Body Image and sex among postpartum women

Abstract

Body image and sexuality both pertain to the body. Positive experiences in one domain are generally associated with positive experiences in the other. Yet, less is known about body image among postpartum women specifically. Women’s bodies may change in socially undesirable ways after having a baby, which may relate to decreased comfort in partnered sexual activities. To that end, the current study aimed to examine links between body image and sexuality among postpartum women. Participants (N = 597) were women who had birthed a baby within the past year and lived in the United States. Most women resumed sex by 3 months after birth. Further, most women’s first postpartum sexual experience was “not at all” to “somewhat” enjoyable, and nearly 2/3 of first postpartum sexual experiences were partner-initiated. Women who initiate partnered sexual activity, however, have less body image self-consciousness. Women who have higher body appreciation reported greater enjoyment of their first postpartum sexual experience; less body image self-consciousness was also related to earlier timing of first penetration. Findings suggest that women’s body image is related to the timing of sexual activity after birth and how much women enjoy this activity.