dr. Moffat, even though there is no definite link between smoking and breast cancer, we do know that the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause at least a dozen different types of cancer around the body, so theres still every reason to try to be a non-smoker and avoid passive smoke when you can.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Not Breast Feeding
  

  Theory: Research has suggested that women who breast feed their babies longer have a lower risk for developing breast cancer. It could be because breast feeding reduces a womans number of menstrual cycles, lowering her exposure to estrogen and progesterone.

  Comment: Dr. Moffat agrees with the research: the longer a woman breastfeeds, the lower her risk of cancer.

  Conclusion: Strong Link
• Anti-Perspirants
  

  Theory: It was originally theorized that wearing deodorant prevents toxins from leaving the body through sweat, and because those toxins occur around the breast, breast cells can become cancerous. However, no major studies have proven this theory.

  Comment: The evidence for a link between antiperspirants and breast cancer is weak. According to Dr. Moffat, Concerns about deodorants and breast cancer started with an email hoax, and there are no facts behind this claim.

  Conclusion: Weak Link
• 
  

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• Alcohol
  

  Theory: Many studies have shown that alcohol consumption can lead to a higher risk of breast cancer, even at moderate amounts. Women who have more than two drinks a day increase their risk one and half times that of a woman who drinks less.

  Comment: The evidence shows that the link between breast cancer and alcohol is strong. Dr. Moffat says, Even small amounts can have an impact. Cutting back on alcohol intake is one of the best ways of reducing your risk.

  Conclusion: Strong Link

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