lifestyle

Sex in the delivery room: Yes it happens, and more regularly than you'd think.

A cleaner in a Bristol hospital complained to her bosses after walking in on a heavily pregnant woman having sex with her partner on the ward, while waiting to have her baby induced. As you do.

The worker decided to investigate when she heard moaning coming from the woman’s room and was surprised to discover that it wasn’t caused by labour pains. (Although, we’re not quite sure how you’d confuse those two rather distinct types of man).

The woman was told that there is no rules against frisky couples having sex on the ward, but it’s recommended they place a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the the door. A hospital source told the Daily Mail: “Other patients on the unit heard the commotion and were upset. The cleaner was utterly shocked.

“She was amazed to be told it was OK. The hospital’s advice appears to be just to put a sign up – amazing.”

There’s no definitive proof that having sex can be used to trigger labour, but that doesn’t stop eager couples giving it a red hot go.

(A la Ross and Rachel)

This isn’t the first time we’ve written about couples doing the deed in the delivery room either. Earlier this year we found out that it’s not uncommon for couples to be caught in the act mere hours after the birth of their child.

Read the previous post below.

By AVI VINCE

Most doctors recommend waiting six weeks before engaging in sex with your partner after giving birth.

And depending on how the birth went, and how you are healing, and how you are coping with a little one, sometimes it is a little less than six weeks and sometimes a little (or a lot) more.

But until we read a story this morning, we didn’t realise quite how many couples couldn’t wait anything like that long.

How about hours after giving birth?

Yes, you read that right. Hours.

And before you think we have gone completely loopy, here are some testimonies that Mommyish dug up from parenting forums:

Not going to lie, but I was in the hospital for almost a week and DH and I messed around some in my room. But not vaginal sex. We did that about 2 weeks after DS was born, but I had a C section and not a lot of pain. – themommyplaybook.com

So I delivered my wonderful baby girl on Saturday night! We get to go home tonight at 10pm so excited! My labour was AWESOME no pain meds for pushing… I didn’t rip , tear, or have ANY scratches! And was able to pee afterwards! In fact most of swelling has went down and it looks pretty normal. So I rewarded my husband with a b-job in the bathroom in our room at the hospital! LOL he has been so amazing taking care of me. And for him to see me at my worst and still want a blow job makes me feel like sexually our marriage is making it through this child birth stuff! Maybe it won’t ruin or sex life after all! Sorry just funny info.. wondered if anyone else has done this for there SO? – pregnancythisweek.com

Omg lol! Until now, I was the only person I know who got freaky in the hospital after giving birth! Totally j-ed the hubby at least twice last delivery! I’m glad to know that I’m not alone! – pregnancythisweek.com

Okay, so these couples are not HAVING SEX. They’re fooling around. But we’re impressed enough.

And then we read this:

I know someone who proudly told our mothers’ group that she and her husband had sex the night their baby was born, in the bed in the hospital. She said she felt amazingly sexy after giving birth and that she had never wanted him more. Our group pretty much fell off our chairs, in a perfect mix of horror and admiration. – Anonymous

Now if you are feeling utterly terrible for not giving your partner some “loving” in the hours post-birth, fear not, there were a quite a few like this one on the parenting forums:

I told my husband don’t touch me, I gave him 1 b-job in 7 weeks and told him he can support me by waiting with me. I think that’s fair.

Yes, yes. That’s fair.

So… how long did you and your partner wait?

This post was originally published on iVillage and has been republished with full permission. 

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Top Comments

Allison Efird 9 years ago

I have a somewhat two-sided opinion to this whole thing. So, some of you say that men must only be thinking with their penis...But did you think about the fact that your husband may just see you now as a beautiful,strong new woman, who just brought his child into the world-which is a miracle in and of itself! They have a whole new sense of admiration and love for you, and want to be physically close to you. On the other side, a loving husband no doubt respects his wife's wishes and feelings. My husband and I waited 6 weeks exactly, but even then it was at my pace. It was definitely uncomfortable at first and I still had so many different, crazy hormones racing it was difficult at first. But by the time DD was 4 months old our sex life was back in full swing and has been ever since!


Anonymous of course. 9 years ago

After my first child was born I wanted my husband (that way) so badly. Like, the next day. I had had an episiotomy though and a traumatic vaginal delivery, so I didn't even try. But I have never felt so aroused before. I put it down to all that crazy hormonal stuff that's going on after you give birth.
With one of my children I asked my husband to sleep with me in early labour. Straight afterward things picked up (like, you could feel the oxytocin affecting the contractions) and bub was born very quickly after that. The sex definitely put me into 'active' labour.
But he was a home birth so it wasn't weird or anything :)