It depends. Although we classically tell women to wait six weeks after delivery to resume sex, many do not and there isn’t really any science behind this advice. The actual answer varies by woman, and likely depends on how you delivered (vaginally or Cesarean), if you had problems (a bad tear or no tear), and whether you have the energy and interest.

Here are some things you should know:

• If you aren’t lactating, you will probably ovulate again about 25 days after delivery. This means you could get pregnant from sex that happens as early as three weeks after delivery. Since the time of return to ovulation is variable from person to person, just assume that you are fertile any time after two weeks or so postpartum.
• If you are breastfeeding, you probably won’t ovulate in the first six weeks, but you SHOULD NOT count on this. Many women have gotten pregnant while breastfeeding.
• If you had a vaginal delivery with a tear, you may need four weeks or longer to heal before sex is comfortable (and sometimes much longer if the tear was severe or it’s not healing well).

So when should you have sex? When you feel like it and when you feel healed; but make sure you use birth control or you might have two babies in the same year! Many women have sex before their six weeks postpartum check-up and most of those women have sex the first time at three to four weeks after delivery. It’s really up to how you feel. It is also very normal to not want to have sex for a while and that is okay too. New babies take a lot of time and most new moms find sleep more appealing that sex!

Great question. For most women, the most appropriate birth control choice is one of the long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs). The LARCs include the hormonal IUDs (Mirena, LILETTA, or Kyleena), the copper IUD (ParaGard), and the implant (NEXPLANON). These methods are the most effective, have the highest success rate (as much as 80 times more effective than the pill), have the lowest side-effect profile and lowest complication rate, and the highest patient satisfaction rates. They also don’t interfere with breastfeeding, and they will protect you for 3-10 years depending on which LARC you choose. All of them are immediately reversible if you want to get pregnant, and none of them decrease your chances of pregnancy in the future.

Click here to read more about birth control options and click here to read more about the pros and cons of each method.